Nestled on the banks of the River Medway, flanked by the pastoral rolling landscapes of the Kentish North Downs, sits the town of Snodland in the Tonbridge and Malling District of Kent. Snodland was recently regenerated in the early 2000s and has a distinctive 21st century housing design characterised by red-brick fronting with white weatherboarding. Whilst recently regenerated, Snodland’s history is distinctive and stretches back thousands of years, to the first inhabitants of the River Medway!

The River Medway has been occupied by human settlers for thousands of years (with evidence to suggest Ice Age human activity over 300,000 years ago!) owing to the fertile banks of the river and its tributaries. There is much evidence from nearby villages and towns to suggest Neolithic settlement; including burial mounds dating back to over 4,000 years ago. Snodland, originally called Snoddingland, is supposed to have been a vital Roman settlement during the initial invasion of Britain by Roman forces in 43 AD. Several Roman villas have been excavated in the local area; including in the 1920s when a terracotta mask and a bronze-buckle plate were discovered! These rare items indicate that a wealthy member of Roman society settled in the Snodland locale, meaning that a wider settlement is highly likely!

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Snodland is its unusual name. As is similar with most unusual sounding British place-names, Snodland’s origins comes from a personal name - rather than an identifiable landmark or a particular land’s use. It’s believed to have derived from the name ‘Snodd’ or ‘Snodda’, but was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book survey for William the Conquerer as ‘Esnoiland’! Although the area was by the 11th century under control by the nearby Bishop of Rochester, rather than ‘Snodd’.

Snodland, although directly under the Medway Towns municipality is actually under the Tonbridge and Malling District Council (TMBC) - who are still in the process of formulating their local plan for the next period. Therefore, it is difficult to say what developments will be allocated specifically to Snodland in the future. However, in 2005 the Kent County Council - along with the TMBC - designated huge swathes of development for Snodland over a ten year period. This culminated in thousands of new homes being constructed, as well as community centres and school facilities in order to develop the area into a vital part of the fabric of TMBC. This also includes the area of Holborough; which received over 1,200 new homes!