Rolvenden village originally consisted of the Streyte, located along what is now the A28 Ashford to Hastings road, which was almost entirely burned down in 1665, during the Great Plague (except for the church, pub and some farms). This caused the villagers to abandon the Streyte and move a mile down the hill to the common land of the Layne during the 1660s. John Wesley preached in the 18th century in a Tudor house that is now called Wesley House. Later the villages returned to the Streyte.
Rolvenden is approximately ten square miles in area, consisting largely of farming and rural activities. Rolvenden Layne is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the South Kent development area and is also a conservation area.
