ning ▁p ink ▁spark ling ▁wine . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁St ap le h urst ▁was ▁often ▁visited ▁by ▁invalid s ▁seeking ▁recuper ation , ▁especially ▁those ▁from ▁Rom ney ▁Marsh ▁and ▁East ▁Kent , ▁apparently ▁attract ed ▁by ▁the ▁pur ity ▁of ▁the ▁air . ▁ ▁The ▁St ap le h urst ▁rail ▁crash , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁is ▁a ▁significant ▁event ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁village . ▁Charles ▁Dick ens , ▁who ▁was ▁on ▁board , ▁was ▁un in j ured , ▁but ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁incident ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁St ap le h urst ▁won ▁the ▁Kent ▁Village ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁Compet ition . ▁ ▁St ap le h urst ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁police ▁investig ations ▁following ▁the ▁Sec ur itas ▁dep ot ▁rob ber y ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁Govern ance ▁St ap le h urst ▁is ▁govern ed ▁by ▁St ap le h urst ▁Par ish ▁Council , ▁Ma id stone ▁Bor ough ▁Council , ▁and ▁Kent ▁County ▁Council , ▁the ▁Chair man ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁Coun c ill or ▁Tom ▁Burn ham . ▁ ▁Culture ▁and ▁community ▁ ▁Religion ▁The ▁ 1 2 th - century ▁Ang lic an ▁parish ▁church , ▁All ▁Sain ts ', ▁is ▁located ▁at ▁the ▁highest ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁village . ▁It ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Can ter bury