Milstead

{{Short description|Village in Kent, England}}

{{Other uses}}

{{Cleanup bare URLs|date=August 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox UK place

| country = England

| official_name = Milstead

| coordinates = {{coord|51.297|0.7296|display=inline,title}}

| population = 283

| population_ref = (2011 Census){{Cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11126584&c=Milstead&d=16&e=62&g=6438896&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1474477688547&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|accessdate=21 September 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics |work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}

| static_image_name = Rawling Street, Milstead - geograph.org.uk - 4716.jpg

| static_image_caption = Milstead in the Spring

| shire_district = Swale

| shire_county = Kent

| region = South East England

| constituency_westminster = Sittingbourne and Sheppey

| post_town = Sittingbourne

| postcode_district = ME9

| postcode_area = ME

| dial_code =

| os_grid_reference =

}}

Milstead is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swale in Kent, England. It is surrounded by the villages of Frinsted, Wichling, Doddington and Lynsted in Kent, England. It is the southernmost parish in the Sittingbourne area, and is approximately {{convert|3|mi}} from Sittingbourne town centre, just south of the M2 motorway.

File:Milstead Village Sign on Village Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1461618.jpg

According to Edward Hasted in 1798, "the parish is but small, containing about {{convert|800|acre}} of land, of which about {{convert|50|acre}} acres are woodland." He refers to it as 'Milsted'.

The parish was under the dominion of the Manor of Milton Regis in the reign of Edward I.{{cite journal |last=Hasted |first=Edward |year=1798 |title=Parishes |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62950 |journal=The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |volume=65 |pages=107–112|accessdate=3 March 2014}}

In 1870-72, according to John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, the parish comprised {{convert|1,216|acre}}. Its population was 245 and it had 43 houses.{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/6361| title=Milstead, Kent|accessdate=3 March 2014}}

Within the village is the Grade II listed Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross,{{cite web |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-176335-church-of-st-mary-and-the-holy-cross-mil |title=Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross, Milstead |website =www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk |accessdate=3 March 2014}} within the diocese of Canterbury, and deanery of Sittingborne.

The village now contains around 80 houses and cottages of which nine are listed buildings, including 'Milstead Manor'.{{cite web |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-176325-milstead-manor-milstead-kent |title=Milstead Manor, Milstead |website=www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk |accessdate=3 March 2014}}

On 27 September 1940 at 12.25pm, during the Battle of Britain, a Hawker Hurricane from 242 Squadron RAF, piloted by Flying Officer Michael Homer, crashed into a thatched cottage in the village, after being badly damaged by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Flying Officer Homer flew with 242 Squadron based at RAF Duxford, commanded by Douglas Bader. Homer's body was taken from the wreck and buried in Godlingston Cemetery, Swanage, Dorset. His family planted a tree and mounted a plaque in his memory at the crash site. A memorial near Simel House, Minching Wood, which was unveiled in November 2007, is included as part of annual Remembrance Day services in the village.http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/purbeck/1025160.Search_for_family_of_wartime_pilot/?ref=arc Search for family of wartime pilothttp://www.courier.co.uk/Battle-Britain-hero-recalled-crash-site/story-11998520-detail/story.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103125425/http://www.courier.co.uk/Battle-Britain-hero-recalled-crash-site/story-11998520-detail/story.html |date=3 November 2014 }} Battle of Britain hero recalled at crash sitehttp://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234948207-help-needed-for-info-on-a-242-squadron-pilot/ Help needed for info on a 242 Squadron PilotRemembrance Sunday, Parish News of the united benefice of Wormshill, Frinsted, Bicknor, Bredgar and Milstead, October 2014.

The village has a reasonably large village hall {{Cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1461609|title = Geograph:: Milstead Village Hall © David Anstiss}} which holds meetings for many clubs, such as woodturning and yoga, and also a monthly market.

There is a village pub, the Red Lion,http://theredlionmilstead.co.uk/ and a village school, 'Milstead and Frinsted Church of England Primary School'.{{Cite web |url=http://home.rm.com/SchoolFinder/Search-Result/8863110/Sittingbourne/Milstead-and-Frinsted-Church-of-England-Primary-School.aspx |title=Milstead and Frinsted Church of England Primary School, Academy (Including Free Schools) in Sittingbourne | RM School Finder |access-date=3 March 2014 |archive-date=4 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304030246/http://home.rm.com/SchoolFinder/Search-Result/8863110/Sittingbourne/Milstead-and-Frinsted-Church-of-England-Primary-School.aspx |url-status=dead }}

The village once had a small post office, but it was closed and became a private house.