Charing Cross Hospital is a general, acute hospital located in London, United Kingdom and established in 1818. It is located several miles to the west of the city centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

It is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and is one of the Imperial College School of Medicine's teaching hospitals. It is a tertiary referral centre for neurosurgery, and is a national centre of excellence for gestational trophoblastic disease. It currently houses the serious injuries centre for West London.^[1]

The hospital is host to the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and the West London Neuroscience centre. Additionally, there is a recently added day surgery unit, the Riverside Wing. The West London Mental Health NHS Trust also has buildings on site.^[2] The hospital hosts the largest and oldest gender identity clinic in the country, with 150 operations performed annually.^[3]

History[link]

19th century[link]

Charing Cross Hospital was started as the 'West London Infirmary and Dispensary' in 1818 at 16 Suffolk Street near the Haymarket Theatre by Dr. Benjamin Golding. The hospital was the dream of Dr. Golding who wanted to establish a place of healing for the poor. The then Duke of York was asked to become patron, which he accepted and the hospital was thenceforth known as the Royal West London Infirmary. Following this, the then Duchess of York and Duke of Cambridge became patrons. ^[4]

In 1821, the institution began to reach capacity, treating nearly 10000 patients a year. A new site was found at 28 Villiers Street, near Charing Cross in the heart of the metropolis. The infirmary provided accommodation for twelve beds. It was shortly after this move that there was a plan put in place to establish a medical school alongside the infirmary. The Charing Cross Hospital Medical School was recognised by the newly founded University of London in 1829, although the school had been training doctors since 1822. Over the following years, the list of benefactors and patrons grew, including many from the Royal Family. ^[5]

In 1827, the name of the Royal West London Infirmary was changed to Charing Cross Hospital. Plans were drawn up by architect Mr Decimus Burton in 1830 and a site was found in the Strand. On 15th September 1831 the foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Sussex. The first completed ward was named after the daughter of the Duchess of Kent, Princess Victoria, who went on to become Queen Victoria. The principal ward for men was named Golding Ward after the founder. The hospital itself was completed in January 1834, the total cost of the build and furniture coming to £20000. In October 1834, the 22 medical students were transferred from Villiers street to the new building. ^[6]

The hospital and medical school continued to expand. King's College London opened and wanted a medical school and offered Charing Cross a substantial amount of money for their students to be trained there. Dr Golding was opposed to the idea and after several years of negotiation, King's College decided to open their own hospital in 1839. During these years of negotiation, the school saw difficult times with the number of students enrolled plummeting. However, by 1840 the number of students leapt up and faith in the school was restored. Dr Golding suffered from a stroke in 1840. In 1854, the hospital was flourishing and the top floor of the hosptial (which had been left as an empty carcass) was completed. In 1856, Dr. Golding retired as Director of Charing Cross Hospital Medical School. The hospital began to go through some difficult times, with many newer hospitals opening in close proximity and the establishment of newer, larger medical schools. ^[7]

However, the institution continued on, 1866 saw the arrival of professional nursing staff and the hospital was expanded several times during the years, with a major rebuild in 1877 seeing the hospital double in size.

20th century[link]

Henry Moore sculpture at the main entrance

The hospital was further extended in 1902. ^[8] In 1926, the Royal Westminster Opthalmic Hospital was merged with Charing Cross Hosptial. ^[9]

After the second World War it was decided that the hospital should move out of central London. Several sites were considered and a large site was found at Northwick Park in Harrow. However, the University of London deemed that they would not be able to remain affiliated with the hospital should it move there and so it was decided to pass this site over to the Ministry of Health who developed it into the present Northwick Park Hospital.^[10]

In 1957 a link was proposed with Fulham and West London Hospitals. The proposal was controversial with the residents of Fulham, who wanted their existing hospital redeveloped not taken over. A public meeting was set up with the Mayor of Fulham and the Chairman of the hospital, Lord Inman explained that the decision was made by the Ministry of Health and that the hospital built would be well equipped and provide a full service. This allayed most fears. The new Charing Cross Hospital was opened in 1973 on Fulham Palace Road, on the site of the old Fulham Hospital. This new hospital was built at the then staggering cost of £15 million pounds. A fifteen storey building was bult in the shape of a cross along with several lower story buildings, and three high-rise residential blocks were to be built to house medical staff, nurses and medical students (which are still present: Golding, Parsons and Cliff houses respectively). Despite the move, it retained the Charing Cross name. Initially it was known as 'Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham' but over the years the 'Fulham' part has been dropped. ^[11]

In recent times, the hospital has pioneered the clinical use of CT scanning.

Notable alumni[link]

Alongside the now famed Dr. Benjamin Golding and the various Royal Patrons involved in the inception of the hospital, there have been several notable alumni of both the hospital and its medical school.

One of the early students of Charing Cross Hospital was Dr. David Livingstone, now remembered as the celebrated African explorer.

The outstanding scientist Dr. Thomas Huxley was another student at the hospital's medical school whose works include 'Zoological Evidences of Man's Place in Nature' and 'Evolution and Ethics'. Huxley was instrumental in the founding of Imperial College London although he was not associated with the merger of the two that would happen almost a century later.

Mr Astley Bloxam, an early and famed Plastic surgeon.

Asthma was extensively described by Dr. Henry Hyde Salter, a physician at this hospital ^[12]

Dr. Christopher Addison, later Viscount Addison worked at the hospital. He was the son of the discoverer of eponymously named Addison's Disease and he himself is accredited with naming 'Addisons transpyloric plane' a part of the human body used as a surgical landmark. Addison later stood for parliament for the Labour Party and became leader of the House of Lords.

Sir Herbert Waterhouse was a surgeon at the hospital and Sir Gordon Holmes, famed neurologist also worked there.

Imperial College[link]

Originally supporting Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School was formed in 1984 by the merger with Westminster Hospital Medical School. In 1997, CXWMS merged with Imperial College London (whose medical department was at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in Paddington), The National Heart & Lung Institute and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School (at Hammersmith Hospital) to create a large new institution, Imperial College School of Medicine.

Imperial College London use most of the floors of the East Wing lab block, housing academic departments and their labs, 3 lecture theatres on the 8th, 9th and 10th floors, the Pathology museum on the 11th floor and the Dissection rooms on the 14th floor.

The Reynolds Building (originally built for Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School), lies adjacent to the hospital within the campus and is used extensively by Imperial College School of Medicine. It consists of a lecture theatre (Brian Drewe Lecture Theatre), the Campbell-Adamson library and various seminar and teaching rooms. In addition to this, it houses the Reynolds Bar, a centre for the various functions that the Imperial College School of Medicin; centralauth_Token=64fa95e2402fn holds. It also contains a music room, gym and student union shop and offices.

The Glenister building is also located on this campus. It provides additional teaching space for Imperial College London.

On site, there is a sports centre and sports hall as well as Parsons House, one of the Imperial College Halls of Residence.

Maggie's Centre[link]

On 29 April 2008, Maggie's Centre was opened by Nigella Lawson and Sarah Brown. This support centre is available for anyone who is affected by cancer in London.^[13] In 2009, the centre was visited by Michelle Obama^[14] and in October was given the 2009 Stirling Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects.^[15]

References[link]

1. ^ Charing Cross Hospital – NHS Choises
2. ^ Charing Cross Hospital – Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
3. ^ Charing Cross Hospital | Gender Surgery – mperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
4. ^ The Two Pillars Of Charing Cross: The Story of a Famous Hospital by RJ Minney. Published by Cassell London 1967.
5. ^ The Two Pillars Of Charing Cross: The Story of a Famous Hospital by RJ Minney. Published by Cassell London 1967.
6. ^ The Two Pillars Of Charing Cross: The Story of a Famous Hospital by RJ Minney. Published by Cassell London 1967.
7. ^ The Two Pillars Of Charing Cross: The Story of a Famous Hospital by RJ Minney. Published by Cassell London 1967.
8. ^ The Two Pillars Of Charing Cross: The Story of a Famous Hospital by RJ Minney. Published by Cassell London 1967.
9. ^ The Two Pillars Of Charing Cross: The Story of a Famous Hospital by RJ Minney. Published by Cassell London 1967.
10. ^ The Two Pillars Of Charing Cross: The Story of a Famous Hospital by RJ Minney. Published by Cassell London 1967.
11. ^ The Two Pillars Of Charing Cross: The Story of a Famous Hospital by RJ Minney. Published by Cassell London 1967.
12. ^ Henry Hyde Salter (1823-71): a biographical sketch, Thorax. 1985 December; 40(12): 887–888.
13. ^ Maggies's Cancer Caring Centres: Maggies's London
14. ^ Maggies's Cancer Caring Centres
15. ^ Maggie's Centre Wins Stirling Prize – Londonist

External links[link]

• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust's official site
• A page about the hospital archives which contains some historical information about the hospital

v t e Imperial College Healthcare Hospitals Charing Cross Hospital · Hammersmith Hospital · Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital · St Mary's Hospital · Western Eye Hospital Notable people Chairman: Lord Tugendhat · Chief Executive: Mark Davies · Baron Darzi of Denham Associated institutions Imperial College London (Imperial College Faculty of Medicine · Imperial College School of Medicine) Category

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Coordinates: 51°29′14″N 0°13′10″W / 51.4871°N 0.2195°W / 51.4871; -0.2195

Coordinates: 51°30′26″N 0°07′39″W / 51.5073°N 0.12755°W / 51.5073; -0.12755

Charing Cross
The Victorian replacement of the original Eleanor Cross; from which the area derives its name.
Charing Cross  Charing Cross shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ302804
London borough	Westminster
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	WC2
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Cities of London and Westminster
London Assembly	West Central
List of places: UK • England • London

Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian statue of King Charles I. Since the second half of the 18th century Charing Cross has been seen as the centre of London. It is the primary of the central datum points for measuring distances from London along with the London Stone, Hicks Hall and the doors of St Mary-le-Bow church.

History[link]

Location and etymology[link]

"Erect a rich and stately carved cross, Whereon her statue shall with glory shine; And henceforth see you call it Charing Cross." George Peele The Famous Chronicle of King Edward the First (1593)

The name of the hamlet of Charing is derived from the old English word "cierring", referring to the nearby bend in the River Thames.^[1][2]

The addition of the name "Cross" to the area's name originates from the Eleanor cross erected in 1291–94 by King Edward I as a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile, and placed between the former hamlet of Charing and the entrance to the Royal Mews of the Palace of Whitehall (today the top of Whitehall on the south side of Trafalgar Square).

This wooden sculpted cross was the work of the medieval sculptor, Alexander of Abingdon,.^[3] It was destroyed in 1647 on the orders of Parliament during the Civil War.^[4] The 70 ft (21 m)-high stone sculpture seen today in front of Charing Cross railway station is a copy of the original cross. Erected in 1865, it is situated a few hundred yards to the east of the original cross, on Strand. It was designed by the architect of the hotel, E.M.Barry and carved by Thomas Earp of Lambeth from Portland stone, Mansfield stone (a fine sandstone) and Aberdeen granite. It is not a faithful replica, being more ornate than the original.^[5]

Since 1675 the original site of the cross has been occupied by a statue of King Charles I mounted on a horse. This site is recognised by modern convention as the centre of London for the purpose of indicating distances by road in favour of other previous measurement points (such as St Paul's Cathedral which remains as the root of the English and Welsh part of the Great Britain road numbering scheme). Charing Cross is marked on modern maps as a road junction, though it was previously also a postal address denoting the stretch of road between Great Scotland Yard and Trafalgar Square. Since 1 January 1931 this section of road has been designated as part of the Whitehall thoroughfare.^[6]

The Cross has given its name to a railway station, a hotel, a hospital, a police station; and two places of entertainment, the Charing Cross Theatre and the Charing Cross Music Hall (which lay beneath the arches of the station). Charing Cross Road the main route from the north (which becomes the east side of Trafalgar Square) was named after the railway station, which was a major destination for traffic, rather than for the original cross.^[7]

St Mary Rounceval[link]

An extract from John Rocque's map of London, 1746, showing Northumberland House. The two projecting garden wings had not yet been added.

At some time between 1232 and 1236, the Chapel and Hospital of St Mary Rounceval was founded at Charing. This occupied land at the corner of the modern Whitehall and into the centre of Northumberland Avenue, running down to a wharf by the river. It was an Augustinian house, tied to a mother house at Roncesvalles, in the Pyrenees. The house and lands were seized for the King in 1379, under a statute "for the forfeiture of the lands of schismatic aliens". Protracted legal action returned some rights to the Prior, but in 1414, Henry V finally suppressed the 'alien' houses. The priory fell into a long decline due to lack of money, with further arguments over the collection of tithes with the parish church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. In 1541, religious artefacts were removed to St Margaret's, and the chapel was adapted as a private house, with the almshouse being sequestered to the Royal Palace.^[8]

Frontage onto Strand/Charing Cross of Northumberland House in 1752 by Canaletto. The statue of Charles I can be seen to the right of the painting. To the left can be seen the famous Golden Cross Inn, with signboard outside.

In 1608–09, the Earl of Northampton built Northumberland House on the eastern portion of the property. In June 1874, the whole of the Duke's property at Charing Cross, was purchased by the Metropolitan Board of Works for the formation of Northumberland Avenue.^[9]

The frontage of the Rounceval property caused the narrowing at the end of the Whitehall entry to Charing Cross, and formed the section of Whitehall formerly known as Charing Cross, until road widening in the 1930s caused the rebuilding of the south side of the street – creating the current wide thoroughfare.^[8]

Battle[link]

In 1554, Charing Cross was the site of the final battle of Wyatt's Rebellion. This was an attempt by Thomas Wyatt and others to overthrow Queen Mary I of England, soon after her accession to the throne and replace her with Lady Jane Grey. Wyatt's army had come from Kent, and with London Bridge barred to them, had crossed the river by what was then the next bridge upstream, at Hampton Court. Their circuitous route brought them down St. Martin's Lane to Whitehall.^[5]

The palace was defended by 1,000 men under Sir John Gage at Charing Cross; they retreated within Whitehall after firing their shot, causing consternation within — thinking the force had changed sides. The rebels – themselves, fearful of artillery on the higher ground around St James's – did not press their attack and marched onto Ludgate; where they were met by the Tower Garrison and surrendered.^[5]

Civil war removal[link]

Statue of Charles I, facing down Whitehall

The Eleanor Cross was pulled down, by order of Parliament, in 1647, at the time of the English Civil War, becoming the subject of a popular Royalist ballad:

Methinks the common-council shou'd

Of it have taken pity,

'Cause, good old cross, it always stood

So firmly in the city.

Since crosses you so much disdain,

Faith, if I were you,

For fear the King should rule again,

I'd pull down Tiburn too. (extract from "The Downfall of Charing Cross"^[10])

At the Restoration eight of the regicides were executed here, including the notable Fifth Monarchist, Colonel Thomas Harrison.^[11] A statue of Charles I, was later erected on the site. This statue had been made in 1633 by Hubert Le Sueur, in the reign of Charles I, but, in 1649, was ordered to be destroyed by Parliament. Subsequently, after being hidden by the man charged with destroying the statue, it resurfaced at the Restoration; and was erected here in 1675.^[12]

The Pillory at Charing Cross. The statue of Charles I, to the right, marks the site of the eponymous Cross.^[13]

A prominent pillory, where malefactors were publicly flogged, was situated next to the statue of King Charles.^[14] To the south of Charing Cross was the Hungerford Market, established at the end of the 16th century; and to the north was the King's Mews, a royal stable. The area around the pillory was a popular place of street entertainment. Samuel Pepys records in his diaries visiting the surrounding taverns and watching the entertainments and executions that were held there.^[15] This whole area was transformed when Trafalgar Square was built on the site in 1832.

A famous inn called the "Golden Cross" - first mentioned in 1643 - stood in the former village of Charing. From here, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, coaches departed by various routes to Dover, Brighton, Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Holyhead and York. The inn features in Sketches by Boz, David Copperfield and The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens. In the last, the dangers to public safety of the low archway between the inn to the street were memorably pointed out by Mr Jingle :

"Heads, heads - take care of your heads", cried the loquacious stranger as they came out under the low archway which in those days formed the entrance to the coachyard. "Terrible place - dangerous work - other day - five children - mother - tall lady, eating sandwiches - forgot the arch - crash - knock - children look round - mother's head off - sandwich in her hand - no mouth to put it in - head of family off"

The inn was demolished for the creation of Trafalgar Square and a new Golden Cross Hotel was built in the 1830s on the triangular site now fronted by South Africa House. Though this hotel is now also gone, the memory is preserved in commercial offices facing the Strand named Golden Cross House.

Replacement[link]

Area around Charing Cross c.1833

The railway station opened in 1864, fronted on the Strand with the Charing Cross Hotel. In 1865, a replacement cross was commissioned from E. M. Barry by the South Eastern Railway as the centrepiece of the station forecourt; about 160 feet (49 m) east of the original site. It is not a replica, being of an ornate Victorian Gothic design based on George Gilbert Scott's Oxford Martyrs' Memorial (1838). The Cross rises 70 feet (21 m) in three main stages on an octagonal plan, surmounted by a spire and cross. The shields in the panels of the first stage are copied from the Eleanor Crosses and bear the arms of England, Castile, Leon and Ponthieu; above the 2nd parapet are 8 statues of Queen Eleanor. The Cross was designated a Grade II* monument on 5 February 1970.^[16] The month before, the bronze equestrian statue of Charles, on a pedestal of carved Portland stone was given Grade I listed protection.^[17]

Fragments of the medieval original remain in the Museum of London.

Official use as central point[link]

Since the second half of the 18th century Charing Cross has been seen as the centre of London.^[18] From the early 19th century, legislation applicable only to the London metropolis used Charing Cross as a central point to define its geographical scope. Its later use in legislation waned in favour of providing a schedule of local government areas and became mostly obsolete with the official creation of Greater London in 1965.

Transport and locale[link]

Neighbouring areas of London.

	Trafalgar Square	Covent Garden	Kingsway
	The Mall		Strand
		Charing Cross    East
	Whitehall	London Waterloo via Golden Jubilee Bridges	South Bank via Waterloo Bridge

The front entrance of Charing Cross railway station in a 19th-century print. The cross in front of the station Hotel is a Victorian replacement for the original Eleanor Cross which stood near the site.

Nearest stations

To the east of the Charing Cross road junction is Charing Cross railway station situated on the Strand. On the other side of the river, connected by the pedestrian Golden Jubilee Bridges are Waterloo East station and Waterloo station.

The nearest London Underground stations are Charing Cross and Embankment.

References[link]

External links[link]

London portal

• Charing Cross Bridge in London from Claude Monet, in YOUR CITY AT THE THYSSEN, a Thyssen Museum project on Flickr

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Coordinates: 51°12′39″N 0°47′42″E / 51.2107°N 0.7949°E / 51.2107; 0.7949

Charing
Charing High Street, c. 1905
Charing  Charing shown within Kent
Population	2,750
OS grid reference	TQ953494
District	Ashford
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Ashford
Postcode district	TN27
Dialling code	01233
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Ashford
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Charing is a small village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, in south-east England. The parish population is 2,750 (Hobbs Parker web site, 2000); it includes the settlement of Charing Heath.

It is situated at the foot of the North Downs. The Pilgrims' Way and the M20 motorway both cross the parish, whilst Charing railway station is located on the line railway line between London Victoria and Ashford International via Maidstone. Services are operated by Southeastern, with one train in each direction throughout the day, and an much enhanced service during the morning and evening peak periods.

History[link]

The name Charing first appears in 799 as Ciorrincg. The name probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon word cerring, which means a bend in the road, or it may be from Ceorra-ingas, which is Anglo-Saxon, meaning people of Ceorra. The village is sited on the Pilgrims' Way from London to Canterbury, and is one day's walk from Canterbury. There are a number of old manors located around the village, such as Newlands (now a horse stud) and Pett Place. The village had a market recorded in 1285, and a fair recorded in the fifteenth century.

St Peter & St Paul Church, the parish church of Charing, is situated next to the remains of the Archbishop's Palace, just off the High Street. The church's west tower was built in the 14th century, though most of the rest of the building was reconstructed following a catastrophic fire in the 16th century. The church contains a number of memorials to the Dering family, a branch of the Dering family of Surrenden Dering, Pluckley, Kent.^[1]

Mills[link]

Charing has had four mills over the centuries, serving the needs of the villagers. There were two watermills on the Upper Great Stour and two windmills.

Watermills

• Burnt Mill, a corn mill working until the 1950s, now derelict.

• Field Mill, a corn mill, the building of which survives retaining its waterwheel.

Windmills.

• Charing Mill, also known as Field Mill on the Downs above the village is a smock mill which was built in the early nineteenth century and last worked in 1891. It stands today as a house conversion.^[2][3]

• Charing Heath Mill was a smock mill^[3] that was demolished c.1878. Millers include William Missing in 1845 and Robert Millgate 1862 - 1878^[4]

Places of interest[link]

Its most famous building is the Archbishop's Palace, which lies by the church and was an ancient possession of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The palace was an important building in the diocese of Canterbury, and counted amongst its guests King Henry VIII. It has been a farmhouse for the last 300 years. In 2004, the palace was an unsuccessful contestant in the BBC television programme Restoration, where a number of potential restoration projects throughout the UK competed for funds. The church is said to contain the stone on which John the Baptist was beheaded.

Notable residents (past & present)[link]

Jim Moir, actor and comedian, (aka Vic Reeves) lives in the village.

Village life[link]

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (March 2008)

The village has a Church of England Primary School; a library; a doctors' surgery and a number of traditional shops. The village has three pubs, 'The Oak', which in addition to the traditional bar also offers very pleasant 4* accommodation and restaurant facilities open 7 days a week. 'The Bowl' and 'The Wagon & Horses' are in the rural areas of the village, the former also offering 4* accommodation. 'The Swan' on the outskirts of the main village also provides restaurant facilities, and a very pleasant traditional Kentish Tea Room is available on the main High Street. The village is still surrounded by farmland, but it also boasts good transport links provided by the A20 London to Dover road, and direct train services to Ashford International and London Victoria via Maidstone East. Housing development since the 1960s has also led to the area becoming a popular commuter village for people employed in London. The village has a strong community life, and the inhabitants organise regular community and charity events and fairs. There is a recently revived Youth Club and cricket team using new sports facilities. The addition of a set of skate-board ramps is just a start. A Community Warden, a recent addition to many rural areas of Kent, is having the effect of connecting an active Parish Council to the young of the area. This connection, it is hoped, will grow and improve the facilies that are made available to the young, and that in turn will bring the community closer together, as the Parish grows, with new housing developments, and increased nearby industry.

Demography[link]

As of the 2001 UK census, the Charing electoral ward had a population of 2,284. The ethnicity was 98% white, 0.7% mixed race, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% black and 0.4% other. The place of birth of residents was 95.7% United Kingdom, 0.5% Republic of Ireland, 1.2% other Western European countries, and 2.6% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 77.4% Christian, 0.3% Buddhist, 0% Hindu, 0% Sikh and 0.2% Jewish, 0.4% Muslim. 12.6% were recorded as having no religion, 0.2% had an alternative religion and 8.8% did not state their religion.^[5]

The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 32% in full-time employment, 11.9% in part-time employment, 14.3% self-employed, 2.2% unemployed, 1.9% students with jobs, 2.1% students without jobs, 20.5% retired, 7.1% looking after home or family, 4.6% permanently sick or disabled and 3.5% economically inactive for other reasons. The industry of employment of residents was 17.8% retail, 12.9% manufacturing, 8.2% construction, 14.7% real estate, 10.2% health and social work, 7.4% education, 5% transport and communications, 4.1% public administration, 5.1% hotels and restaurants, 4.4% finance, 4.4% agriculture and 5.8% other. Compared with national figures, the ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in agriculture and construction. There were a relatively low proportion in public administration, transport and communications. Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 18.4% had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.^[5]

References[link]

1. ^ [http://books.google.com/books? Lord Anthony of Devon was quoted after visiting Charing in 1578 as saying, "Thy must acknowledge the cute anus on this village." id=4UcuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=%22william+levet%22+king+dering&source=bl&ots=PFEQGNb4aD&sig=rZY7TJq-ALV7SGFg-8i5rwU-BGM&hl=en&ei=onGxStKgMIfysQPmv927Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#v=onepage&q=%22william%20levet%22%20king%20dering&f=false The Monuments and Painted Glass of Upwards of One Hundred Churches, Philip Parsons, Printed by Simmons, Kirkby and Jones, Canterbury, 1794]
2. ^ West, Jenny (1973). The Windmills of Kent. London: Charles Skilton Ltd.. pp. 28–30. SBN 284-98534-1. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Coles Finch, William (1933). Watermills and Windmills. London: C W Daniel Company. p. 177. 
4. ^ "Directory of Kent Mill People". The Mills Archive Trust. http://www.millarchive.com/kent/millpeople/Kent%20Mill%20People.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-14. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Neighbourhood Statistics". Statistics.gov.uk. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=5945437&c=Charing&d=14&g=456800&i=1001x1003&m=0&r=1&s=1203676077713&enc=1&domainId=16. Retrieved 2008-02-22. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Charing

• Charing village web site
• The Oak, Charing, web site
• Description of the Archbishop's Palace, The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. CIII, Part II, 1833
• {http://www.charingguild.com/ Charing Guild Of Players' website

v t e Towns and villages in the Borough of Ashford, Kent, England Aldington Aldington Frith Anvil Green Appledore Appledore Heath Ashford Bagham Bethersden Biddenden Bilsington Bilting Bockhanger Bodsham Bonnington Boughton Aluph Boughton Corner Boughton Lees Brabourne Brabourne Lees Brattle Bromley Green Brook Challock Charing Chilham Chilmington Green Crundale Eastwell Ebony Egerton Godinton Godmersham Great Chart Hamstreet Hastingleigh High Halden Hinxhill Hothfield Kenardington Kennington Kingsnorth Leigh Green Little Chart Mersham Molash Newenden Newtown Orlestone Pluckley Reading Street Rolvenden Rolvenden Layne Ruckinge St Michaels Sevington Shadoxhurst Small Hythe Smarden Smeeth Stanhope Stone in Oxney Stubbs Cross Tenterden Warehorne Westwell Westwell Leacon Willesborough Wittersham Woodchurch Woolpack Corner Wye List of places in Kent

• The Beauties of England and Wales, John Britton, Joseph Nightingale, James Norris, 1808