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Blean is a village and civil parish^[2] in the Canterbury district of Kent, England. The civil parish is large and is mostly woodland, much of which is ancient woodland. The developed village within the parish is scattered along the road between Canterbury and Whitstable, in the middle of the Forest of Blean. The parish of St Cosmus and St Damian in the Blean was renamed “Blean” on 1 April 2019.

According to Edward Hasted‘s 1800 county study, the village was once part of the king’s ancient forest of Blean in the hundred of Westgate.^[3]

The name Blean is the dative form of the Old English word blea which means rough ground.^[4][5] Therefore the full name of the parish meant “the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian in the rough ground.”

In 1835, the Blean Union Workhouse, designed by William Edmunds, was built on four acres south of Herne Common. The design was based on Sir Francis Bond Head’s Plan of a Rural Workhouse for 500 Persons, a publication of the Poor Law Commission. To keep costs down, no outside drains were added, and the building was windowless. Discipline was severe. A nine-year-old girl was once punished for a small offence by being forced to remain overnight in the mortuary with a corpse; however, the Master and Matron were dismissed as a result.^[6]

Druidstone Park

Close to Blean village and by the Honey Hill hamlet was the permanently closed Druidstone Park. The site was set within 12 acres of woodland, where visitors could walk along designated trails. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the park has been permanently shut to visitors. The park had contained sculptures inspired by pagan folklore.

Notable sites was a carving of The Green Man and a large statue of a sleeping dragon. The opening times of the park ranged from March to November. There were amenities such as a gift shop and cafe. There was a petting zoo with livestock such as sheep, alpacas, ponies, a donkey, pigs and chickens^[7]

Keir’s Meadow

Keir’s meadow is a nature reserve in the village of Blean. The site first opened in 2002 and is managed by a small group of volunteers and the Parish Council. The land was first in ownership of Eastbridge Manor, providing shelter for pilgrims. The land would be worked on by tenant farmer John Kier, then George Kier. George would be a part of a group of 3 other men to sabotage Nazi forces.

A portion of Keir’s farm was sold off in the 1960s to the University of Kent. In 2002, remaining land would be sold off by Eastbridge Manor. The Parish Council would purchase it, naming the land after Kier. Later work would go into improving the land, planting wildflowers and boosting biodiversity.^[8]

The Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is a traditional English bar and restaurant located in Blean.^[9] The pub dates to September 1857. The first owner was Goldsack James. On the 5th of June, 2025, the owners would close the building down due to mismanagement of the finances. Building plans for a car wash on the main parking lot in June 2026. As of April 2026, the building is open.^[10]

The Hare

The Hare dates back to the original ‘Hare and Hounds’ first founded in 1783. The building sits on blean hill. In 1783, the building would be sold at auction by the Order of the Guardians of the Poor of the City of Canterbury. The auction itself took place in a workhouse, at which the building was bought by John Marsh.^[11] It then became a public house with activities such as dance.^[12]

The name was changed on 13th December 2015 to ‘Blean Tavern’. However, it closed after 3 years in 2018. In 2021, the business was sold to the company PubCo. This was met with local opposition, with the new owner subsequently renaming the pub back from ‘Blean Tavern’ to ‘Hare’^[13]

Blean Primary school or previously known as Blean School was first built in 1929^[14] The school opened on the same year on the 12th November.^[15] It is a mixed gender, public school for ages 3 to 11. It is currently rated outstanding by Ofsted.^[16]

During World War 2, the school would have air raid shelters. Teachers would carry torches. as the power was often cut off. Along the school walls, there would be posters to identify allied and enemy planes as the action was often visible from above.^[17] In 1941, There would be a small fundraiser ran by 6 of the students for The National Savings Schemes to help with the war effort. The group would raise £123 in total.^[18]

In 2015, there would be some controversy due to ‘Bring your dad to school day’ promoting outdated gender stereotypes and excluding lesbian parents. Proposals for building modernisation and maintenance would be approved in 2024. The combine costs was estimated at £1,440,000, most the cost coming from proposed tender costs.^[19]

Blean is part of the electoral ward of Blean Forest. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 6,176.^[20]

The parish church is a grade II listed building dedicated to the twin saints Cosmus and Damian.^[21][22][23]

The earliest reference to the church is in the 11th century, where it is mentioned in the Domesday Monachorum. During 1233, Henry III replaced the original church, and would pay 20 pounds 3 shillings to Walter de Kirkeham. The church was constructed from local flints, stone ragstone and Roman bricks. The older section still stands as part of the west wall of the nave. The roof would be built of be peg tiles.^[24][22][25] The stained glass dates to the 14th century. The church would have a painted rood screen and bright interior.

During The Reformation, the colourful features would be washed down. Archbishop Mathew Parker would visit in 1573, commenting that it was devoid of its original glazing. In 1659, Thomas Palmer cast and hung the bell at the west end of the church. Silver communion vessels have been found dating back to the 18th century, the two earliest around 1720 to 1721.^[26][27][25] The north aisle and south porch would be added in 1866. The original stained glass would also be replaced, with the work done by artist Henry Holiday. New pews would be installed in 1909, which would fit around 270 people.^[28][25][24]

Blean’s economy is closely tied to Canterbury and to a lesser extent, Whitstable. In television entertainment Smallfilms operates here the production company that created the animated series Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss and the Clangers, at Peter Firmin‘s barn on the Blean farm. The bay window of Firmin’s house was featured in the opening sequence of Bagpuss.^[29]

The Hunt-class destroyer HMS Blean was named after the village’s Blean Beagles hunt.^{[citation needed]}

• Listed buildings in Blean

• Parish Church of St Cosmus & St Damian in the Blean