The county of Kent is one of the oldest and most beloved counties in all of the United Kingdom. The area of Kent, East Sussex, and Surrey can be seen as something of a home base for England since enormous metropolises like London and Birmingham can be found within this large area. Kent itself is right in between London and the rest of the continent and as such it has been subject to countless battles and wars throughout countless centuries. Most towns in the county have seen their fortunes grow from being under control of the Roman Empire to Saxon domination to a fully realized Great Britain. In other words, there is a rich history to be found in even the smallest of the towns in Kent. Cranbrook is just such a town and though it has only about seven thousand residents it is an indispensable part of the growth of England.
Cranbrook went through the typical trend of domination mentioned above and by medieval times it was a full fledged part of England. Since it was located along the Weald (the name for the rolling landscape between the North and South Downs), it became part of the Wealden cloth industry. This is the loose name for the many towns that were located on the Weald and gained their fortune through weaving clothes. Since there were so many sheep around the area it only made sense to start making vast amounts of money on the wool and Cranbrook was just such a city. Around this time a lot of immigrants began to pour into the Weald and, as luck would have it, many of them were expert clothes makers. There have been few times in history where all the necessary factors to create a thriving industry simply merged without trying but this was such a case and Cranbrook reaped the benefits greatly. A visitor to Cranbrook today can still see traces of the industry that swept the area and there are still houses that have been maintained throughout the years that show how wool was turned into clothing.
The other huge industry that thrived on the Weald was iron-making and Cranbrook benefited greatly from this trade as well. Within time the city had all it needed as far as self sufficiency is concerned and during this time Cranbrook began to craft the buildings that even today draw stares of awe. The famed St. Dunston Church (also known as the Cathedral of the Weald) is probably the best example of the craftsmanship that went into the town at this time. Standing over seventy four feet high, the tower boasts an impressive sculpture of Father Time and within the spire is the prototype of what would become the world famous Big Ben in London. What is truly remarkable, though, is the fact that Cranbrook still pays homage to the traditions that allowed it to become the town it is today. Such devotion to the past is an all too rare occurrence these days and it is admirable to see Cranbrook carrying on the legacy that allowed it to arise in the first place.
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