St Mary in the Marsh

Last updated

St Mary in the Marsh
St Mary In The Marsh Church.jpg
The church of St Mary the Virgin, St Mary in the Marsh
Kent UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
St Mary in the Marsh
Location within Kent
Population2,819 (2011) [1]
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Romney Marsh
Postcode district TN29
Police Kent
Fire Kent
Ambulance South East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Kent
51°00′51″N0°56′33″E / 51.0142°N 0.9424°E / 51.0142; 0.9424 Coordinates: 51°00′51″N0°56′33″E / 51.0142°N 0.9424°E / 51.0142; 0.9424

St Mary in the Marsh is a village and civil parish near New Romney in Kent, England, situated in the heart of Romney Marsh in one of its least densely populated areas, with most local amenities available 3 miles away in New Romney or St Mary's Bay at 2 miles. The village centre consists of about forty homes, a few scattered farms and The Star Inn, along with the church of St Mary the Virgin and the St Marys Hut, now closed. St Mary's Bay is also in the parish. A group of villagers have established a charity "St Mary in the Marsh Project Fund" with the aim of building a new community hub.

Contents

History

It is probable that there was a Saxon church on the site originally known as "Siwold's Circe". This was superseded after the Norman invasion by a stone built church with a splendid three tier tower of Kentish ragstone. The oldest parts of the church date to about 1133 AD. The chancel was extended in about 1220 AD and the spire added around 1450 AD. Inside is a plaque commemorating Edith Nesbit, author of The Railway Children, who lived at St. Mary's Bay and is buried in the churchyard. There are many interesting features of the building which warrant a visit.

St Mary in the Marsh is surrounded by the stark beauty of the marshes and the open landscapes of rich farmland.

The grave of E. Nesbit, author of The Railway Children, in the churchyard of St Mary in the Marsh church E Nesbit's Grave - St Mary In The Marsh Churchyard.jpg
The grave of E. Nesbit, author of The Railway Children , in the churchyard of St Mary in the Marsh church


The playwright, actor and composer Noël Coward lived for a time in Star Cottage, next to the inn.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romney Marsh</span> Wetland in south-east England

Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 square miles (260 km2). The Marsh has been in use for centuries, though its inhabitants commonly suffered from malaria until the 18th century. Due to its location, geography and isolation, it was a smuggler's paradise between the 1600s and 1800s. The area has long been used for sheep pasture: Romney Marsh sheep are considered one of the most successful and important sheep breeds. Criss-crossed with numerous waterways, and with some areas lying below sea level, the Marsh has over time sustained a gradual level of reclamation, both through natural causes and by human intervention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Romney</span> Town in Kent, England

New Romney is a market town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh, an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to silt up. New Romney, one of the original Cinque Ports, was once a sea port, with the harbour adjacent to the church, but is now more than a mile from the sea. A mooring ring can still be seen in front of the church. It is the headquarters of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rye, East Sussex</span> Town in East Sussex, England

Rye is a small town and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England, two miles from the sea at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede. An important member of the mediaeval Cinque Ports confederation, it was at the head of an embayment of the English Channel, and almost entirely surrounded by the sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winchelsea</span> Town in East Sussex, England

Winchelsea is a small town in the county of East Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south west of Rye and 7 miles (11 km) north east of Hastings. The current town, which was founded in 1288, replaced an earlier town of the same name, known as Old Winchelsea, that was lost to coastal erosion in the late medieval period. Winchelsea is part of the civil parish of Icklesham.

Blockley is a village, civil parish and ecclesiastical parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Moreton-in-Marsh. Until 1931 Blockley was an exclave of Worcestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartfield</span> Village in East Sussex, England

Hartfield is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The parish also includes the settlements of Colemans Hatch, Hammerwood and Holtye, all lying on the northern edge of Ashdown Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnington</span> Human settlement in England

Bonnington is a dispersed village and civil parish on the northern edge of the Romney Marsh in Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is located eight miles (13 km) to the south of the town of Ashford on the B2067.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dymchurch</span> Human settlement in England

Dymchurch is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The village is located on the coast five miles (8 km) south-west of Hythe, and on the Romney Marsh.

Hastingleigh is a small civil parish centred on an escarpment of the Kent Downs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldington, Kent</span> Human settlement in England

Aldington is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village centre is eight miles (12 km) south-east of the town of Ashford. As with the village centre, set on a steep escarpment above agricultural Romney Marsh and the upper Stour is Aldington Knoll, which was used as a Roman burial barrow and later beacon, it has a panorama towards the English Channel and of low land such as Dungeness. At the 2021 Census the population included Bonnington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brookland, Kent</span> Human settlement in England

Brookland is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England, about 5 miles (8 km) west of New Romney. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 453, increasing to 479 at the 2011 Census. It is located on the A259 road in Romney Marsh and become popular with visitors heading to the Laughing Frog Teas Rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamstreet</span> Human settlement in England

Hamstreet is a village in Kent, in South East England.

Ruckinge is a village and civil parish in south Kent centred 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south of Ashford on the B2067 Hamstreet to Hythe road, with two settled neighbourhoods. It is, broadly defined, a narrow, fairly large rural parish of land which is about one quarter woodland.

Kenardington is a small clustered village and the centre of a relatively small rural civil parish of the same name, in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is centred 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Ashford on the B2067 Hamstreet to Tenterden road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corringham, Essex</span> Human settlement in England

Corringham is a town and former civil parish in Essex, England, located directly next to the town of Stanford-le-Hope, about 24 miles (39 km) east of London and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Basildon. Corringham lies on a hill overlooking the Thames between Canvey Island and Tilbury Fort. It is in the unitary authority of Thurrock, 6 miles (9.7 km) north-east of the administrative centre, Grays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Bay, Kent</span> Human settlement in England

St Mary's Bay, also known as The Bay, is a coastal village in Kent, England. Situated on Romney Marsh, St Mary's Bay has a long sandy beach which stretches north to Dymchurch and south to Littlestone-on-Sea. It has a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shefford Woodlands</span> Village in England

Shefford Woodlands is a village in West Berkshire, England, about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of the market town of Hungerford. The village is in the civil parish of Great Shefford, about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Great Shefford village. Shefford Woodlands is about 545 feet (166 m) above sea level in the Berkshire Downs, and just north of Junction 14 on the M4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Romney</span> Human settlement in England

Old Romney is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivychurch</span> Human settlement in England

Ivychurch is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The village is located on the Romney Marsh, three miles (4.8 km) north-west of New Romney. The parish council consists of five members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burmarsh</span> Human settlement in England

Burmarsh is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe District of Kent, England. The village is located three miles (4.8 km) west of Hythe on the Romney Marsh. The Burmarsh Road connects the village to the once fully operating Burmarsh Road train station. The closest major settlement is Folkestone which is a minimum of 9.5 mile car journey.

References

  1. "Parish population 2011" . Retrieved 5 October 2015.