Faversham Town Council would like to correct misinformation circulating about the proposed naming of a footpath from St Mary’s Church to Abbey Place. Contrary to some claims, this does not include the footpath leading to Gordon Square.
Following a public request received on 26th October 2023, the Town Council investigated the status of the footpath and confirmed with Swale Borough Council (SBC) that it had no official name. The proposal to name it Queen Matilda’s Place was considered by the Planning Committee on 11th December 2023 and subsequently approved by the full Town Council on 12th February 2024.
The name “Queen Matilda” was selected from the Draft Street Name List being reviewed by the Heritage and Buildings Working Group. Queen Matilda, the wife of King Stephen, is historically significant to Faversham, having played a key role in founding Faversham Abbey and being buried there alongside her husband and son.
The suggestion that the path should be named “Shooting Meadow Path” has been reviewed, but SBC has confirmed that:
- No formal application was ever made to name this route “Shooting Meadow Path.” A previous application in 2015 related to a property address, not the footpath itself.
- SBC policy since 2012 prevents names that could be misconstrued, and “Shooting Meadow” is considered inappropriate under this policy.
The Town Council acknowledges the historical associations of ‘Shooting Meadow’ and ‘the shoots’ in local memory. An extract from Faversham Streets and Places by the late Arthur Percival places Shooting Meadows from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School and playing fields to Cooksditch.
SBC has provided two options:
- Proceed with the official naming of the path as Queen Matilda’s Place.
- Leave the path officially unnamed.
As the Town Council had already resolved to support the name Queen Matilda’s Place, and considering the historical importance of Queen Matilda to Faversham, the process is moving forward as originally approved.
We appreciate the community’s engagement and encourage residents to continue celebrating and preserving Faversham’s rich history.
Taken from the late Arthur Percival’s book entitled Faversham Streets and Places
