About Faversham

Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale district of Kent, England. The town is 48 miles from London and 10 miles from Canterbury and lies next to Faversham Creek. It is close to the Roman Watling Street, now part of the A2. The name is of Latin via Old English origin, meaning "the metal-worker's village".

There has been a settlement at Faversham since pre-Roman times, next to the ancient sea port on Faversham Creek, and archaeological evidence has shown a Roman theatre was based in the town. It was inhabited by the Saxons and mentioned in the Domesday book as Favreshant. The town was favoured by King Stephen who established Faversham Abbey, which survived until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538.

Subsequently, the town became established as a centre for brewing, with the Shepherd Neame Brewery, founded in 1698, remaining a significant major employer. The town was also the centre of the explosives industry between the 17th and early 20th century.

From Wikipedia - click for full entry