BIRCHINGTON
PARISH COUNCIL
A Short History of Birchington Parish Council
Birchington Parish Council was first established under the Local Government Act of 1897. Nine members were elected with each responsible for a specific area of council responsibility. The Councillors included Birchington’s second Vicar, The Reverend J. Kirkham Fox and the ladies’ cycle manufacturer, George Cousins. In 1899 Mr R.R. Edwards was appointed the first Secretary with an annual stipend of £10. The Council continued until 1935 when it was subsumed into the newly established Margate Borough Council. This too disappeared in 1974 and became part of Thanet District Council with the Birchington Parish Council, as we know it, being re-established on April 1st 1986 under the Chairmanship of Mr Dan Bentley.
BIRCHINGTON, KENT
A bit about Birchington
Birchington-on-Sea is a village in Southeast Kent and has a population of around 10,000. The village was first recorded in 1240 and the parish church of All Saints’, dates to the 13th century, the churchyard is also the burial place of the artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The village lies on the coast facing the North Sea, and is situated between Herne Bay and Margate. As a seaside resort, the village is a tourist and also a retirement destination. The village has many attractions such as the Powell Cotton Museum, which is home to a large collection of stuffed animals which were collected by Major Percy Powell-Cotton on his travels to Africa. The museum lies within the grounds of the 19th Century manor house Quex Park. Along the coast there are the bays of Minnis and Grenham which are made up of chalk ledges, sand and kelp. There is also a picturesque walk from Minnis Bay to Reculver which is family and dog friendly, with attractions such as kite surfing, sailing and has boat launching facilities.