Seal, Kent

infobox UK place

country = England
official_name= Seal
latitude= 51.2882

longitude= 0.2223
population = 2491 [ [http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=795539&c=seal&d=16&e=15&g=459160&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 National Statistics] Census 2001]
civil_parish= Seal
shire_district= Sevenoaks
shire_county = Kent
region= South East England

constituency_westminster= Sevenoaks
post_town= TONBRIDGE
postcode_district = TN15
postcode_area= TN
dial_code= 01732
os_grid_reference= TQ549567

Seal is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The parish is located in the valley between the North Downs and the Greensand ridge to the north east of Sevenoaks town.

The village, on the A25 road, although ancient, is fast becoming part of the built-up area of Sevenoaks.

In early documents the name of the village is often given as 'Sele', 'Sale','Zela' or 'La Sela'. Until recently it was supposed to come from the French word 'salle' meaning a hall but there is no evidence to support this. The etymology of place names suggests that the name of the village could have come from the Anglo-Saxon word 'sole' or 'sol' meaning a 'muddy slough, wallowing place' or a 'muddy pond that overflows'. Seal still has a pond at the fork at the bottom of Park Lane which tends to overflow at the present day.

'Seal: The History of a Parish' by Jean Fox, David Williams and Peter Mountfield, published by Philimores in 2007, gives comprehensive coverage of the village's history.

Its church [http://www.sealpeterandpaul.com] , is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul: the ecclesiastical parish only became separate from Kemsing in 1874, although there may well have been a Saxon church on the site of the present building.

References

External links

* [http://freespace.virgin.net/kent.communities/seal/amenities/parishcouncil.htm Seal parish council]
* [http://www.historic-kent.co.uk/ Notes on Seal]
* [http://www.sealpeterandpaul.com St Peter and St Paul's church, Seal]