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Churches of the Romney Marsh

(vero;2024-Dec-16)

The Romney Marsh is a wetland area (100 square miles / 260 km2) located in Kent with just a bit of its western end in East Sussex. It is bordered in the north by the Royal Military Canal (built in 1805 as a defence against a possible invasion by the Napoleonic army) which follows the old cliff line between Seabrook near Folkestone and Cliff Ends near Hastings for 28 miles (45 km). The region has a rich history and played an important role in the medieval time. Located along the shore where the English Channel is at its narrowest, its coastal towns were of strategic importance in case of an invasion from the continent and were part of the Cinque Ports. However by the 16th century they had lost their significance due to the silting of their harbours and the withdrawal of the sea.

The region is now sparsely populated and thrives on tourism. Its flat landscape crisscrossed by rivers and channels, its picturesque villages and historic churches make it an ideal destination for slow tourism (not forgetting the famous Romney sheep dotting the marsh). We made the trip to Dungeness. This headland, a national nature reserve, is home to a nuclear power station and is skirted by a long shingle beach. The whole was quite bleak and gave us a feeling of end of the world.

We recommend this website if you want to learn about the churches and plan a visit.

Map of the Romney Marsh. The churches we visited are framed in blue, red frames are for the old Cinque Ports. Map data ©2024 Google.

East Guldeford: St Mary Church. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

St Mary in East Guldeford. Built by Sir Richard de Guldeford, and consecrated in September 1505, the church is unusual in that it is constructed of brick. It is also the only one of the Marsh churches in Sussex.

St Mary in East Guldeford: this church boasts in the chancel a 19th century painted frieze of angels illustrating the Six Days of Creation.

Fairfield: the very picturesque church of St Thomas Becket. This church is locked and the key can be found hanging on the right-hand gatepost of the driveway to Becket House (the house nearest to the church in the Appledore direction). We found the church locked when we arrived and the key was with some other visitors who had not returned it yet, so we missed its interior which was quite disappointing. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

St Thomas Becket in Fairfield. The church sits alone next to a water-filled dyke and is visible from a great distance across fields and grassland. Until the 1960s it was often cut off by winter flooding when it could only be reached by boat.

Brookland: Saint Augustine Church. It features a detached wooden bell tower, something unique for the Marsh churches. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

St Augustine in Brookland. Note the medieval wall painting of the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in the southeast chapel on the left of the picture.

St Augustine in Brookland. Close-up of the medieval wall painting of the murder of Thomas Becket.

St Augustine in Brookland. The tower was built in the late 13th century as an open structure. It was doubled in height to its present 18m and clad with shingles in the 15th century.

St Augustine in Brookland. Close-up of the shingles of the bell tower.

Brenzett: St Eanswith. It is one of the smallest churches on Romney Marsh. It is dedicated to a 7th century princess who founded a nunnery at Folkstone in 630. However, nothing remains of a Saxon building, the present church having been commenced in the late twelfth century. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

St Eanswith in Brenzett. A tombstone in the churchyard.

St Eanswith in Brenzett. Tomb of John Fagge (a captain of the local militia, died 1639) and his son (died 1646) inside the Lady Chapel. It inspired Edith Nesbit's ghost story, Man-Size in Marble.

Snave: St Augustine. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

St Augustine in Snave. The church dates from the late 13th century and has been declared redundant in 1983, which means that it is no longer used for worship. Its churchyard is famous for its carpet of daffodils in the spring.

Lydd: All Saints also known as the cathedral of the Marsh. It is the longest (61m) of the Romney Marsh churches and quite impressive for such a small town. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

All Saints in Lydd. Its tower dates from the 15th century and is 40m tall.

All Saints in Lydd. Inside view of the church with its 15th century roof.

Saint Mary in the Marsh: St Mary the Virgin. A picturesque mid-12th century church set upon a mound above the level of winter flooding as it would have been in the past. The writer Edith Nesbit is buried in its churchyard. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

St Mary the Virgin in Saint Mary in the Marsh. The aisles were added in the 13th century to accommodate an increasing number of guild and chantry altars.

St Mary the Virgin in Saint Mary in the Marsh. A carved stone corbel.

St Mary the Virgin in Saint Mary in the Marsh. A stained-glass window.

Ivychurch: St George. The church was built under the patronage of the archbishops of Canterbury. With a length of 40.5m, it reflects the prestige of the archbishops rather than the size of the parish which was and is still rather small. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

Snargate: St Dunstan. The church 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. Follow this link for a pdf self-guiding tour and an audio-guide.

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