Bredgar, Kent

Bredgar
Bredgar Bredgar shown within Kent
Population	659 (2011 Census)
District	Swale
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Sittingbourne
Postcode district	ME9
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
List of places UK England Kent 51°18′40″N 0°41′46″E / 51.311°N 0.696°E / 51.311; 0.696Coordinates: 51°18′40″N 0°41′46″E / 51.311°N 0.696°E / 51.311; 0.696

Bredgar is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swale in Kent, England. The village lies some 4 miles (6.4 km) to the southwest of Sittingbourne on the road between Tunstall and Hollingbourne. The hamlet of Bexon is included in the parish.

A hoard of 34 Roman coins including 15 gold aurei was discovered in the parish in 1957. It is thought to be related to the Claudian invasion, possibly buried by a soldier before the Battle of the Medway.

In 1800 Edward Hasted, notes that it was once called Bradgare. Also the parish had around 1300 acres of land, of which one hundred acres are covered by wood. With Tunstall and Bobbing, it was controlled by the Manor of Milton.

In the reign of King Henry III (12th century), Robert de Bredgar, resided here and his name appears in an ancient roll of the benefactors to the monastery of Davington (in Faversham). The village was then named after this family.

The parish includes Swanton Court, (a Grade II listed house) and Mann's Place (also Grade II listed), All listed in Hasted's survey of Kent.

The parish also has its own church, St John The Baptist Church, which is in the diocese of Canterbury, and the deanery of Sittingbourne. It is grade I listed. King Henry III gave out alms from this church to the leprous women of the hospital of St. James, (alias St. Jacob), near Thanington, near Canterbury.