Strood

History

Strood was part of Frindsbury until 1193. It was named Strodes in the Textus Roffensis, now kept in Rochester Cathedral, though most early records use the spelling Stroud. The Old English name Strōd refers to a "marshy land overgrown with brushwood". The Gloucestershire town of Stroud has the same etymology. The Roman Legions built a stone bridge and laid a road on a causeway across the marshy ground. The foundations were about 8 ft below the level of the 1856 road. The road went up Strood Hill, and was called Watling Street, as it still is today. This is the A2 road. There is further evidence of a causeway-based road leading along the bank towards the Frindsbury Peninsula leading to a villa, was found on 24 March 1819. The present road and field pattern suggest that there was a substantial agricultural settlement of the Roman Empire centred near Frindsbury. In 764 AD Offa King of Mercia and Sigered King of Kent granted to Eardulph lands in Easlingham (Frindsbury). In 840 AD, 994 AD, and 998 AD Strood was pillaged by the Danes. In 960 AD a wooden bridge was built across the Medway. A small wooden church was erected at Strood in 1122, as a chapel of ease in the parish of Frindsbury. Land was granted in 1160 to the Knights Templar by King Henry II. The Manor House was used as a Lodging House. In 1193, Strood became a parish. It was run by the Grey Friars or Franciscans of Newark Hospital, and had its own burial grounds. In 1291 there was an affray at Newark Hospital between the Monks of Strood and the locals from Frindsbury. In 1264 Simon de Montfort laid siege to Rochester Castle from the Strood Side. In the action the wooden bridge was destroyed by fire. After Simon's death a heavy fine was levied on Strood because he had stayed there during the siege.…

Geography

Strood lies on the edge of marshy land alongside the River Medway. The chalk hills of the North Downs have been breached at this point, forming a river cliff rising to 100 ft directly behind.

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  12,105
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,571
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  10,910
• Black-headed Gull

  Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  10,271
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,144
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  9,489
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  9,143
• European Goldfinch

  Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,850

Most recent

• M 3.9 — 2020-09-08
  2 km WSW of Pitstone, United Kingdom
• M 3.3 — 2019-02-27
  3 km SE of Dorking, United Kingdom
• M 2.8 — 2018-07-05
  1 km S of Ewhurst, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2018-06-27
  5 km W of Capel, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2018-04-01
  4 km E of Holmwood, United Kingdom
• M 3.7 — 2015-05-22
  3 km SSE of Ramsgate, United Kingdom