Because I've started to do places in far greater detail, the page for my home county has got large and almost unmanageable.
Hence we now have KENT2
All future Kent stories will go here. I did consider making the pages alphabetical across the two pages, but that won't be practical, so each page will be alphabetical in its' own right
APPLEDORE
BRENZETT GREEN
CANTERBURY
DYMCHURCH
EASTRY
LENHAM
LITTLESTONE
LOST VILLAGES OF ROMNEY MARSH
NEW ROMNEY
NEWENDEN
ORLESTONE
RAMSGATE
SNARGATE
STONE-CUM-EBONY
WYE
APPLEDORE
(place of the apple-tree) Isn't their village sign beautiful in its simplicity?
Appledore was the setting for A. A. Milne's famous verse poem, "The Knight Whose Armour Didn't Squeak". Milne lived 29 miles (47 km) west in Hartfield, Sussex. The fictional village of Plummergen, in the "Miss Seeton" series of crime novels by Heron Carvic, is based on Appledore.
It is an attractive village with medieval houses and a 14th century church St Peter and St Paul. The little square, and the exceptionally wide main street, leading up from the canal, is a reminder of the former importance of the village. The village has a Post Office, village store, three pubs, and antique shops.
The oldest parts of the building are the north chapel and west tower, the only parts of the building to escape damage during the French raid of 1380.The remainder of the church was so badly damaged by the French that it had to be rebuilt. You can still see fire marks on the tower arch. In front of the altar is buried Sir Philip Chute, standard-bearer to Henry VIII.
Beautiful stump work linear 'tapestry', charting the history of Appledore. This is just small sections of it.
The village has quite a war-like history. The Danes certainly knew Appledore, for they landed here in AD 892 to launch an invasion of England. The French did the same in 1380 when they burned the village and destroyed the church.
In the following year, the men of Appledore joined the Peasant's Revolt, and broke into Horne's Place manor house, stealing 10 pounds worth of goods. Appledore also joined Jack Cade's Revolt in 1450. The village overlooks the Royal Military Canal, built in 1804 as a measure against Napoleon invading. It used to stand on the banks of the Rother, when it was a port, until the river changed course, leaving Appledore some 8 miles from the coast.
Lovely pub, this, which has a good reputation for food. Apparently, as well as black lions, they welcome black lion cubs and four-legged black lion cubs too! (that's their words, not mine)
Previously called the Red Lion, this popular establishment can be dated back to the early 1800's.
BRENZETT GREEN
The name Brenzett actually derives from 'burnt house'. Although around 1100, it was referred to as 'burnt church'. Perhaps the house referred to, was actually a church that was destroyed by fire?
The building of the A2070 Ham Street by-pass and the widening of the A259 South Coast route has resulted in splitting off a small group of houses that still stand along the old road. This is now known as Brenzett Green to differentiate it from Brenzett. But it is here that we find the church.
If you approach Brenzett Green from the Fleur-de-Lys roundabout, you very soon come to Church Lane. Go down there, and the cemetery is on your left, and the Rectory on your right..............and the church...................?
You need to leave Church Lane, and go down the road a little further, where you will find a tiny lane in between two houses. There, at the end, is a very pretty little church with a wooden steeple.
The interior is equally charming. The bell ropes still hang in the body of the church, and there's a very steep ladder up to the bell tower.
It has another of the Romney Marsh mosaics, this one paying reference to the nearby Brenzett Aeronautical Museum. It also depicts Saint Eanswythe to whom the church is dedicated. She was a Saxon princess, granddaughter of Ethelbert the first Christian King of Kent, who founded a nunnery at Folkestone . She served her novitiate in Normandy, and became the founder and Abbess of the nunnery of Peter and Paul, which was built in 630.
The war memorial is a simple plaque inside the church and only bears two names. Obviously, Brenzett has never been a large village.
Curiously, the ceiling of one of the side aisles has been covered in brown slats
This magnificent tomb is that of John Fagge of Rye, who died in 1639, and his son, also John, who died in 1646. This is Civil War time, and they were obviously both Royalists by their garb.
The entry in the Peerage for the father reads thus:
John Fagge
John Fagge married Adryn Cobb, daughter of Clement Cobb.
He lived at Brensett, Kent, England
Child of John Fagge and Adryn Cobb
- John Fagge
and the entry in the Peerage for the son:
John Fagge
John Fagge is the son of John Fagge and Adryn Cobb. He married Elizabeth Hudson.
He lived at Rye, Sussex, England
He lived at Rye, Sussex, England
Child of John Fagge and Elizabeth Hudson
- Sir John Fagge, 1st Bt. d. 18 Jan 1700/1
CANTERBURY
(stronghold of the Cantware, or people of Kent. The earlier British name for the settlement was Darovernon, meaning 'swamp fort'. The Romans adopted the name and called it Durovernum Cantiacorum.)
It's high time I covered what is undoubtedly the most important place in the history of the Church of England. Maidstone may be the County Town of Kent, but ask any stranger which is the most important, and the answer will be Canterbury.
Canterbury is such a complex city, with a history stretching right back to pre-Roman times, and historical buildings by the score, that this visit I could only cover a small portion of it. Romans, Catholics, Cathars, Huguenots, white friars, black friars, grey friars, Anglicans, have all left their mark on it, so it will take at least one more visit to cover it all.
I chose to not visit the Cathedral this time, as I really wanted to give an overview of the city this time round. However, if you would like a vision of how it looked in 1945, then ..................
The tomb of Edward, the Black Prince
Following his murderous death, the body of Thomas Becket was placed here, in the crypt. Almost immediately, there were reports emerging of miracle cures taking place there. Becket was declared a saint in 1173.
Canterbury was first a Roman city (Durovernum Cantiacorum), strategically placed on the Roman road (Watling Street, now called the A2) that led from the port of Dubris (Dover) to Londinium (London).
Later, it became a Saxon settlement, and then in 597AD, the site of the mission by St. Augustine to bring Christianity back to Britain. It was Augustine who founded the cathedral, as well as his now-ruined abbey, just across the road. This whole area, including the little church of St. Martin's (the oldest parish church in England still in use) has been designated a World Heritage Site.
Right so on to the colour stuff.............
Let's start with the city walls. Sadly, large portions of the city walls have gone, and only one of the main city gates still exists, even though the others exist in the names of the areas where they stood. (Northgate being the best known.)
This is the Westgate, with its enormous defensive towers. This stands where the main road from Dover exited the city towards London.
The above picture shows the famous inn that lies just outside the city walls - the Falstaff Inn. It was built in 1403 as a hostel for wayfarers. In 1783 it took the present name after Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff.
Originally the inn was used by pilgrims who arrived at the city gates after curfew, when the city gates were closed for the night.
In the Second World War, the inn was hit by 26 incendiary bombs. Only one penetrated the roof, but found the iron-hard beams too tough to compete with, only a small amount of damage being done.
Almost everything of importance is contained within these walls. Outside stands the Abbey of St. Augustine's, two universities, the Kent County cricket ground at St. Lawrence, and a small suburb called Thanington Without - meaning Thanington outside the city walls.
You very quickly realise that the whole city is divided into areas names either for a religious order that had its' church there, or a saint who was relative to Canterbury.
Thus you have Greyfriars, Whitefriars, Blackfriars, St. Augustine's, St. Martin's, St. Gregory's, St. Dunstan's, St. George's, St. Peter's etc.
The Stour is divided into two arms which flow through the city. One arm flows outside the city wall, forming an extra defence, and the other flows right through the middle of the city
The main shopping area is not just the High Street, which is actually quite short, but St. Peter's Street and St. George's Street, which traverse from the Westgate Towers in a straight line across to where the Eastgate used to stand - now just a gap in the wall, as is the area of the Southgate. At Northgate, the wall has disappeared all together.
This is St. Peter's Church, which dates back to the 12th. century.
The Weavers house stands on the banks of the other arm of the Stour, and claims to date back to 1500. There was an influx of Flemish and Huguenot weavers who settled in the area after fleeing from religious persecution during the 16th and 17th centuries. Elizabeth I granted the Flemish weavers the right to establish their businesses in Canterbury, and they are known to have used this and other similar buildings nearby.
Despite the date 1500 which can be seen prominently displayed above the door, this house probably dates back to at least the 14th century. The current building largely dates to a reconstruction in the second half of the 16th century, not the first, as you might assume by the sign! Originally built as one house, it is now divided into three.
At the rear of the Old Weavers House is a medieval ducking stool, jutting out over the river. This ducking stool was historically used as a method of punishing 'scolds' - women accused by their husbands of talking back too much! The stool may also have been used as a more severe punishment for suspected witches. The suspected witch was dunked under the water and held there for several minutes. If she (it was usually a female) did not drown, she was proved a witch. If she drowned, at least her name was cleared!
The Eastbridge, or the Hospital of St. Thomas the Martyr, Eastbridge to give it its full name, is not a hospital as we use the word today. It was, and is still a hospital in the original sense of the word, a place of hospitality. In 1569 a school was established at the Hospital, and this continued for almost 300 years. Then in 1584, an act of Parliament changed St Thomas's remit completely; it was ordered to offer accommodation for 10 poor residents of Canterbury and to provide a dole payment to 10 more.
The Eastbridge Hospital still continues as an almshouse to this day and houses elderly people with a strong connection to Canterbury.
The Beaney Institute, or the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, as it is now known, is the central museum, library and art gallery of the city of Canterbury. It is housed in a Grade II listed building. Until it closed for refurbishment in 2009, it was known as the Beaney Institute or the Royal Museum and Art Gallery.
Queen Elizabeth's Guest Chambers. All visitors to Canterbury should visit these historic rooms with their beautiful Renaissance ceilings. Open to the public for free. The ornamental plasterwork on the front of the building was done in 1698. The date of 1573 on the front of the building, refers to the time Queen Elizabeth I reputedly stayed here
You see people walking down the street here, busy looking at their mobile phones, and never looking above their heads at the wonderful details they are missing...............
The Buttermarket, and the City War Memorial.
This square is more than 800 years old. The name Buttermarket was first used about 200 years ago, previously the name was `Bullstake'. Bulls were tied and baited with dogs, both for fun and also because it was believed that it made the flesh more tender.
The Archbishop of Canterbury in 1921, who dedicated the War Memorial, was Randall Davidson.
There are so many listed 'Historic Buildings of Kent' in Canterbury. This is no.8 Palace Street. The exterior is beautifully carved, with intricate floral and geometric designs rimming the jetties. The most intriguing features, however, are the carved brackets that support the jetties. These are in the shape of grinning demons, or grotesques, holding their bulging breasts in a pretty suggestive manner. Though one may be a female figure, the other is most definitely male
The Sun Hotel, formerly, in Dickens' time, the Little Inn. It was built in 1503 and stood empty for 40 years until Debenhams restored it.
Conquest House. On 29 December 1170 four knights, Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Moreville, William de Tracy, and Richard le Breton, met at a house near Canterbury Cathedral to plan what they would do on the morrow. Whatever plan they discussed, the result was the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, a deed which changed the course of history and certainly changed the fortunes of Canterbury itself. The place where the knights met is reputed to be Conquest House on Palace Street.
At that time Conquest House was owned by a man called Gilbert the Citizen. The knights initially left their servants and weapons in Conquest House while two of their number entered Bishop's Palace by force and remonstrated with Becket, trying to get him to remove the excommunication he had placed over several of the king's supporters.
It was a lost cause from the start; Becket was too strong-willed to succumb to their threats. The knights returned to Conquest House and gathered their weapons. In the meantime, the archbishop's servants convinced him to retire to the cathedral. It was no use; the knights entered the cathedral, and after a further argument, killed Becket in the area now called The Martyrdom.
It was a lost cause from the start; Becket was too strong-willed to succumb to their threats. The knights returned to Conquest House and gathered their weapons. In the meantime, the archbishop's servants convinced him to retire to the cathedral. It was no use; the knights entered the cathedral, and after a further argument, killed Becket in the area now called The Martyrdom.
Part of the King's School. King's is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for 13 to 18 year old pupils)It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group. It is Britain's oldest public school; and is arguably the oldest continuously operating school in the world, since education on the Abbey and Cathedral grounds has been uninterrupted since AD 597.
Among the famous students who have attended King's School over the years are William Harvey, W. Somerset Maugham, Hugh Walpole, Christopher Marlowe, and John Tradescant.
Sir John Boys House (sometimes known as the Crooked House, King's Gallery, or Old Kings Shop) is a delightfully skewed 17th-century half-timbered building at the extreme end of Palace Street, with projecting jetties onto Palace and King Streets.
The house is named in memory of Sir John Boys, an MP and the first recorder of Canterbury (d. 1612). The most noticeable feature is the front door, which has had to be built with severely skewed corners to fit the door frame.
The house reputedly gained its markedly skewed look after alterations to an internal chimney caused the structure to slip sideways. Attempts to rectify the slippage actually caused the whole structure to skew further sideways, though now the building is stabilised internally by a steel frame
The Bell And Crown, opposite King's in Palace Street has apparent scant regard for the staff of King's!
Henry III granted the Black Friars land on an island in the River Stour. Here they built their new friary. There are only two buildings of the friary remaining; the guest hall and the former rectory, this, which is now used by Kings College art centre.
So, now back to the Friars area of the city. This is where the river passes down the side of the Marlowe theatre, and forms part of the Canterbury Sculpture Trail
Picture taken from the bridge between the Marlowe and the Friends' Meeting House (Quakers). The minaret-looking tower in the centre of the picture, is called the Alchemist's Tower. You can only get to the outside of it by boat, but the interior can be reached from an old shop in Best Lane.
Although 'improved' by the Victorians, it actually stands on a Roman site, and has medieval foundations.
It is actually a chimney, and inside you can still see the hearth.
The Cathedral towers above the city, and the City Council has wisely not permitted any high-rise buildings to obscure it.
This is a statue of lovely Dave Lee, a long time starring dame in pantomimes at the Marlowe. He sadly died at the young age of 64, having made over two million pounds to give disadvantaged children in Kent and their families a holiday. He was awarded the Freedom Of The City posthumously, so if you see his ghost wandering the streets, have a laugh with him! He'd enjoy that!
This is the Bulkhead statue by Rick Kirby
The Marlowe theatre. It's not a very big auditorium, and some areas have viewing issues, but the acoustics are good. We go every year to the concert by Jools Holland's R&B Orchestra, and delight in the amazing Ruby Turner as she rocks the roof off!
The statue to Christopher Marlowe. Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe, was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights being Shakespeare’s most important predecessor in English drama, who is noted especially for his establishment of dramatic blank verse.
In 1593 Marlowe was killed by Ingram Frizer, in the dubious company of Nicholas Skeres and Robert Poley, at a lodging house in Deptford, where they had spent most of the day and where, it was alleged, a fight broke out between them over the bill.
The Sidney Cooper Gallery. What's it famous for?
Well, see this plaque; and if, like me, you grew up when Rupert was more famous than Paddington, you'll be thankful for the Sidney Cooper Gallery!
The Masonic Temple - just a very ordinary building
just random views................
Geoffrey Chaucer - of course, best known for The Canterbury Tales, a bawdy collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury.
On the base, is a list of the actors who appeared in the film of the 'Tales' The 9th. one down is a local boy made good!
These two road signs go back to when the A2 road from Dover to London ran right through the middle of the city. Somehow they got overlooked and never removed. They're now a permanent part of the city history
Another war memorial - this one is specifically for the men of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry
Mercery Lane, which would normally give an impressive view of Christ Church Gate, the main entrance to the cathedral precincts. However. that's being refurbished at the moment. It is a rather nice sheet though!
This was formally St. Margaret's Church for the Deaf. Now it houses the Canterbury Tales Experience. All vey bawdy and naughty, but you do it with headphones on, and they have a dumbed down version for kids
Butchery Lane, where the name speaks for itself.
He's watching you...........................
This lamp hangs in the middle of Mercery Lane
Right, now to my favourite part of the City - the wonderfully peaceful Greyfriars. All that's left of the priory is the small chapel spanning the river. The rest has been turned into an amazing medieval garden, which features fruits such as quince and medlar, vegetables, and medicinal herbs. The lady gardener that was there today, was only too pleased to chat and discuss the plants. It's an area of medieval history I'm really keen on.
St. Francis of Assisi - who was not the founder of the Franciscan order. The founder was one Francesco Bernadone, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. Greyfriars in Canterbury was the first Franciscan house in England, founded in 1224.
Greyfriars Chapel is the only remaining part of a Franciscan friary established in 1267. Greyfriars (named for the grey habits of the Franciscan order of monks) was the first Franciscan monastery in England. The friary was established on an island site granted by the master of Poor Priest's Hospital. In 1263 a further grant of land on the far bank of the river allowed the friary to expand, and it eventually grew to take in 18 acres.
It is not clear what the original function of the two-story chapel building was; it may have been an infirmary or residence, but despite the name it was almost certainly not a chapel. It has, however, become a consecrated building and now hosts regular services. In 2003, fully 465 years after they left, Franciscan brothers returned to Canterbury, and today they live in nearby cottages and work in the city centre parish and Eastbridge Hospital, and worship in this old chapel building.
When I lived in Canterbury, all those years ago, Greyfriars was accessed by a path that ran through the Postal Sorting Office, and it was free to all. Sadly, it was much abused and the little chapel suffered severe vandalism.
You now have to access it from a little shop in St. Peter's Street, and access will cost you £6. You do get a nice little visitor guide, and the money goes to the upkeep and regular patrols by a security firm. £6 is really not a lot to pay to ensure that the work they are doing will preserve some important historical knowledge
The Visitor guide is a mine of information - way too much to repeat here. Go to Canterbury, pay your £6, and get a copy for yourself!
Back to St. Peter's, and high up on one corner is a plaque marking the site of the long-gone Black Friar's Gate, which presumably was the entrance to the Blackfriars priory
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 a RH&D railway driver, Tom Miller, whose train was derailed by a dangerous car driver. The engine overturned and crushed him.
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.
EASTRY
(easterly district. Once a region of Kent in Jutish times, the name now only exists in the village)
When I was a teenager, we used to meet up with friends at a little cafe in Eastry. Well, that is now a house, so I've never had a reason to go back there.
I wanted to see something specific in the church, but I couldn't find it. However, the church is very pleasant and proves that the village was once a prosperous place. Indeed, it was once a Saxon royal capital.
Here the Saxon kings had a Royal Hall on the site north of the Church, now occupied by Eastry Court, which was reputedly the scene of the murder in 665 of the two young princes, Etheldred and Ethelbert. Two Saxon burial sites in the village date from this period.
On the south side of the Church lies the former Tithe Barn (rebuilt 1832), now Aumbry Cottages, and the Parsonage Farm now known as the Aumbry (rebuilt 1825) from its having belonged to the Almonry of the Prior and Convent at Canterbury from the 12th Century.
The village was the birthplace of Henry of Eastry, Prior of Christ Church, Canterbury 1285-1331 in whose honour the Cathedral tower bears the name Bell Harry.
On the south side of the Church lies the former Tithe Barn (rebuilt 1832), now Aumbry Cottages, and the Parsonage Farm now known as the Aumbry (rebuilt 1825) from its having belonged to the Almonry of the Prior and Convent at Canterbury from the 12th Century.
The village was the birthplace of Henry of Eastry, Prior of Christ Church, Canterbury 1285-1331 in whose honour the Cathedral tower bears the name Bell Harry.
In Lower Street on the west side is Fairfield a 15th century aisled hall house, and in Mill Lane, the former Union Workhouse (1835) which became Eastry Hospital and which is now closed.
Beneath the garden of Beckets on the west side of Woodnesborough Lane are the Caves (now closed), a long series of galleries excavated in the last century by the Foord family in the course of extracting chalk for lime burning.
The Old Vicarage in Church Street was in use as the Vicarage until 1980 and stands on a site appropriated to that purpose in 1367.
In the 19th century the village possessed four windmills, only one of which now remains, as a private residence.
In 979 AD King Ethelred made over the Palace and Manor in Eastry to Archbishop Dunstan and the Priory of Christ Church Canterbury. The Normans built a new church in the late 11th - early 12th century, and in the early 13th century the church was lavishly rebuilt in the early English style of architecture by the monks of Christ Church Abbey, Canterbury.
The Norman church almost certainly replaced a Saxon building, since Eastry boasted a Royal Palace for the Kings of Kent as early as 660 AD. The origins of Christian worship on this site are lost in antiquity.
Amidst all the legends, history and rumours, I need to return when I have more time to explore the rest of Eastry.
Meanwhile, today was just a quick visit to the church of St. Mary the Virgin.
Opposite the church entrance, is a small park, and I found these tiny cyclamens growing amidst all the fallen leaves:
On the west wall is a good early 19th century Royal Arms with hatchments on either side
The east nave wall has a pair of quatrefoils pierced through into the chancel. However this feature pales into insignificance when one sees what stands between them - a square panel containing 35 round paintings in medallions. There are four designs including the Lily for Our Lady; a dove; Lion; Griffin. They would have formed a backdrop to the Rood which would have been supported on a beam the corbels of which survive below the paintings.
This commemorates John Harvey who died in 1794. It shows his ship the Brunswick fighting with all guns blazing with the French ship the Vengeur. John Bacon the Elder carved this detailed piece of work.
The gentleman below was taken from a brass rubbing and reproduced in all it's glory in glittery colour
LENHAM
Lenham is a pretty village, centred around a square surrounded by lime trees. It holds a monthly market in the square. Although the church stands on one side of the square, the cemetery is on the edge of the village, over the A20 crossroads, leaving the church surrounded by an old graveyard. Lenham was once renowned for it's watercress, which grew along the little river Len.
The war memorial, which stands directly outside the main door to the church. These granite blocks were originally placed next to the chalk cross up on the Pilgrim's Way above the village. They were brought down into the village in 1960, for safe-keeping.
The church of St. Mary, dates back to the 12th. century, although there is evidence of an older Saxon church before then. The Saxon church was replaced by a Norman one.
In 1297 arsonists set fire to the Norman building, badly damaging the church and destroying its tithe barns.
Part of the east end of the Norman church was salvaged and incorporated into a new building.
The high altar is medieval. It was hidden under the sanctuary floor during the Reformation and only rediscovered in the early 20th century.
The richly carved pulpit dates to 1574 and is one of the finest in Kent. Above it is a sounding board added in 1622.
This was a gift of Mary Honywood, who died in 1620 at the age of 92, a surprisingly old age for the time. At her death, Mary left behind 16 children, 114 grandchildren, 228 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great-grandchildren. That makes a quite astonishing total of 367 descendants.
Against the south wall is a 13th-century sedilia, or stone seat for clergy that survived the 1297 fire. It is set under a 14th-century canopy.
Set into the north wall is the effigy of a 14th-century priest thought to be Thomas de Apuldefelde, rather oddly divided into two halves by a stone partition.
14th-century wall painting of St Michael Weighing Souls. Although very faded, you can still see a devil on one scale trying to bring it down, while the other scale is raised up by the Virgin Mary's rosary beads.
The chapel dedicated to St. Edmund. The original east wall of the Norman church is now part of St Edmund's Chapel, beside the chancel. A pillar separating the chancel and chapel also comes from the earlier building.
St Edmund's Chapel altar is carved from Bethersden marble and originally served as the tomb of Thomas Horne (d 1471)
I didn't recognise the arms on the kneelers in St. Edmund's chapel. so I went on a hunt for them. Turns out, they are the arms of St. Edmund's Hall at Oxford University.
The College of Arms has it thus:
Official blazon:
Or, a cross patonce between four sea-pies sable, winged argent.
Origin/meaning:
These arms are not officially granted.
The founder of this Hall is supposed to have been Edward (or Edmund) of Abingdon, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1233 to 1240. The arms used by the College are those attributed to the Archbishop. The birds are variously referred to as sea-pies, oyster-catchers or Cornish choughs.
LITTLESTONE
Littlestone is really just a suburb of New Romney these days, and mostly residential. There's some beautiful houses and a links golf course. It was established in the 1880s as a resort for the gentry, and is a picture of Edwardian and Victorian villas
Curious clock on the side of this house, which stands next to the beautifully converted water tower. This Grade II listed edifice was built in 1890 by Henry Tubbs to supply water to his proposed housing development and his golf club. It is now a residence. Originally it was designed to be embellished with four clock faces, which never materialised. Perhaps the lack of them is what inspired the curious timepiece on the house next door.
At low tide, a World War II Mulberry Harbour Phoenix breakwater is visible along the coast; the caisson was unable to be re-floated as part of the post D-Day harbour construction in Normandy, so was abandoned.
The nature of the Phoenix breakwaters meant they were constructed and sunk until needed (so as to be invisible to air attack); by design they would have had the water evacuated by Royal Engineers and then been towed to France where they would have become part of the harbour.
When the tide goes out along this stretch of coast, it really goes out, leaving behind a flat stretch of muddy sand. It's known as the Varne. This picture is taken just as the water starts to leech back over the Varne sandbank. In the distance, is Dungeness, with its' nuclear power station and the Old Lighthouse.
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LOST VILLAGES OF ROMNEY MARSH
.....or more correctly, Romney Marshes because the area known generically as Romney Marsh, actually comprises 3 enclosed and drained, or 'inned', marsh areas - Romney Marsh, Walland Marsh and Denge Marsh, each enclosed by 'walls' of raised ground, such as the Rhee Wall, which enabled the enclosed ground to be drained.
The enclosed ground is very fertile, and from Roman times, has been heavily farmed, both as arable land, and more famously, for sheep breeding.
Over the centuries, the small towns along the coast, such as Hythe, New Romney and Lydd have thrived reasonably well, whilst further inland the Marsh has suffered from severe depopulation for one reason and another.
The former parishes are named on old tithe maps, which show that they were abandoned in the late-Middle Ages. The ruins are now protected as Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
The main reason for the decline of local settlements at that time was the Black Death. Add to that the problem of malaria as well as other water borne diseases which made the Marsh a hostile place to live. Mortality rates on the Marsh were twice as high as in villages just a few miles away.
This has resulted in several lost parishes, which I aim to photograph and describe here, over the period of this summer. Most visitors and incomers to this area will not recognise the names of them, but true locals will know them, and know where evidence can still be found.
I know the location of nearly all of them, but have yet to photograph them all (Good excuse to ride my bike)
Blackmanstone
Broomhill
Dengemarsh
Eastbridge
Fairfield
Fawkenhurst
Galloways
Hope All Saints
Jesson
Midley
Orgarswick
Snave
BLACKMANSTONE
Over the centuries, the small towns along the coast, such as Hythe, New Romney and Lydd have thrived reasonably well, whilst further inland the Marsh has suffered from severe depopulation for one reason and another.
The former parishes are named on old tithe maps, which show that they were abandoned in the late-Middle Ages. The ruins are now protected as Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
The main reason for the decline of local settlements at that time was the Black Death. Add to that the problem of malaria as well as other water borne diseases which made the Marsh a hostile place to live. Mortality rates on the Marsh were twice as high as in villages just a few miles away.
This has resulted in several lost parishes, which I aim to photograph and describe here, over the period of this summer. Most visitors and incomers to this area will not recognise the names of them, but true locals will know them, and know where evidence can still be found.
I know the location of nearly all of them, but have yet to photograph them all (Good excuse to ride my bike)
Blackmanstone
Broomhill
Dengemarsh
Eastbridge
Fairfield
Fawkenhurst
Galloways
Hope All Saints
Jesson
Midley
Orgarswick
Snave
BLACKMANSTONE
(Blaecman's farmstead - that's either a person's name, or it may have been the farmstead of a man nicknamed for his black or dark visage)
The only reference I know as to its' location, is Hasted, who describes it thus.......
'It is very small, having no house within it. The court-lodge has been down for many years, a looker's hut being all that remains on the scite of it. The church was situated close on the other side of the road to it, of which there are only two or three stones remaining. The lands of it are mostly marsh, some of which are ploughed up, and the whole of it much the same as that of Orgarswike, last-described.'
It lies to the north of St. Mary In The Marsh...........and I hope to photograph the tiny bit that is left soon.
BROOMHILL
The only reference I know as to its' location, is Hasted, who describes it thus.......
'It is very small, having no house within it. The court-lodge has been down for many years, a looker's hut being all that remains on the scite of it. The church was situated close on the other side of the road to it, of which there are only two or three stones remaining. The lands of it are mostly marsh, some of which are ploughed up, and the whole of it much the same as that of Orgarswike, last-described.'
It lies to the north of St. Mary In The Marsh...........and I hope to photograph the tiny bit that is left soon.
BROOMHILL
Broomhill, or Bromehill, used to lie in the area of the current Lydd Army Ranges, located on an island on a spit of land on the western edge of the Walland Marsh.
In 1287, a severe storm hit the channel, and the movement of shingle blocked the outlet of the River Rother at Romney, changing its path forever down to Rye. Bromehill and Old Winchelsea were swept away.
Surprisingly, the decayed remains of the church are shown on a map produced by John Norden in 1595.
The village was never rebuilt after the storm.
Broomhill is just a scatter of stones near an abandoned farm house. It was excavated in the 1980's and was estimated to have been built in 1200AD on the newly drained Walland Marsh.
In 1287, a severe storm hit the channel, and the movement of shingle blocked the outlet of the River Rother at Romney, changing its path forever down to Rye. Bromehill and Old Winchelsea were swept away.
Surprisingly, the decayed remains of the church are shown on a map produced by John Norden in 1595.
The village was never rebuilt after the storm.
Broomhill is just a scatter of stones near an abandoned farm house. It was excavated in the 1980's and was estimated to have been built in 1200AD on the newly drained Walland Marsh.
Still not been able to exactly pinpoint it, but....................
DENGEMARSH
DENGEMARSH
(marshland belonging to Denge. Alternatively it was known as Dunge Marsh)
Just south of Lydd. Closed when Lydd army ranges were started during WWII.
EASTBRIDGE
Just south of Lydd. Closed when Lydd army ranges were started during WWII.
EASTBRIDGE
Only the 13th century tower and part of the 12th century nave of the church remains, somewhat dilapidated and ivy-covered. It lies in the same general area as Orgarswick. The manor of Eastbridge once belonged to Godwin, Earl of Kent, but after the Norman conquest, it passed to Hugh de Montfort. After the dissolution, it passed to the King, and then, after several centuries of familial change, it was bequeathed to Anne Roper, who has done a lot of research into the history of the Marshes. If I'm looking for information, it's to her book 'Romney Marsh - The Gift Of The Sea' that I invariably turn to.
FAIRFIELD
A lot of people may know this one, due to the curious location of its' church in a deserted part of Walland Marsh, down a narrow lane that goes from the canal bridge in Appledore to the bend by Jo's cafe on the A259 in Brookland
The Church of St. Thomas Becket, stands in the middle of a field, and until the surrounding marsh drainage was improved, at times could only be approached by boat.
A service is still held there on the 1st. Sunday in every month. The tiny lane that leads to Fairfield, is probably one of the walls that 'inned' the Walland Marsh. There are a whole host of legends surrounding it (as well as sheep!), mostly because it doesn't have a village.
The church has been encased in brick to protect and preserve it. It is kept locked because of its isolated location, but there is a notice stating where the key is.
FAWKENHURST
I need more research here. One source has it on the army ranges, west of Dungeness, now just a stone cross on a stepped plinth. Anne Roper, however, has it somewhere near the top of Knoll Hill in Aldington. True, there is a house called 'Falconhurst' there, but I'm not sure which source is correct, and neither is in a place I can easily visit.
GALLOWAYS
Just south of Lydd. Closed when Lydd Army ranges were started.
HOPE
(piece of enclosed marshland. Latterly becoming Hope All Saints)
The ruins of the church of All Saints is all that remains of Hope, and indeed, the ruins are now simply known as Hope All Saints. They lie down the lane which runs from New Romney to Ivychurch.
It dates from the 12th century and has been abandoned since the 17th century. Years later it became a favourite for the smugglers.
Romney Marsh at one time held 23 manors. Although never a village, the manor of Craythorne lay within the boundaries of Hope. wherein there was a moated manorhouse and a manorial chapel. All traces of Craythorne have now gone.
JESSON
(derived from Jesson's farm i.e. Geffrey's farmstead)
I bet you've been through Jesson! But you wouldn't have realised it.
It's not that it has completely disappeared, it's just that it is now called St. Mary's Bay!
It was likely named after Jesson Farm, built around 1820, in what is now Jefferstone Lane. The name Jesson was changed to St. Mary's Bay on 12 October 1935.
MIDLEY
Midley was built on what was then an island between Lydd and Romney - probably the 'middle isle', possibly on the banks of the original course of the Rother. The west wall of the 15th century church remains standing. It was deserted by the 16th century. Just one wall of the church remains, in a field, hidden down a tiny lane between Old Romney and Lydd.
The remains of the later 15th century church at Midley survive only partially
but to an impressive height of 8 metres at the west end. The upstanding walls
and ground-plan of this church are of great architectural and historical
importance because the church demonstrates a very rare and early use of brick
for building in the region. The site is lent additional importance by the
high archaeological potential of the land around the surviving remains, both
for the earlier church buildings considered to survive as foundations below
the present structure (Domesday Book refers to a church at Midelea) and for
its adjoining graveyard in which bone is well preserved. From these
archaeological contexts can be expected evidence of the disastrous floods in
ca. 1287 (eg. changes in the death rate, evidence of depopulation, flood
damage to the church itself). These were the same floods in which Old
Winchelsea perished and which precipitated dramatic changes in the development
of the region for which little evidence survives, relevant contexts having
been either submerged by the sea or altered in more recent times.
but to an impressive height of 8 metres at the west end. The upstanding walls
and ground-plan of this church are of great architectural and historical
importance because the church demonstrates a very rare and early use of brick
for building in the region. The site is lent additional importance by the
high archaeological potential of the land around the surviving remains, both
for the earlier church buildings considered to survive as foundations below
the present structure (Domesday Book refers to a church at Midelea) and for
its adjoining graveyard in which bone is well preserved. From these
archaeological contexts can be expected evidence of the disastrous floods in
ca. 1287 (eg. changes in the death rate, evidence of depopulation, flood
damage to the church itself). These were the same floods in which Old
Winchelsea perished and which precipitated dramatic changes in the development
of the region for which little evidence survives, relevant contexts having
been either submerged by the sea or altered in more recent times.
During WWII there was an RAF airfield here.
ORGARSWICK
(Ordgar's farm. The name also appears associated with the church that stood at a little distance from the farm)
The church was abandoned many centuries ago and no trace remains. The site is marked by a stone cross near Chapel Cottage Farm a few miles north west of Dymchurch.
At one time, Orgarswick was a 'rotten borough', entitled to send 2 members to parliament.
SNAVE
(name possibly derived from the local name for the stream on which Snave lies. - Old English Snaefe)
The hamlet still exists, but the church is a recently 'lost' parish. It lies just off the A256 between Ham Street and Brenzett.
The church, dedicated to St. Augustine, is one of the more remote churches on Romney Marsh. It is very small, and lies at the end of a grass track.
It mostly dates from the 13th. Century, but the upper part of the tower is a later addition. There are 14 buttresses to combat the constant problem of subsidence.
Sadly, it was declared redundant, and its upkeep and maintenance were placed in the care of the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust in 1984.
At one time it was used as an indoor short mat bowling rink.
In Spring it is surrounded by hundreds of daffodils.
Again, see the Kent1 page for more info
*******************************************************************************
NEW ROMNEY
(the replacement port for Romney as the sea receded. The original Romney, now called Old Romney, lies some 2 miles from the sea)
New Romney is the largest town in Romney Marsh, with a population around 7,000. It was one of the medieval Cinque Ports, a league of coastal towns granted special privileges by the crown in return for providing coastal defences against foreign invasion. That is, until the river Rother changed course, and the port silted up.
The town began sometime before the 8th century as a fishing settlement on the bank of the River Rother. There is a written record from AD 914 describing a channel to the sea known as Rumensea. The name of the channel was later used to describe the settlement itself.
The loss of New Romney's harbour meant that its importance as a Cinque Port town diminished in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Built in the mid 12th century, the nave retains its original low Norman arcades with alternating round and octagonal Caen stone piers. By contrast, the grand 14th century east end is spacious and light with tall, slim piers of Kentish rag stone and three magnificent reticulated tracery windows.
the tomb of Richard Stuppenye, a jurat of New Romney who died in 1526
The carved door surround of the Norman west door was restored in 2013 to reveal the beauty of the golden Caen stone.
Directly opposite the church is the beautiful Burma Star Memorial Garden.
These apparently, are proverbial sheep
some research, and it would appear to be the remains of the Priory of John The Baptist, which was a 13th. century Cistercian monastic grange.
NEWENDEN
(At the new woodland pasture)
The River Rother here forms the boundary between Kent and Sussex. Once navigable from the sea to here, it was a very busy port. That shows in the fact that at one time, this little village had 16 pubs! Today, only the White Hart still serves the small community
Newenden was once one of only two villages in Kent with the right to hold a market. There was a pre-Roman hillfort near the current village, but the earliest reference to Newenden is in AD 791 when King Offa of Mercia granted the manor to the monks of Christchurch Priory in Canterbury. Much later, in 1242, the first Carmelite priory in England was established just east of the current village at Lossenham. No trace of that monastery now remains, but what does remain is the wonderfully carved font in the parish church of St Peter. The font is probably late Saxon, and it is carved with intricate designs of mythical beasts, lions, plants, and floral symbols. The village is the first, or last village in Kent - depending which direction you're travelling from. Close to the humpbacked bridge over the river, the pretty little church stands on a rise next to the road
The Saxon font
ORLESTONE (Ham Street)
(Ordlaf's farmstead)
See the article on Ham Street on the Kent 1 page. Ham Street was simply that - a street in the village of Orlestone. As the village moved away from its church, more often than not, it came to be just known as Ham Street.
However, the pretty little church remains, up a narrow dead-end lane at some distance from the village.
The churchyard is beautifully kept and there's a sweet flower garden in the car park.
Unfortunately, I could only access the porch today, as the church itself was locked,
Beautiful hand-made swan basket filled with flowers in the porch
RAMSGATE
A 'gate' as in Ramsgate, and Margate, is a gap in the cliffs. In this case, the gap is named for some ancient person, whose name I can't translate into readable modern English)
Today, after I had completed a tour of the old part of Margate, and because I had to pass Ramsgate on my way home, I popped down to the Royal Harbour, because there were a couple of unusual vessels in. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get close to them.
The first one is the Dutch owned 'Morgenster'. She calls in at either Dover or Ramsgate almost annually. The Morgenster (Morning Star in Dutch) is a sail training ship based in the Netherlands. She was built, as a herring lugger under the name 'De Vrouw Maria', in 1919. In 1927, she was lengthened by 7 metres (23 ft) and converted into a motor fishing vessel. She was renamed Morgenster in 1959 and continued to be used as a fishing vessel until 1970. After a period of use for sport fishing and in the pirate radio business, she was acquired by her current owners for conversion back to a sailing vessel in 1983. She made her maiden voyage as a sail training ship in 2008, having been refitted as a brig.
The Galeón AndalucÃa is a replica of the type of vessel used by the Spanish Crown for maritime expeditions from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Built in 2009, El Galeón is a tall ship unlike any other – a floating museum with over 3,400 square feet of deck space filled with exhibits for visitors to explore. Galleons were intended to discover and then establish trade routes between Spain, America and the Philippines islands, and formed the then called Fleet of the Indies.
With an innovative design at the time, galleons were armed merchant vessels with tonnages ranging from 500 to 1,200, whereas their lengths-over-all would range from 130 to 200 feet. They were designed to cross the largest oceans as efficiently as possible. For three centuries, these Spanish galleons crossed the Atlantic Ocean back and forth, sailed around the Caribbean Sea and the American coasts, and covered the Pacific route as well. They carried plenty of seamen, merchant traders and settlers, while their holds bore the fabulous loads resulting from American and Asian trade.
With an innovative design at the time, galleons were armed merchant vessels with tonnages ranging from 500 to 1,200, whereas their lengths-over-all would range from 130 to 200 feet. They were designed to cross the largest oceans as efficiently as possible. For three centuries, these Spanish galleons crossed the Atlantic Ocean back and forth, sailed around the Caribbean Sea and the American coasts, and covered the Pacific route as well. They carried plenty of seamen, merchant traders and settlers, while their holds bore the fabulous loads resulting from American and Asian trade.
As well as these two guests, Ramsgate has its' own showpiece. The ST Cervia is currently undergoing restoration as a steam museum. She was built in 1946 as a seagoing tug for use as a fleet auxiliary by Alexandra Hall & Company Ltd of Aberdeen, Scotland.
As Ramsgate has the only Royal harbour in Great Britain, let's start here:
Below is the time ball pole. The ball is hoisted up to the top and dropped at precisely 1 o'clock, to give the ships out at sea a way to accurately set their chronometers.
The board here is to remind sailors of the difference in time between Greenwich and Ramsgate. Before Greenwich Mean Time was established as a reliable measure of time, if you were a sailor on England's south coast you set your chronometer by the clock atop Ramsgate's Old Clock House tower. Ramsgate Mean Time was a commonly used reference for south coast captains prior to Greenwich becoming a new standard in the 1840s.
Although Ramsgate Mean Time is no longer observed, the clock still shows its face to the world, and to the myriad of ships and pleasure craft that crowd the harbour.
The Clock House is now a maritime museum, bursting with memorabilia of Ramsgate's seafaring heritage. Outside the museum is a moving memorial to the pilots who perished during Operation Fuller, 'The Channel Dash', a vain attempt to stop German boats leaving Brest harbour during World War II.
There is a very similar memorial to Operation Fuller on the seafront in Dover
You know, charities, organisations, even councils, spend a lot of money of these bespoke monuments, and then just leave them to deteriorate until they become largely unreadable, It feels almost like an insult to those that they represent. Maybe there should be some sort of national monument cleaning operation
In WWII, Ramsgate acted as the main port for the rescue of soldiers from Dunkirk. The harbour was the main assembly point for the build-up of 'little ships' needed for Operation Dynamo. Once the evacuation was underway, 4,200 ships sailed from the harbour to rescue the troops. 80,000 men were brought back to safety in Ramsgate, and a further 46,722 were landed in Margate.
The Royal Sailors' Rest Hotel
The mariners' pub has a row of ships' propellers all round it
The lovely brick arches which were home to ship's chandlers, but now are mostly cafes and bars, are interspersed with these medallions. Some show the Invicta horse of Kent, and others bear the Cinque Port arms
With Ramsgate being home to some of the 'Little Ships' that sailed to Dunkirk, part of the Royal Harbour has been set aside for Historic Vessels. This is 'Starbuck', which was armed with machine guns during WWII and escorted convoys to Egypt
Tucked away next to the 'Jacob's Ladder' stairway from the town down to the harbour, is the Sailor's church
This is the harbour-side home for 'smack boys'. Smack Boys were sort of apprentices on the fishing boats.
The sailor's home could do with a little TLC, I think.
A memorial plaque on the wall of the sailor's church.
And finally............an old picture from the 1980s of the entrance to the Royal Harbour
And so to the rest of the town..............
The Obelisk stands in the middle of the pedestrianised area at one end of the harbour. It was erected to commemorate King George IV sailing to Hanover from there, and returning to the same place.
This is the Royal Victoria Pavilion, now a Wetherspoon's pub.
The steps above were designed by Augustus Pugin, and no two of the tiled risers are the same (before you ask, there's 31 of the b*ggers!)
The domed building is the disused lift down to the beach. Not sure what the chimney stacks serve.
That Marx man again. I've lost count of how many times we've come across him in different towns. He seemed unable to settle anywhere. This time, however, he had cause, as his daughter Jenny lived there.
When we were younger, these gardens were full of flowers, with little pools of trickling water and small waterfalls. It's so sad to see them now neglected
World War I memorial
This hill is Madeira Drive, and in 1905, a tram was making its' usual run down the hill, when it slipped off the line, crashed through the railings and dropped over the 30ft. cliff edge. Amazingly, there were no serious injuries
These gates close off the High Street to traffic
The Kent Invicta horse is found all over Ramsgate
The Littlers were big time impressarios in the theatre in the first half of the 20th. century
The Crown has been a pub since 1853. It is now a community-run pub, and still very popular, I believe.
Ramsgate seems to have more than its' fair share of blue plaques, but looking at the houses, they once used to be quite upmarket, and Queen Victoria came to stay!
Sambourne was illustrator for Punch magazine for over 40 years
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright known especially for The Woman in White (1859), a mystery novel and early "sensation novel", and for The Moonstone (1868), which established many of the ground rules of the modern detective novel and is also perhaps the earliest clear example of the police procedural genre.
I hadn't realised until today, that Van Gogh lived and worked in Kent. He lived in a house fronting onto lovely gardens, and worked in a house on the other side of the square. So where better to place his statue than in the middle?
This one caught my eye, for one thing it was in a window, not a plaque affixed to wall, and for another, it's not so much for a person of fame, but rather for a local person who did good works. There are tunnels under the cliffs at the far end of Ramsgate, that were originally constructed for a railway to travel between the harbour and the mainline station.
On 24 August 1940, 500 German bombs were dropped on Ramsgate in just five minutes. Despite the heavy bombardment, the deep shelters saved lives and as a consequence only 29 civilians and two soldiers were lost. The bombardment on 24 August 1940 destroyed roughly 1,200 homes and, as a result of homelessness, roughly 300 families took to living in the tunnels on a permanent basis.
The tunnels became a subterranean town with shops, barbers, canteens, concerts and even an underground hospital.
The tunnels became a subterranean town with shops, barbers, canteens, concerts and even an underground hospital.
Obviously Marjorie Moses was a stalwart worker i the canteen, feeding all those needy people
In this part of the town, the most striking buildings are those designed by Pugin, who was also renowned for the Gothic architecture of the tower that holds Big Ben, amongst other edifices.
Here, he built his own house - 'The Grange', St. Augustine's Benedictine Abbey, and the church wherein resides the Shrine of Saint Augustine, and his own tomb.
The Benedictine Abbey and Monastery.
On the left, the Stations Of The Cross. The tiles on the floor are by Minton. This is the only church that Pugin designed and paid for himself. That meant that he could carry out his designs as he thought they should be done, rather than having a patron request particular features.
These are three Saxon Queens, who were also Christians. They wear the black of the Benedictine Order. The one on the right is Saint Mildred, but I'm not sure who the other two are.
It proved to be very difficult to photograph anything glass-fronted, when you have limited equipment, and cannot use flash. However, this is the reliquary of three notable saints. In the middle is Saint Augustine, to the left is Saint Gregory, and on the right is Saint Lawrence. Augustine is revered as the man who brought Christianity to these islands and who became the first archbishop of Canterbury. Gregory was the pope who sent Augustine here, and later, sent Lawrence here to become the second Archbishop of Canterbury
Don't think I need to explain who Darwin was, do I?
SNARGATE
(a gate where snares are set. - the snares probably meaning the sluice gates which controlled the flow of water in the river Limen)
The church stands down a country lane opposite the Red Lion pub. The pub itself dates from the 16th. century. It has been run by the same family since 1911, and has not been redecorated since 1890. Hence its Grade II listing.
This is a tiny pub with an antique marble bar top and bare wooden floor
St Dunstan was built in the late 12th century with just a chancel and nave, the north and south aisles being added a little later. In the 14th century a spacious east end was created.
and another church with a mosaic.
The Rev. Richard Harris Barham, author of the humorous tales The Ingoldsby Legends, was vicar of St Dunstan, from 1817 to 1829..
STONE-CUM-EBONY
( Stone - literally 'at the stone'. A meeting place or boundary marker. In this case, the name means 'Stone with Ebony' - Ebony being a village in the Oxney Hundred. So the stone in question was probably marking the boundary between the two villages)
A book I was reading reckoned that the church and surrounds of Stone-In-Oxney was worth visiting. Although I'd never been there, I know where the Isle of Oxney lies, so I was sure I could just follow the signs for it.
Oh dear, it's small wonder foreign tourists get lost in this strange country of ours.
So I left Appledore heading towards the Isle of Oxney. Of course, it was an island once, but since the draining of the marshes etc., it is no more.
I don't see any signposts for Stone-in-Oxney, but I do come across a few with just 'Stone' written on them. I figure they must just be saving the cost of bigger signs, and that it's where I'm heading for.
Didn't think I'd find Stone-in-Oxney .........but that's because the village actually lies within the parish of Stone-Cum-Ebony! This confusion is why the signs just say Stone.............
It's a pretty church, surrounded by some lovely tudor houses.
commemorative shrubbery planted in honour of the Festival of Britain in 1951
The church is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin.
lovely Tudor house skirting the churchyard
This is a Roman Mithraic altar, that was being used as a horse mounting block at the nearby Ferry Inn
Until the nineteenth century the north chapel, separated from the church by a medieval screen, was the village school.
WYE
I can remember when Wye was a town, resplendent with mayor and town council. Now it has been reduced to a village, under the umbrella of Ashford Borough Council. The name comes from the Old English word, meaning 'shrine' or 'idol'.
Wye has held a lot of history, from Anglo-Saxon times right through to today. I won't cover any of it in depth, until I can supply the relevant photographs. However, the periods that are of most interest to me, are the Civil War era, and the history of Wye College.
A 1648 Civil War skirmish
involving roundheads and cavaliers took place at the entrance to Wye Court on
Olantigh Road. Accounts identify four casualties of the encounter being
buried at Wye, and three others killed.
There is also a familial connection to Sir Richard Grevile, (also known as Grenville,) If you're not familiar with the Grevile family saga, it is well-documented in history books and on Wikipedia. However, if you prefer your history in novel format, may I recommend Daphne du Maurier's book 'The King's General' ,very loosely based on the story of Richard Grevile, and a rollicking piece of literature!
Wye college has a long history. It was founded in 1447 as a chantry by Cardinal Kempe. From 1627, a grammar and charity school operated from the premises. In 1894 the buildings re-opened as the South Eastern Agricultural College, offering University of London degrees from 1898, and in 1948 incorporated as Wye College. It merged with Imperial College in 2000 but the campus was progressively closed between 2005 and 2009.
Hop varieties including Wye Challenger were bred at Wye College and named for the village.
Wye's church, the church of St. Gregory & St. Martin, stands within its' churchyard, in the middle of the village. I will not say too much of its' history, until I can go inside and have a look round. Meanwhile, here is a picture of the exterior to whet your appetite
On the wall of the churchyard, I found this blue plaque.
I've not discovered why these two men were executed here, as neither were residents of Wye, and most heretics were burnt at Martyr's Field, in Wincheap, just outside the city walls of Canterbury, but from the notes in Foxe's 'Book of Martyrs', (page shown here), I feel they were burnt at Wye rather than Canterbury, as a warning to others in the area, and then two more at Ashford. This would make sense, as both Wye and Ashford were major market towns at the time.
However, the evidence is supported by the discovery in 1958 of charred human bones when water pipes were being laid just outside the church gates. The churchwarden's accounts for the period, record the ominous purchase of 100 faggots of wood (although there is no official record of the reason)
So, for now, the rest of the history of Wye, will have to wait for another time
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