EAST MALLING GENERAL INFORMATION
East Malling is a pretty village just off the M20 at junction 4. East Malling was in the Doomsday Book, but has made its way into the modern world without losing its character and charm. It still has pretty red-brick Tudor buildings from where, you can still hear the delightful bells ringing at the local church of St James.
St James - the parish church of East Malling - was built by Egbert, King of England. Egbert gave orders for the church to be built in 827. St James was partly destroyed in the 1500’s. St James was rebuilt and thankfully still has some Norman stone work left in the tower. The remainder of the church has been built from Kentish rag stone. St James regains its medieval glass in most of its windows. Buried in the church is Matthew Tomlinson. Tomlinson guarded Charles 1 during his last days before Charles was executed by Sir Thomas Twisden, who was the judge at his trail.
Thomas Twisden owned and lived in Bradbourne House, Bradbourne House was given to The National Trust and by 1941 Bradbourne House was turned into The East Malling Horticultural Research Station. Today the Research Station has approximately 30 acres of land and is an experimental station where they test, research and cross breed fruits. 80 per cent of the world’s apple trees started out here at the Research Station.East Malling’s local inn is over 400 years old and originally called The Three Cups. Today it known as "The king and Queen" where you can find and enjoy good Old English Ales and wonderful home cooked food. The King and Queen can be located opposite the St James church on the corner of New Road and Mill Street.
THE MILLS OF EAST MALLING
One of the Mills of East Malling still remains today. It is no longer a working mill but has been converted into apartments; this Mill in the heart of the village supplied grain and was called "Weir Mill" and can be found in Mill Street Road. Just off Mill Street is the second mill - Middle Mill. This mill supplied writing paper and the third Mill - Upper Mill - supplied bank notes for India.
