Tovil is a civil parish in the Borough of Maidstone, in Kent in the South East of England. It is a mixture of residential and industrial zoning, with an increase in commercial usage towards the centre of Maidstone, and more arable use on the outskirts.

Tovil
The Royal Paper Mill on Tovil Hill
Tovil is located in Kent
Tovil
Tovil
Location within Kent
Population3,542 (2011 Census)[1]
• London33 miles (53 km) NW
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMAIDSTONE
Postcode districtME15
Dialling code01622
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Kent
51°15′51″N 0°30′35″E / 51.2642°N 0.5096°E / 51.2642; 0.5096

History

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Tovil is mentioned in the Cecil Papers with the leasing of a tenement at Tovil to Thomas Peene, commencing at Michaelmas, 1628. [2]

Tovil has a history of paper mills on the Loose Stream near the River Medway, which ceased operation in the 1980s. These included Great Ivy Mill, Hayle Mill, Upper Tovil Mill, Lower Tovil Mill and Bridge Mill. These and other mills located along the Loose Stream which flows through Tovil were formerly used for fulling, corn and in one case gunpowder. The Tovil Bridge connects Tovil to Barming over the Loose Stream and the Medway.

The church of St Stephen was built in around 1840. The architect was John Whichcord Snr. It was built of ragstone ashlar in the Early English style[3] but demolished in about 1990.

Alabaster Passmore had an important printing works in Tovil and there were other small industries and a railway siding.

Modern Tovil

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Many of the industrial units have since been replaced by housing. One notable local business is loudspeaker manufacturer KEF, which is based on Eccleston Road in Tovil. Goachers microbrewery is also based there.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters is based in Tovil on Straw Mill Hill.

Governance

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Tovil is in the South ward of Maidstone Borough Council, represented as of 2020 by three Liberal Democrat councillors. It is in the Maidstone South division of Kent County Council, represented as of 2020 by one Conservative councillor. The local MP is the Conservative, Helen Grant.

References

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  1. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Cecil Papers: 1615-1619". British History Online. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Church of St Stephen, Church Road (north side)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017.