DYMCHURCH

 Dymchurch is a wonderful village for families with small people. Margate may have Dreamland, but Dymchurch has its' equivalent aimed very much at children. Add to that a station on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, and the only sandy stretch of beach between Folkestone and Camber, and you have the perfect recipe for a family holiday. 

The beach has a ridge that is crossed by the sea at high tide. Then when the tide goes out, it leaves a shallow lagoon behind. On a hot day, the water here heats up nicely, and it is a smashing place for little toddlers to paddle safely.

This is the church of St. Peter & St. Paul.

These two modern stained glass windows are one each side of the porch and decorated with flowers, give you the feeling that you are entering somewhere special.

Oh look - another mosaic - with the funfair, the church, the donkeys and sand, lots of sand.

This is another modern stained window. This one is a memorial to  Tom Miller, who was church warden here for 20 years.

This archway shows the church's Norman roots.

A plaque to Russell Thorndike, who created Dr. Syn, the one-time Rector of the church, and part-time smuggler. The books are real adventures and sometimes quite cruel. They have spawned an entire industry around the central character, including the bi-annual 3-day 'Day Of Syn' festival. Even the light railway has a loco named for him. 

Russell Thorndike, brother to actress Dame Sybil Thorndike, was an accomplished actor himself. But writing was always his first love. He was born in Rochester, but is buried here, in the place that meant so much to him.

This strange post once supported a sundial, which has been relocated to inside the church!

Dymchurch has three remaining Martello Towers out of an original six, within its' bounds. The one on the Hythe side has been converted into a residence. The one on the New Romney end of the village, number 23 (below), stands in the public car park, and is currently having work done on it - not sure what it is going to be yet..........

The third one stands in the middle of the village, close to the funfair, and houses a museum. It took half a million bricks to build the tower, which is number 24 of an original 79 towers stretching along the coast of Kent into Sussex. It has now been restored to its original condition.