Whitfield, Kent

For other places with the same name, see Whitfield (disambiguation).

Whitfield
Population	4,600 (2005)
OS grid reference	TR305445
District	Dover
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Dover
Postcode district	CT16
Dialling code	01304
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Dover

Whitfield is an ancient village and civil parish in the English county of Kent. It has a modern counterpart in the large settlement located at the junction of the A2 and A256 roads, some four miles (6.4 km) north of Dover, of which that part of Whitfield has become a suburb of the Dover urban area.

The village itself (Church Whitfield) can claim ancient roots in that evidence of both Roman and Saxon settlements have been unearthed. The village church, dedicated to St Peter, has two Saxon windows, and the bell is from the 13th century, or earlier. St. Peter's Church is a 10th Century Saxon Church largely rebuilt in Norman times, though the church is first mentioned in 762 AD. It was restored and enlarged in 1894.

There is also an early Congregational Chapel in the village (Chapel Rd) dating to 1781 but rebuilt in 1867. Whitfield also had its own windmill for many years, with a bakery beneath. It was built in about 1755 and was owned by generations of the Cadman family. In 1900 the mill was left to decay and was finally demolished in 1916 though the mill house still stands in Napchester Road.

The modern Whitfield began to appear when the more affluent citizens of Dover built their homes in "West Whitfeld", alongside what was to become the A2 trunk road which bypassed the village. Modern (post-Second World War) development enlarged the new village and in the 1960s Beauxfield was built then extended in the 1980s.

The 1970s saw with the introduction of Newlands, Cranleigh Drive and Farncombe Way. Again in 2005, the government proposed a maximum of 9,900 new homes to be built on greenfield sites around the village, doubling its size. The Whitfield Action Group was set up to oppose any large scale developments while accepting natural growth. It was confirmed in February 2010, that this figure will now be 6,000 new homes built.

The main village of Whitfield has, as amenities, a public house, 'The Archer'; the private members/function hall 'The Whitfield Club' Rolles Court Guest House and the Ramada Dover Hotel. There is also a village hall with doctors surgery, vets, take aways, hairdresser and the local Post Office. A branch of McDonald's is on the A2 road. The village's older pub, the Royal Oak, closed in February 2008 and a new Marston's Brewery pub/restaurant, the 'Kittiwake', is now open at the junction of Menzies Road/Gordon Road.

The village has two schools, both of which also cater for special educational needs: primary and secondary. Whitfield and Aspen School (primary); and Dover Christ Church Academy, formerly Archers Court School.

In view of its site on the periphery of a town such as Dover, and because of its strategic position on the A2/A256 junction, Whitfield is of importance to businesses. The huge White Cliffs Business Park, covering 272 acres (110 ha) is located at Whitfield and is described as attracting “… household names and a raft of companies with international pedigrees“.