Green Plaques

During 2010 the Chairman and Members of Wilmington Parish Council were delighted to launch one of the most exciting projects the Parish Council has embarked upon – namely to erect three Green Plaques to commemorate sites of interest or places where important events have taken place in the Parish.

The Launch of the Green Plaque Scheme was attended by pupils from Wilmington Primary School; Joydens Wood Infant School and Wilmington Grammar School for Boys The Parish Council has been delighted to receive some fantastic project work from Joydens Wood Infant School on The Village Pound and from Wilmington Primary School on The Ice House.

 The first of the Plaques marks the site of the Village Pound where stray animals, including donkeys who had wandered from Dartford Heath, were impounded. The Plaque can be found on the small wall next to the bench adjacent to the Forresters Public House.

Since then a number of Plaques have been added -

• Site of Wilmington Hall Ice House - The Plaque can be found on the wall that remains of an Ice House on the side of Common Lane which provided the freezer of years past for the Hall and Wilmington Manor. The wall also served as one of the supports of the bridge that linked the two substantial properties at the part of Common Lane known as Sherwood Hill
•  Oakfield Parksituated at the Carsington Gardens entrance, to commemorate the making of a speech by Lord Randolph Churchill on 2nd October 1886. The speech, which became known as ‘The Dartford Speech’ was of National importance was heard by over 20,000 people
•  National School and WW1 Memorial - The Plaque is on the wall of The Rosemary Centre in the High Road to mark the National School built in 1850 to replace The Dames School that was in a now demolished cottage as well as the Memorial to those residents of Wilmington who gave their life in WWI and World War II. In Oakfield Park on the wall of the Pavilion can be found a Plaque for the Parish Council formed in 1894
• Village Fire Station - The Memorial Hall in the Village Centre once housed the Village Fire Station and this is recognised by a Plague on the wall of the Hall
•  Sir James Whitehead - The home of a notable resident of the Wilmington who took an active role in village life and in recognition a Plaque was placed on the wall of Wilmington Manor now one of the buildings on the Wilmington Grammar School for Girls campus
•  Prisonner of War Site - Strange to believe but Wilmington furstly housed Italian and then German Prionners of War in a camp in the area of Martin Road & Edwin Road. The Plque is in the Rose Garden at the junction of Martin Road and High Road
•  Battle of Britain - Although not yet in place a Plaque is to be placed on the grass area opposite The Retreat to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain

Over time more Plaques will be commissioned - watch for details on the 'News' page