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About the village
The Parish consists mainly of agricultural farmland but set within its countryside are the villages of Higham Upshire, Lower Higham and Three Crutches, the small hamlet of Church Street and Higham’s several remaining great houses.
Upper / Mid Higham – The village, lying to the east of Gravesend, is located on relatively high ground to the west of Telegraph Hill. The village, which has historical connections with Charles Dickens, lies on the north side of the Gravesend/Rochester Road (A226), enjoys a range of facilities and has attracted much residential growth in the past. The A289 Medway Towns Northern Relief Road junction is situated just to the east of the village. This has had a major impact on the character of the dry valley to the south and east of the village.
Lower Higham – The village occupies the lower terrain to the north of Higham Upshire and straddles the North Kent railway line and the adjoining disused Thames and Medway Canal. It is a settlement with few facilities and a piecemeal development pattern. The availability of rail travel from this location has attracted residential growth.
Further extension of this settlement is not envisaged, in order to prevent the further spread of residential development into its open agricultural surroundings and to avoid conflict with Green Belt policy. Any new development is expected to be relatively minor.