Birling, Kent  Birling is a village and civil parish in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England, about seven miles west of Maidstone. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 430 increasing to 437 at the 2011 Census: 224 male and 213 female. It is south-west of the nearby town of Snodland and 37 miles away from the capital. The origin of the name 'Birling' is unclear, some sources believe that it signifies 'Bærla's family' with the 'ing' portion of the word coming from the Old English '-ingas' suffix meaning family or followers. Other sources mention Birling and other place names with similar spellings with the definition: 'place of the descendants of the cup-bearer or butler'. The village of Birling is home to few general commodities due to its size. However it is home to Children's House Montessori School, which was previously the village school. Another one of Birling's notable buildings is the Nevill Bull pub, whose name derives from the Nevill family that have owned land in the area for hundreds of years. The parish itself is only 680 hectares with much of the area being pasture grounds, it lies at the foot of the chalk, Birling Hills. Situated at the north end of the village, All Saints church, is mentioned in the Doomsday book although many sources say that the main aisles and nave were actually build 300 years later in the 14th century. The chancel was rebuilt in the 16th century by the Nevill family. The church became a grade 1 listed building in 1959. Despite being a rural village, Birling is relatively well connected to its local settlements due to Maidstone being in close proximity. It is on the Addington to Maidstone bus route and although it does not have a train station, the nearest is less than 3 miles away in West Malling. Although there is no mention of the village of Birling pre-Norman Conquest, it features in the Doomsday Book which was written in 1086. At the time it was written, there were 30 households, 12 acres of meadow and pasture 50 cattle. It also mentions the All Saints church, but major developments on the building were made around 400 years later. Around this time, a vast proportion of Kent and the surrounding areas was in possession of Odo of Bayeux, Earl of Kent. Odo was the half brother of William the Conqueror. In the 1870s, Birling was described as:A parish in Malling district, Kent; adjacent to the river Medway, 2¾ miles WSW of Snodland r. station, and 6 NW of Maidstone.