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East Guldeford
East Guldeford is situated on Guldeford Level, the area of the Marsh that lies within East Sussex. There are only a few houses here. The church, a barn-like brick building in the middle of a field, was put up in 1505 by Sir Richard Guldeford and is dedicated to St. Mary. It is unusual in having twin roofs, with a small bell-cote between them. Inside is a simple hall. Unlike the other Marsh churches which belong to the diocese of Canterbury, East Guldeford church is part of Chichester diocese.
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St. Mary's Church
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Fairfield|
There is no village here, just this tiny 15th century church, one of the smallest in England, in the middle of a field. According to legend it was built by a grateful Archbishop of Canterbury who fell into a ditch while crossing the Marsh and was rescued after praying to St. Thomas Becket. It has an unusual three-decker pulpit. Until quite recently this area was prone to flooding, and often the church could only be reached by boat. A grass causeway was built in 1913.
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 Church of St. Thomas Becket Photograph by Susan M. Johns |
Greatstone|
Before the sea receded Greatstone marked the southern shore of the entrance to Romney harbour. Like Camber, it has extensive sand dunes covered with marram grass. It lies at the centre of the residential development which stretches along the coast from Littlestone to Lydd-on-Sea.
In 1937 the Southern Railway opened a station here on its New Romney branch, but the line closed in 1967. There is still a Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway station serving "Romney Sands" holiday camp. Nearby can be seen the concrete remains of the experimental sound reflectors put up by the War Department during the 1930s. Also at Greatstone is "The Jolly Fisherman" pub. For more information, join the New Romney Tour at Greatstone on this web site.
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The Jolly Fisherman
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Hope All Saints
Ivychurch
The name Ivychurch is Saxon in origin and means "The church on the island in the waters". The impressive church was built in a single decade between 1360 and 1370 and is one of the longest village churches in England. In the south aisle is a "hudd", a portable wooden shelter which could be used by the minister during burials. Like many of the Marsh churches, it was used as a hiding place for smuggled goods. Next door is the village pub, "The Bell".
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Approach to Ivychurch
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Lade
Littlestone|
Before the sea receded Littlestone marked the northern shore of the entrance to Romney harbour. Major development of the coastal resort began in 1886, mainly by the entrepreneur Henry Tubbs, who had ambitious plans for Littlestone. His achievements included the Golf Club, the Water Tower, the Grand Hotel (now destroyed), Marine Parade, and the Jubillee Water Fountain. For a while Littlestone became quite fashionable. During the 20th century expansion has continued with extensive residential development.
For more information, see the New Romney Tour on this web site. |
The Mulberry Harbour off Littlestone sea front
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Lydd|
Lydd is one of the larger towns on the Marsh and once had Borough status. It was originally an island, separated from Romney by the Rother estuary. Its 8th century Saxon name "Hlydda" derives from the Latin word "littus", meaning shore. By the 13th century it had become a Corporate Member of the Cinque Ports. However, the sea has long since receded as a result of natural processes and land reclamation.
The church, the longest and one of the tallest in Kent, is known as the "Cathedral of the Marsh". It was largely rebuilt in the 13th century, though there are still traces of its Saxon origins. The 132 ft tower is 15th century and was possibly raised to its present height by Cardinal Wolsey when Rector of Lydd. The East End was destroyed by bombing in World War II but has been painstakingly restored. South-west of the town is the large military training camp and firing ranges. It was set up in 1881, with the first permanent buildings erected in 1906. The explosive "Lyddite" was first tested here in 1888. The South Eastern Railway branch line from Appledore was opened in 1881. It was later extended to New Romney. Lydd (later Lydd Town) was the principal station on the line, with a large goods yard and, for a while, a siding to the military camp. The line closed to passengers in 1967, but is still used to transport nuclear waste from Dungeness Power Station. To the north-east is Lydd Airport, opened in 1954 and the first in the world to be designed for transporting motor vehicles. Its heyday was in the 1960s, but it lost custom to the cross-channel ferries and is now used mainly for private, light commercial and training flights only. However, there is now again a daily scheduled service to Le Touquet.
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All Saints Church
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Lydd-on-Sea
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