Since Roman times the village has had connections to the Church and the Crown, including being owned by Joan of Kent in the 14th century.

The 13th-century parish church of St Andrew stands around a medieval village green along with other historic buildings.

[3] Wickhambreaux village still retains its medieval pattern with the Church, manor house, rectory, inn and mill encircling the green.

[3] Wickhambreaux manor was part of the extensive estates owned by Joan Countess of Kent, wife of Edward, the Black Prince (buried in nearby Canterbury Cathedral) and mother of King Richard II.

It is said that when she returned to London from a pilgrimage to Canterbury in 1381, and found her way barred by Wat Tyler and his rebels on Blackheath, the mob not only let her through unharmed, but saluted her with kisses and provided an escort for her for the rest of her journey.

[9] To the northwest of the mill on a small rise sits the flint and stone church of St Andrew (Grade I) and its graveyard.

I reached the conclusion that the diary is a complete fraud.”[14] James Francis styled himself Count Gallatin, though his right to the title was disputed, but he was known to his own family as 'bad Jimmy'.

[14] The gay writer J. R. Ackerley, in his posthumously published autobiography, speculated that his father had a homosexual relationship with ‘Count’ James Francis de Gallatin.

Although only small in population, around 500, it is a busy village with its church activities, Produce Association, competitive cricket club and many other similar interests.

Village shops closed over the years but despite the small population the primary school still occupies its original historic building dating back to 1869.

The surrounding countryside is good farm land producing some of Kent's finest fruit as well as cereal and vegetable crops.

Beyond the mill, where the road crosses the Little Stour via a small bridge with white painted wooden railings, the village green is reached.

This re-facing masks an older building which could well be medieval in origins and was likely undertaken on the instruction of the then owner of the Manor Sir Thomas Palmer, 4th Baronet, of Wingham.

[11] Wickhambreaux retains the medieval pattern of development of grander homes around the green and smaller workers' cottages and small businesses in their own separate area.

[20] By the eleventh century the church and adjacent court farm formed the manorial focus of the medieval settlements.

[3] In the Domesday Book Odo, Earl of Kent, half brother of William the Conqueror was owner of the Manor.

Bishop Odo was imprisoned and subsequently banished to Normandy and the Manor passed to Roger de Condet (Cundi/Cundy) c.1083.

He left one daughter Maud as heiress, a granddaughter of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, who married firstly William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury[25] and secondly John Giffard of Brimsfield.

William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury's[26] son Nicholas Longespee is the first recorded rector of Wickhambreaux.

On his death, with no issue, it passed to Joan, daughter of Eleanor de Holland,[30] husband of Edward Charleton, 5th Baron Cherleton, who married John Grey, 1st Earl of Tankerville and held the manor till 1421.

She remarried Colonel John Cosnan, who had served with 45th Regiment of Foot in French and Indian War[42][43] and following his death in 1773, she remained owner of the Manor till 1789, when it was inherited by the Rev.

Thomas Hey, rector of Wickhambreaux, and his heirs, being the eldest son of the last Dame Elizabeth Palmer by her last husband.

Thomas Hey married first Ethelreda, eldest daughter and coheir of dean Lynch, by whom he has no surviving children; and secondly, Mrs. Pugett, widow of Mr. Puget, of London.

There was once another public house, 'The Hooden Horse', in The Street adjoining the village green, known until the 1950s as 'The Swan', this closed in 1979.

The Parish Church is that of St Andrew, which is renowned locally for its wall painting and Art Nouveau stained glass.