Fordwich is the smallest town in England, with a population of around 300 people. It lies in Kent, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury.

The town grew in the Middle Ages as a port for boats on their way upriver to Canterbury. It later became a limb of the Cinque Ports. It lost its status as a town in 1880 when it no longer had a Mayor and Corporation. However, in a reoganisation in 1972, Fordwich was again made a Town as much as anything because of its prior importance in what is now a rather sleepy corner of Kent. Fordwich Town Hall, supposedly the smallest in England, dates from the earlier period, having been rebuilt in 1555.

Fordwich is also known as the home of a legendary large fish (according to Izaak Walton): the Fordwich Trout. However, the Fordwich trout is no longer there for anglers to catch.

External links

Notes on Fordwich Fordwich organisations, History, Town Hall opening times