Ash Road (Fairby Lane to New Ash Green) - Hartley-Kent: The Website for Hartley

Ash Road is the main thoroughfare through Hartley, which runs from the  railway bridge at Longfield to the border with New Ash Green.  At 2  miles it is really too long to be the subject of one article, so I have split it into three:

1.  Hoselands Hill

2.  Larksfield to Fairby Lane

3.  Fairby Lane to New Ash Green

Ash  Road is an ancient road, how ancient is lost in the mists of time, but  it has probably existed for most of the time humanity has settled here.   In times past it was much narrower, and since 1555 the parishioners of  Hartley would have been responsible for its repair.  This would have  probably been by filling in potholes with flints and gravel.  

1983  Speed limit of 30 mph extended to remainder of road to Chapelwood Road junction

This part of Ash Road is one of the more sparsely populated areas of Hartley, the large gardens of many of the houses mean that there is little over 1 house per acre of land.  The first house in this section of road was the village smithy at Forge Cottage.  This is first mentioned in 1604.  This was followed by the Black Lion (1698), Hartley House (1818) and the wheelwright's house Bay Lodge (1818).  The 19th century also saw the erection of two sets of labourer's cottages near the Black Lion - Darenth Cottages and Black Lion Cottages, both since demolished.  Most of the other houses date to the 20th century, although a few have been rebuilt more recently.

The southern end of Ash Road has for a long time been one of the business centres of the village.  In the 19th century Grub Street (an old name for the road by the Black Lion) had the pub, the shop, the blacksmith and the wheelwright.  Now only the pub survives, but instead there is also a Thai Restaurant and the Chapelwood Business Park.