insideKENT Magazine Issue 43 - October 2015 | Page 95

‘new’ religion, and welcomed Augustine in 597 AD when he arrived from Rome to teach the king about Christianity. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, and it was for him that the world famous cathedral was built. Thomas Becket Henry VIII All was relatively peaceful until the Normans chose to invade Britain – William (the Conqueror) was set on being king of England, and Harold was in his way. He and his army invaded, landing in Sussex where the Battle of Hastings was fought. Despite his best efforts, William never did conquer Kent, leading the county to adopt the name ‘Invicta’ (meaning undefeated). The motto is still seen today, along with Kent’s white horse, all across the county. At the time, it meant that Kent was seen as a somewhat independent kingdom known as a County Palatine, ruled by Odo of Bayeux (who was actually William’s brother). Kent was awarded special powers, and really ruled itself. It was as special then as it is today. Over the next 200 years, Canterbury became increasingly important, and was firmly established as a site of pilgrimage after the murder of Thomas Beckett in 1246. The Canterbury Tales (which is also a modern day activity in Canterbury town centre) by Chaucer depicts a group of pilgrims as they travel to Canterbury, each one with a story to tell on the way. It was written between 1387 and 1400, and may never have been entirely completed; Chaucer himself died in 1400. 95 The medieval period gave rise to the infamous Peasants’ Revolt, led by Wat Tyler who hailed from Dartford. This revolt – and others like it – convinced the lords that they needed better fortifications, and they began to build castles across the county, including the magnificent Dover Castle, Hever Castle, and Leeds Castle. During the 18th century, Kent played a major part in the wars against France, and the dockyard at Chatham was employed as a major naval base, as well as the main shipbuilders in the country. This is where over 400 naval ships were built, one of which was HMS Victory (Nelson’s flagship in the Battle of Trafalgar). Kent was felt to be so important to the war(s) that the first ever Ordnance Survey Map was created based solely on the county, and it was published in 1801 after six years of work. The Battle of Britain in World War II was fought over the skies of Kent and roughly the same number of bombs fell on Kent as on London (around 2,500), but despite this Kent was the place where Londoners sought safety, and where many evacuated children were sent. The last big change to occur in Kent was the formation of the Unitary Authority of Medway. It was created in 1998, and includes Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, and Rainham (this meant that Rochester lost its city status, despite its cathedral).