In the 1970s, the construction of a controversial four lane ring road together with the multi-storey Charter House building led to the destruction of significant parts of the old town although some areas were spared and preserved.

Other changes in the last 40 years include the construction of the County Square shopping centre, the redevelopment of the Templer Barracks at Repton Park, the Finberry estate to the southeast, and the award-winning Ashford Designer Outlet.

During the construction of the Park Farm estate in the late 1990s, excavation produced tools from the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic period dating back to the 7th millennium BC.

[10][11] The manor was owned by Hugh de Montfort, Constable of England and companion of William the Conqueror, and had a church, two mills and a value of 150 shillings (£7.50) at the time.

The pottery industry expanded in the 13th and 14th centuries, with the main works based at what is now Potter's Corner, a few miles west of the town centre.

[20][21] Thomas Smythe acquired the manor of Ashford as dowry from Queen Elizabeth I in the mid-16th century, and is buried in the parish church.

[22] John Wallis, the internationally recognised mathematician and one of Isaac Newton's main tutors was born in Ashford in 1616, but moved to Tenterden in 1625 to avoid the plague.

[23] By the 1780s, local farmers had begun to hold informal market days, and advertised the town's ideal location between London, Chatham and the Kent Coast.

[28] During World War I, Ashford's importance as a transport hub and its location between the continent and London made it a target for aerial bombing.

John Wiles, Major Goode's brother in law, later became mayor of New Romney in 1946, and subsequently arranged a visit to the Rhineland with Winston Churchill.

[50] The borough council operated from a row of houses in Elwick Road, until the civic centre was opened by the Duchess of Kent on 8 December 1983.

It is a 168-hectare (420-acre) site to the southeast of the town centre, which opened various houses, workspaces and shops in a series of phases through the remainder of the decade.

[64] The relevant verse is :[65] True, a new mistress now I chase, The first foe in the field; And with a stronger faith embrace A sword, a horse, a shield.

In addition, housing estates have been built in the open spaces amongst Bybrook, Godinton, Kingsnorth, Park Farm and Stanhope.

Subsequently, the Ashford's Future Company was set up to support a mix of publicly and privately funded projects in the town.

[78] The soup manufacturer Batchelors became a significant employer in Ashford when they opened a £2.5m factory in Willesborough, east of the town centre, in 1957.

[83] In 2017, the Kent-based Curious Brewing constructed a factory on a brownfield site adjacent to Ashford International station in 2017 after a £1.7m crowdfunded cash investment.

Park Mall opened in 1985 on the former Folkestone Glass Works site[99] and is now managed by Ashford Borough Council, as part of its strategy to regenerate the town centre.

[106] The centre has won industry awards for Retail Destination of the Year and Best Shopping Venue[107] and has been praised by the British Parking Association for its range of facilities, cleanliness and lack of crime.

[118][119] Brandon Lewis, High Streets Minister said he would "encourage all businesses in Ashford to sign up and be part of this excellent opportunity to boost their trade in the town centre.

He established the British Red Cross Society in 1868, gaining support from the Duke of Edinburgh via a royal admiral living at Eastwell Park, close to the town.

It includes an ornate fountain first shown at the 2nd International Exhibition in London in 1862, and presented to the park by George Harper on 24 July 1912.

[145] Other attractions near the town include Ashford Borough Museum, Godinton House and Gardens[146] and the New Mill at Willesborough, which is Grade II listed.

In 2013, Ashford Borough Council announced plans to build a new cinema in the town, using vacant land off Elwick Road.

[168] It initially opened as one way, but was converted back into a two-way operation in 2007, at a total cost of £14m,[169] so the town centre could expand and accommodate more people.

[168] An art installation, Lost O, curated by the artist Michael Pinsky, was created as part of this redevelopment but confused drivers.

[173] Operation Stack is a traffic management system on the M20 through and near Ashford, which allows HGVs to queue for the Channel Tunnel and the Port of Dover when there is bad weather or industrial action.

[180] The Stour Valley Walk also follows the main river, connecting Ashford with Lenham and Canterbury, and links with other long distance footpaths in this part of Kent.

[15] John Fogge supervised substantial changes to the church in the late 15th century, including creating the 120 feet (37 m) tower and raising the roof.

[197] On 7 October 2010, the church was reordered by the Bishop of Dover, Trevor Willmott, to improve its dual function as both a place of worship and an arts centre and performance space for up to 350 people, in a similar style to Union Chapel, Islington.