Ulcombe lies to the SW of Maidstone, Kent, near the geographical centre of Kent; however, the settlement is up a steel hill and feels fairly remote. The original name may derive from 'owl-coombe', ie. 'a deep little wooded valley'. The parish church of All Saints is Grade 1 listed and dates to between the 12th and the 15th, with modern restoration. It comprises a W tower, a S vestry and porch, a nave with S aisle and NE chapel, and a chancel with shorter N and S chapels. Romanesque material is found in the S chancel arcade.

At the time of Domesday Book, 'Olecube' (Ulcombe) was held from Christ Church Canterbury; the archbishop was tenant-in-chief and the overlord in 1086 was Robert of Eu. A church and mill are recorded.

The two S aisle arches are fully pointed in the Gothic style, which suggests a very late 12thc date for this feature. This fact also means that the arcade therefore cannot have been part of the church documented in 1086. Could the pier have been salvaged from a previous building and the arches above were added in the 13thc? The fact that the capital and the respond mouldings all match makes such a scenario unlikely, and there is no reason to believe that the arcade is not all of the same contemporary build, so must presumably date around 1180-1200.