Borough of Dartford
Shown within Kent
Geography
Status:	Borough
Region:	South East England
Admin. County:	Kent
Area: - Total	Ranked 278th 72.77 km²
Admin. HQ:	Dartford
ONS code:	29UD
Demographics
Population: - Total (2005 est.) - Density	Ranked 264th 87,400 1,201 / km²
Ethnicity:	94.5% White 2.7% S.Asian
Politics
Dartford Borough Council http://www.dartford.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Conservative / Independent
MP:	Howard Stoate

Dartford is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. It has a population of 80,000 and is part of the London commuter belt. The town of Dartford is the administrative capital and is so named from the the River Darent which flows through the town northwards to the River Thames, the northern border of the borough (in Saxon times the town was Darentford, in the Domesday Book Tarenteford) . To the west lies the London Borough of Bexley; to the south is Sevenoaks district; and the borough of Gravesham is to the east. This article is about the county in England. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... South East England is one of the nine official regions of England. ... This article is about the county in England. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a Physical quantity. ... This is a list of districts of England ordered by area. ... To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, we list here areas between 10 km² (1000 hectares) and 100 km² (10,000 hectares). ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating census and other statistical data. ... In physics, density is defined as mass m per unit volume V. For the common case of a homogeneous substance, it is expressed as: where, in SI units: ρ (rho) is the density of the substance, measured in kg·m-3 m is the mass of the substance, measured in kg... This is a list of districts of England ordered by population. ... The United Kingdom is divided into four parts, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This is a list of MPs elected in the UK general election, 2005 to the House of Commons for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom at the United Kingdom general election, 2005, arranged by constituency. ... Dr Howard Geoffrey Alvan Stoate (born 14 April 1954) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... Non-metropolitan districts or commonly Shire districts are a type of local government district in England. ... A borough is an administrative division used in various countries. ... This article is about the county in England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Commuters from East Anglia arrive at Liverpool Street Station The London Commuter Belt or London Metropolitan Area is the name given to the built-up area surrounding and running into Greater London but not administered as part of it. ... The town of Dartford is situated in North West Kent, and is also the chief town of the borough of Dartford. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England, in its lower reaches flowing through London into the sea. ... The London Borough of Bexley is a London borough in south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. ... Sevenoaks is a local government district in Kent, England. ... Gravesham is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. ...

It gives its name to the Dartford Crossing of the River Thames, a pair of road tunnels (1963 and 1980), and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge (October 1991), linking Kent and Essex and linking sections of the M25 motorway. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge The Dartford Crossing joins Dartford and Thurrock across the River Thames and effectively forms part of Londons orbital M25 motorway. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England, in its lower reaches flowing through London into the sea. ... The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge (A282) was built at Dartford to expand the Thames river crossing capacity between sections of the M25 motorway. ... This article is about the county in England. ... This article is about the county of Essex in England. ... The M25 motorway looking south between junctions 14 and 15, near Heathrow Airport. ... Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ...

As of May, 2005, Dartford's MP is Howard Stoate (Labour). The Mayor for the year May 2006 to May 2007 is Councillor David Hammock. The Leader of the Council, from February 2006, is Councillor Jeremy Kite (Conservative). 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Dr Howard Geoffrey Alvan Stoate (born 14 April 1954) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

The current borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Dartford, Swanscombe Urban District, and part of Dartford Rural District. The parish councils listed below also come within its authority. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Traditionally, the main industries were papermaking, cement, and pharmaceuticals.

Foolscap (or rather Fool's Cap' - from the watermark of a boy wearing a dunce's hat) paper was invented at the papermills in Dartford and was produced until the adoption of ISO standard A4 paper in the 1970s.

High-quality chalk from Swanscombe and Northfleet was used by Blue Circle for the production of Portland cement until the end of the 20th century. Indeed, many properties in the areas have special covenants stating that any chalk beneath the properties is the property of Blue Circle Cement! Swanscombe is a village, part of the Borough of Dartford on the north Kent coast in England. ... Location within the British Isles Northfleet as a name is derived from North creek (or inlet), and the settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend was known as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201. ... Sampling fast set Portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general usage, as it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar and plaster. ...

Until the 21st century, Wellcome (later part of Glaxo SmithKline) had a large production facility on Temple Hill and was a major employer in the area.

With the reduction in these traditional industries, Dartford has become a dormitory town for commuters to London.

A large area of heathland - Dartford Heath - lies to the west of the town. It is the original home of the Dartford Warbler, a small bird. North of the town are the Dartford Salt Marshes, bordering the River Thames where Joyce Green Hospital once stood. In August 1909 the Vickers Company, tentatively diversifying into aircraft production at nearby factories in Bexleyheath, Crayford and Erith, began to create a rudimentary airfield at Joyce Green. A road name in this low-lying area commemorates one-time Dartford MP Bob Dunn. Binomial name Sylvia undata (Boddaert, 1783) The Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is an Old World warbler which breeds in the warmer parts of south west Europe and northwest Africa. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England, in its lower reaches flowing through London into the sea. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Vickers Armstrong (Aircraft) company logo Vickers, founded as the Vickers Company in 1828, was a British manufacturer, primarily of military equipment, traditionally based in Barrow-in-Furness. ... Bexleyheath, formerly known as Bexley New Town, part of the London Borough of Bexley, consists of a suburban development located 12 miles (19. ... For other uses, see Crayford (disambiguation). ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Robert John Bob Dunn, a British Conservative politician, was born July 14, 1946 and died April 24, 2003. ...

There are six railway stations in the borough: at Stone; Greenhithe (for Bluewater); Swanscombe and Dartford, all on the North Kent Line; and Longfield and Farningham Road on the Victoria - Medway Towns line. From Dartford there are three lines serving London and one to Gravesend, the Medway Towns and eastern Kent; for many services Dartford is the terminus. A new high-speed international railway station is being constructed at Ebbsfleet that will serve commuters to London and Channel Tunnel passengers to Paris and Brussels by 2007. Stone Crossing railway station is located on the North Kent line, just east of Dartford. ... Greenhithe railway station serves the town of Greenhithe in North Kent and Bluewater shopping centre. ... Bluewater interior This article is about a shopping mall. ... Swanscombe railway station serves the town of Swanscombe in North Kent. ... Dartford station is a railway station at Dartford in North-West Kent, on the North Kent line. ... The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway. ... Longfield railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the villages of Longfield and Hartley in north Kent. ... Farningham Road railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the villages of Sutton-at-Hone and South Darenth in north Kent. ... Victoria station in London is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of Westminster. ... Medway is the name given to a conurbation in the north of Kent, England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. ... Medway is the name given to a conurbation in the north of Kent, England. ... Ebbsfleet is the name of two locations in the English county of Kent Ebbsfleet in Gravesham is to the south-west of Northfleet where a Channel Tunnel Rail Link station is currently being built and is due to open in 2007. ... Map of the Channel Tunnel. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums[] Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989  - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area    - City 162 (Region) km²  (62. ...

The first of Dartford's new Fastrack bus services, using a combination of ordinary roads and dedicated 'bus tracks' commenced in March 2006. The service runs from the Temple Hill area of Dartford, through the town centre and on to Bluewater Shopping Centre, Greenhithe and Gravesend. Bluewater Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping mall located in Greenhithe in the borough of Dartford, just outside London in north-west Kent. ... Greenhithe is a village in Dartford District of Kent, England. ... Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. ...

Plans for the area include large numbers of new housing and employment areas - including 'The Bridge' and Crossways to either side of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, areas around Greenhithe and a 740 acre site planned to contain five separate 'villages' in the Eastern Quarry near Bluewater Shopping Centre. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge (A282) was built at Dartford to expand the Thames river crossing capacity between sections of the M25 motorway. ... Greenhithe is a village in Dartford District of Kent, England. ... Bluewater Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping mall located in Greenhithe in the borough of Dartford, just outside London in north-west Kent. ...

The Parish Church, Holy Trinity, is situated on the western bank of the River Darent, where a hermit would conduct travellers across the ford.

The church was originally 9th-century Saxon but with later Norman additions. In the 13th century a Royal Wedding was celebrated there, thus the choristers are entitled to wear scarlet cassocks. One of the more interesting items on display within the church is a brass plaque commemorating the work of Richard Trevithick, the pioneer of steam propulsion, who lived and worked in the town for a number of years. Richard Trevithick Richard Trevithick (April 13, 1771 – April 22, 1833) was a British inventor, engineer and builder of the first working railway steam locomotive. ...

The graveyard is situated in St Edmund's Pleasance on the summit of East Hill, which gave rise to a traditional (and derogatory) rhyme about the people of Dartford being '...buried above the steeple'. The church actually has no steeple: it has a tower featuring a ring of eight bells.

The oldest school in Dartford is 'The Grammar School', founded in 1576 by William D'Aeth, William Vaughan and Edward Gwyn. Originally located in the market, the school moved to its current location in West Dartford in the 19th century. Perhaps its most famous student was a certain Michael Jagger who is now commemorated by the 'Mick Jagger Centre' for the performing arts, which was opened in the late 1990s. William Vaughan was a sixteenth century corn and wheat mill owner, with mills approximately 1 mile from Dartford on the River Darent. ... Sir Michael Phillip Mick Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English rock musician, actor, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. ...

Parishes and other villages within Dartford borough

• Bean parish
• Darenth parish
• Dartford town
• Longfield and New Barn parish
• Southfleet parish
• Stone parish
• Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley parish
• Swanscombe and Greenhithe parish
• Wilmington parish
• Joydens Wood in Wilmington parish

Bean is a village and civil parish in the borough of Dartford in Kent, England. ... Darenth is a village and civil parish in the Dartford District of Kent, England. ... Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. ... Longfield is a thriving village in Kent, ten miles SE of Dartford. ... Southfleet is a small compact village five miles SW of Gravesend in Kent; although it is a civil parish within Dartford Borough. ... Stone, also known as Stone-next-Dartford is one of a string of villages lying along the Dartford to Gravesend road on the south bank of the River Thames in Kent, England. ... Picture taken in the snow at the top of Shirehall Road, Hawley Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley is a civil parish within Dartford Borough. ... Swanscombe is a village, part of the Borough of Dartford on the north Kent coast in England. ... Greenhithe is a village in Dartford District of Kent, England. ... Wilmington is a village in Kent, England, in the Borough of Dartford. ... Joydens Wood is located in the Wilmington parish of Dartford in Kent and Bexley South in the Borough of London. ...

External links

• The borough website