Beltinge

Beltinge
Postcard photo of rustic bridge at Beltinge, where Mickleburgh Hill now meets Reculver Road. The bridge was demolished and the pond drained around 1960, and the area is now covered by a 1960s housing estate. The pond is now in the grounds of a house called Talmead, and screened from the road by a high wall
Beltinge is located in Kent
Beltinge
Beltinge
Location within Kent
Population6,970
OS grid referenceTR177680
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHerne Bay
Postcode districtCT6
Dialling code01227
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament

Beltinge /ˈbɛltɪndʒ/ is a low cliff-top suburb of Herne Bay in Kent, England. It was once a part of the five boroughs of Hearne. Within this borough it included Stroud, Hawe, Hampton and Thornden.[2][3]

Demographics

Beltinge has a population of 6,970 as of 2024. The largest age group of the area is those between the age range of 60 to 79, making it a little more than a quarter of the entire population. The population has seen a slow decrees in recent years. There is a slightly higher proportion of men compared to women. 56% of residents identify as Christian, with others mainly identifying with no faith at 42%. Other religions sit at significant a minority in the area.[4][5][6]

The area is majority white at 93.3%, with the biggest minority groups being those of mixed heritage at 1.5% and Asian at 1.2%. Of the population, most were born in United Kingdom at 95.6% of people. The highest non British births are from Europe, with about 1.9%. Of the European births 1.7% are from the EU.[4][5]

Etymology

Formerly, the area was known as Beltings Forstal. This would be shortened into ‘Beltings.’ The suffix ‘ing’ or ‘inge’ means ‘people’ in Old English.[7][8]

‘Belt’ is of English and Northern Germanic origin, it is an occupational name for a leather belt maker, or someone who wore a distinctive belt. It also refers to low hills in Dutch. Later, the name would then later degenerate into Beltinge.[8][9]

The surname Belding may originate from Beltinge[10]

Crime

Violent and sexual offences make up the majority crime of the area, with antisocial behaviour and arson coming in second and third. The area is relatively low crime, with 43.1 crimes per 1000 residents. However, offences related to possession of weapons are above the general national average.[11][12]

Geography

Beltinge Cliffs

The Beltinge Cliff's are grassy and north facing slopes along Beltinge coast. Along the cliff is exposed London Clay,[13] Harwich, Upnor, and Thanet Formations, with recent brickearth drift deposits topping the formation. The cliffs have faced erosion due to soft consolidated deposits.[14][15][16]

Beltinge cliffs near Herne Bay

The foreshore exposes the Beltinge Fish Beds. It is a key location for finding fossilised marine animals from between the Palascine to the early Ecocine.[17] It is notable for shark teeth, teeth of Striatolamia macrota and Carcharias hopei are the most commonly found. Glauconite, a mineral which typically forms in shallow water marine environments, causes the green look in the sediment.[16]

Bishopstone Glen

Bishopstone Glen, Beltinge
Bishopstone Glen, Beltinge

Bishopstone Glen is a site of special scientific interest. It is made up of two steep cliffs that create narrow valley.[18] The formations are of Oldhaven Sand overlain by London Clay.[19] In heavy rainfall, a small stream will flow down, leading into the ocean. The soft sandy clays the area unstable.[20] In the 1960s, the buildings atop the Bishopstone glen became a risk due to the growing instability. A seawall would be built beneath, and a line of wooden groynes to protect the walls was built to try and prevent more damage. Vegetation and grass would also be planted around. In the early 1970s, the top clay would be graded down for a gentler incline.[21] The defences would extend in 1980.[22] In 2021, the bridge was closed off to the public due to continuous landslips. Though the bridge is still standing, the supports were exposed.[23]

Governance

Sir Roger Gale is the current Member of Parliament (MP) for Herne Bay and Sandwich constituency.[24] The Beltinge Ward is represented by two Conservative Party councillors, Ian Stockley and Jeanette Stockley.[25][26]

Listed Buildings

Church of St Bartholomew

St Bartholomew's Church

The Church of St Bartholomew is a grade II listed building on King Edward Avenue in Beltinge. It was designed by W. D. Caröe in 1908, with construction beginning in either 1913 or 1915. However, in the wake of World War I progress would come an immediate pause. It was consecrated in 1932 was not fully completed. in the Architectural design, It has examples of gothic and folk-art inspired motifs.[27][28] The church would gain listed status on 14 May 1976. In 2008, vandals would smash 73 of the panes on the windows, costing around 3’000 pounds in damages. Major restorations have been needed due to water damage overtime, with both exterior and exterior repairs needed.[29][30]

Elliot House

Elliot House is a Grade II listed building along Reculver Road. Historically, The Elliot House has been known as the Passmore Railway Convalescent Home. The building has an Arts and Crafts style.[31] It built for railway workers in 1899. The home was the first of ten convalescent homes for railwaymen funded by John Passmore Edwards. The land sat adjacent to Passmore Friendly Society Home in early 1898, and Passmore had planned for it to be a nursing home. John Edwards Nichols, who acted as cashier of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway, wanted it to be a railway convalescent home for sick and injured workers. Passmore would eventually agree to Nichols' idea and partly fund the project, for which he gave 6,000 pounds.[32][33]

In April 1899, the trust deed would be signed, and Nichols served as the chairman of the project. Many of his trustees were railway workers. The foundation stone was laid on 12 June 1899 by the Rt Hon Earl of Amherst. The architect for the project was Mr A Saxon Shell. Though originally intended for 50 beds, during development the number would double to 100. Despite the 6,000 pounds, far more was needed for the building costs. Trustees would mortgage their homes to raise the capital.[32][33] On 8 June 1901, the opening ceremony was performed by Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman.[34] In 1907, a new wing would be made with 50 beds. This was marked with the royal visit of Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. In World War I, the building would serve as a military hospital.[32][31]

In 1970, the building was forced into closure and would be turned into a nursing home. By 1981, it was renamed Heronswood and then later changed to Elliott House.[32][33] In 2021, after inspection by the Care Quality Commission inspectors, the care home would be forced to close down.[35] The building would then be brought by Grifo Developments, who holds current ownership and plans to turn the building into flats.[36]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Location of Herne Bay and Sandwich". parliament.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  2. ↑ Ireland, William Henry (1828). England's topographer, or, A new and complete history of the county of Kent: from the earliest records to the present time. Including every modern improvement. Embellished with a series of views from original drawings by Geo. Shepherd, H. Gastineau, &c. With historical, topographical, critical & biographical delineations. By W. H. Ireland. Geo. Virtue.
  3. ↑ Hasted, Edward (1790). The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Containing the Antient and Present State of It, Civil and Ecclesiastical; Collected from Public Records, and Other the Best Authorities, Both Manuscript and Printed: and Illustrated with Maps, Views of Antiquities, Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, &c. author.
  4. 1 2 "City Population: Check for Humans". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Demographics of Beltinge". Propertistics. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  6. ↑ 2024 MYPE Wards (as of May 2025); Standard Area Measurements December 2024, Office for National Statistics © Crown Copyright Presented by Kent Analytics, Kent County Council
  7. ↑ "-ing". www.glaucus.org.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  8. 1 2 Millgate, W. F. (1897). Millgate's Herne Bay guide.
  9. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (12 October 2025). "Meaning of the name Belt". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  10. ↑ Gates, Susa Young; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. General Board of the Relief Society (1918). Surname book and racial history : a compilation and arrangement of genealogical and historical data for use by the students and members of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prepared and published under the auspices of the General Board of the Relief Society with the approval of the Board of the Genealogical Society of Utah. Harold B. Lee Library. Salt Lake City : [s.n.]
  11. ↑ "Beltinge". www.police.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Crime rates in and around Beltinge". Propertistics. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  13. ↑ British Geological Literature. Brown's Geological Information Service Limited. 1979.
  14. ↑ "Herne Bay (Beltinge) - Fossil Collecting Guide (UK Fossils)". UK Fossil Collecting. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Slopes A-B - Slopehunter guide to slope soaring sites". www.slopehunter.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  16. 1 2 Lacey, Joseph Melville (1929). "Littoral Drift Along the North-east Coast of Kent, and the Erosion of the Beltinge Cliffs Near Herne Bay". The Institution.
  17. ↑ Charles, Rhys (4 August 2022). Frozen in Time: Fossils of the United Kingdom and Where to Find Them. Orion. ISBN 978-1-4091-9797-3.
  18. ↑ "Geograph:: Bishopstone Glen, Herne Bay © Jim Barton". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "North Kent - Martin Knight's website". www.martindknight.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "Field Trip: Extreme Geology on the Kent Coast: Introductory S276 field trip to Herne Bay". ougs.org. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  21. ↑ Association, Geologists' (1977). Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. Geologists' Association, London.
  22. ↑ Clancy, John (15 April 2015). Herne Bay Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-4032-7.
  23. ↑ hersey, David; Hersey, David (22 June 2021). "Further Bishopstone Glen landslip causing concerns". Canterbury Newsroom. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "Contact information for Sir Roger Gale - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 10 March 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "Councillor details - Jeanette Stockley". www.canterbury.gov.uk. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Councillor details - Ian Stockley". www.canterbury.gov.uk. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "St Bartholomew – The Twentieth Century Society". c20society.org.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  28. ↑ Stuff, Good. "Church of St Bartholomew, Beltinge, Kent". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Vandals' repeated attacks on church". Kent Online. 21 May 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  30. ↑ Reculver, The United Parish of. "St Bartholomew in the Community - The United Parish of Reculver". www.unitedbeneficereculver.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  31. 1 2 "Elliott House, Non Civil Parish - 1119677 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  32. 1 2 3 4 "The story behind Elliott House in Herne Bay". CommunityAd. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  33. 1 2 3 "Passmore Edwards Convalescent Home for Railway Men 1900 – The Passmore Edwards Legacy". 3 January 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  34. ↑ "OPENING CEREMONY AT HERNE BAY. SPEECH BY SIR H. CAMPBELL". Cotton Factory Times. 14th June 1901. p.6. Retrieved Wed 25th May 2026.
  35. ↑ Kent Online https://www.kentonline.co.ukSudden closure of Elliott House care home in Herne Bay left 46 residents in limbo
  36. ↑ "Historic Elliott House to be Restored and Transformed into High-Quality Build To Rent Homes". Grifo Developments. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
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