Biddenden, Kent

Biddenden village sign

Biddenden is a picturesque village in Kent, famous as the birthplace of the Biddenden Maids, a pair of Siamese twins who were joined at the hip and shoulder. Marie and Eliza Chulkhurst were born in Biddenden in 1100 and lived here to a respectable age (for that era) of 34.

When the Biddenden Maids died they left 18 acres of land, the income from which was to provide an annual dole of bread and wine to the poor of the parish.

This 'Biddenden Dole' is distributed each year on Easter Monday, along with biscuits imprinted with a likeness of the Maids, to anyone who requests it. The Biddenden Maids were quite famous during their lifetimes, and are remembered in the village sign on the small, triangular green.

Timber-framed cottages, Biddenden

The village High Street is lined with some extremely attractive half-timbered medieval and Jacobean buildings, aligned on either side of a cobbled pavement. Many of these are old weaver's cottages, as weaving was the core economic activity of this area of the Weald for many years. This clothing heritage is remembered in the impressive Cloth Hall, just north of the green.

The church of All Saints at Biddenden is mainly 13th and 14th century, with a collection of interesting memorial brasses.