For the Love of the British Isles: WITTERSHAM

Wittersham lies between Tenterden and Rye, just on the edge of the Isle of Oxney.

The village has a long history; the village sign having the image of a Danish longship incorporated into the design. It is believed that the Danes occupied an area of the Isle of Oxney in AD 892 as it offered a vantage point to observe the troops of Alfred the Great were camped at nearby Newenden.

In 1032, the manor of Wittersham was given, with the consent of King Canute, to the church of Christ, Canterbury. Later it was assigned by licence to the Master and Fellows of All Saints College, Maidstone.

In the village there is an attractive 13th century church – St John the Baptist.

The Ewe & Lamb, once a traditional pub, is now a private residence, next to the oast house across the road from its' sign. There is more history about the pub on the Dover Kent Archive, here:

Ewe & Lamb, Wittersham

There was another pub, called The Swan, at the other end of the village, but that closed a few years ago and became a burger eatery. However, going past it yesterday, I see the building has had some restoration and is now renamed The Swan, and is up for sale, presumably as a public house again.

In the centre of the village, where the road to Rye joins the road to Peasmarsh and Beckley, is the War Memorial. This little triangle really is the centre of the village, as not only the war memorial, but the village sign, and that of the Ewe & Lamb stand here. The Peasmarsh Road also leads to the primary school and the parish church.

Opposite the triangle at the top of the road, is a charming little cottage.

The village is strung out along the B2082 for over a mile. Stocks Mill, on the B2082 is a fine example of a post mill, being built in 1781, the largest of its type in Kent. The white-weatherboarded mill is thought to have been moved from another site. Although the mill is no longer in production it is open to the public on Sunday afternoons in the Summer. I will try to get there soon.

However, the church of St. John the Baptist...........

Two beautifully carved gravestones stand just outside the west door of the church.

The west door

How to make good use of a defunct water stoup (next to the main door of the church)

Pretty stained glass in the door that separates the porch from the nave.

The simple war memorial in the church, which complements the large one in the village centre

Handsome tiles which surround the plinth of the font, and below, the beautifully carved font itself

I think this is the first hatchment I've come across bearing the royal arms of Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, dated 2002

Memorial to the fallen of the Second Small Disagreement (to quote 'Jon' - if you know, you know ;)

The Standards of the British Legion. Sorry the board is too indistinct to read.

Memorial to Alfred Lyttelton, athlete, lawyer and statesman. Former Secretary of State for the Colonies of the United Kingdom, he excelled at both football and cricket. He captained the Eton and Cambridge cricket elevens; for England he played cricket against Australia, and Association football against Scotland; he had five "blues" at Cambridge. On going down from the University he won fame as a tennis player, and was twelve times amateur champion. He was a first- class shot, both with gun and rifle. His death came very unexpectedly, after an injury in a local cricket match.

Rules and regulations pertaining to the setting up of the Free School of Wittersham in 1820 by Rev. William Cornwallis for the education of the poor boys of the parish.