THE future of a popular farmers market may rest with an ancient document set out by King Henry I.

West Malling’s tradition of staging a Sunday farmers market in High Street was cast into doubt after Tonbridge and Malling Council said it could no longer afford to pay for the required road closure.

The council's community development advisory board met to discuss whether the market should move to another site in West Malling or even to Kings Hill where road closures would not be needed.

Board members agreed to ask West Malling Parish Council and Kent County Council to contribute to the annual £7,800 cost of the road closure, as the loss of the market from the town centre would affect trade. The charge is levied by Kent Highway Services.

But according to parish council chairman, Cllr Trudy Dean, the right to hold a market in West Malling was given to the nuns of St Mary's Abbey, Swan Street, between 1100 and 1105, and that went hand in hand with the right to close the road free of charge.

She said it was set out in a farmers market charter stored at the National Archive Office in Kew and also gives the nuns the right to hold a market within a seven-mile radius of the town.

It is believed about 20 years ago Maidstone council asked permission to stage a market in the County Town as it fell within the area which is covered by the charter.

Cllr Dean said she had confirmed the contents of the charter with archivist Sister Mary David, from the abbey, and plans to obtain a copy of the charter, written in Latin, to have it translated.

"We are very keen to retain the market," said Cllr Dean.

"We think it is unfair to charge the residents of West Malling because it serves a much wider area.

"If the borough council withdraws its support it occurred to us that we need to be clear about the rights to hold the market and whether we are in fact exempt from any charge."

She said the parish council was happy to contribute to promoting or enlarging the market.

Board chairman Cllr Janet Sergison (Con) said: "The cost of road closures is very high and it is only reasonable to explore with Kent County Council as highway authority and the Parish Council whether joint funding would be a possibility."