Riverhead History

Riverhead (population 2661 at the time of the 2007 Census) lies to the north of Sevenoaks in Kent and probably derives its name from the Saxon “rither”, meaning a hill. Riverhead’s most famous resident was General Sir Jeffery Amherst, who built his house “Montreal” (long since demolished) here after conquering Canada in the mid 18th century. Several acres of the former grounds of Montreal are now owned by the Parish Council and maintained as public parkland. There are some 30 listed buildings in the Riverhead Conservation Area and the Church of St Mary was designed by Decimus Burton. Next to the church is the village hall, which is available for hire and also houses a Committee meeting room and the Parish Clerk’s office.