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Coordinates: 51°22'44?N 0°32'57?E? / ?51.3788, 0.5491
Hempstead is a town near Gillingham in Kent, part of the built-up area of the Medway Towns.
Location and Geography
It is located on the southern edge of the borough of Medway adjacent to Wigmore and Lordswood and linked to Gillingham and the M2 by the A278 Trunk Road.
Most of Hempstead is in a valley, with Hempstead valley Drive running along the length of the bottom of it and housing on both sides.
History
Dating back to the mid-1600s when Hempstead (then known as Hempsted) was a little hamlet consisting of the still present Hempstead Road and a few houses dotted along it. The sides of the valley were originally used for growing the hemp after which the valley is named, which was supplied to Chatham Dockyard where it would be woven to make ropes.
Facilities
It is now a much larger village, officially a town (pop. c.5000) and there is a co-op, a library and an infant and Junior school. There is also a large shopping complex called the Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre, one of the first of its kind in Britain, which includes a large Sainsbury's, BHS, and Marks & Spencer, numerous small shops, a hairdresser, a drycleaner, and a key-cutter.
There is also a two doctor's surgeries and recently a new Indian Resturant.
Pubs
There are two pubs: the Hungry Fox and the Flying Saucer. Both are located in the village.
External links
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