Rye Castle Museum

by Brian Purdey

 Napoleonic Threat

An example of a very rare species arrived in the military district of Hastings and Rye in the early Spring of 1806 – a successful British General! In fact it is fair to say that at the time Sir Arthur Wellesley was the only really successful general officer that his country possessed and the posting to the coast of eastern Sussex of this phenomenon needs to be explained. Following the collapse of the Treaty of Amiens and resumption of hostilities with France, the southeast counties of England, and particularly Kent and Sussex, were once more in the front line facing a threatened invasion.

Coastal Defences around Rye and Hastings

In 1803 that great martial genius, Napoleon Bonaparte, soon to crown himself Emperor, had gathered a massive force ofd 130,000 men at Boulogne, together with 2,000 boats andthis Grand Army continued to grow throughout 1804. In Britain there waas some apprehension, though not the flight in panic of the population of the two counties described with such delight in the contemorary French press. Preparations for defence were undertaken, of course, and Bonaparte’s most implacable foe in Europe, William Pitt, Prime Minister and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, was personally involved in much of the detail, often from his official residence at Walmer Castle. The Royal Military Canal, “Mr. Pitt’s Ditch”, was dug, stretching eventually from Hythe to Cliff End, Pett, and Martello Towers were erected – but not withquite the speed that the situation seemed to demand, and naval and military volunteers were raised to support the regular forces of the Crown.

The Commander in Chief, the “Grand old Duke of York” , visited Hastings in August 1804 accompanied by Sir John Moore, officer commanding the troops based from Shorncliffe to Dungeness and they saw the main threat to be a landing between Dungerness and Beachy Head. An interesting change in the pattern of military deplymentstook place as a result of this view. Earlier invasion scares in the 1790′s had found the full time professional soldiery quartered further east andto the west of this area, around Canterbury and Brighton, but now the rapidly raised and less well trained militia that had previously guarded Rye and Hastings were replaced by regiments of regulars who had some knowledge of the business of war.

Wellesley’s Brigade

It is not surprising, therefore, that, even after Nelson’s comprehensive destruction of the bulk of the sea power of France and her allies at Trafalgar in October 1805, the government should dispatch a general with a proven record of vixtory in India to this crucial section of the coastline. Wellesley’s force, to which he was appointed on the 25th of February 1806, was a mere brigade, however, and many friends questioned how the general, having led “armies of 40,000 men in the field, having received the thanks of Parliament for his victories and having been made a Knight of the Bath, could submit to be reduced to the command of a brigade if infantry?” Sir Arthur’s answer was typical of the man. “For this plain reason, I am a nimmukwallah as we say in the east, that is have ate the King’s salt and therefore I conceive it to be my duty to serve with unhesitating zeal and cheerfulness, when and wherever, the King or his government may think proper to employ me”

 A monthly Army List from 1806 indicates that Wellesley’s brigade was a strong one consisting of well over 5,000 men and since it was neither sound generalship, nor indeed good common sense to place such a body of troops engaged upon coastal defence in one small town, the regiments were based at various locations throughout the area. 1,000 men were in purpose built barracks at Bexhill, another 1,100 were in temporary buildings in Battle, 2,000 were camped at Silverhill, Robertsbridge, 900 occupied newly erected barracks at Halton in Hastings and 350 were stationed at Rye and Playden. These figures changed as their commander redeployed his soldiers for training and other purposesand the late Kenneth Clarke recorded thattwo barracks sited on Rye Hill at one point housed 800 infantry with 168 cavalry and 80 infantry respectively.

It is interesting to note that Sir Arthur’s troops at Halton were fortunate to be stationed in brand new accommodation. The ancient and decayed barracks at Bopeep had obligingly burtn down due to a chimney fire in 1804 and replacements were provided at a cost of £8,541-10-2 in October 1805.

Marriage

Wellesley established his headquarters in a lodging house in the High Street, Hastings, opposite the fine old Swan Hotel. His time actually living there must have been brief, since crossing to Dublin, he married on the 10th April at St George’s church in that city, Catherine Sarah Dorothea, third daughter of the 2nd Baron Longford. On their return, he and his bride set up home at Hastings House, a grand Palladian mansion adjacent to All Saints Church – later demolished by developers in the 1860′s to be replaced by Old Humphrey Avenue.

While “Kitty” , the new Lady Wellesley, busied herself in making a comfortable domestic environment for her beloved Arthur, the general himself exercised his mind with the problems fo effective counter measures to possible invasion andfurther found time to read papers on “Rye inundations and the military virtues of Winchelsea ( Camber ) Castle”.

MP for Rye

Other matters occupied him too. Early in the month of his marriage, he had been returned as Borough Member of Parliament for Rye, not becuasehe felt a desire for prolonged triumphs in that arena, but in order that he might defend his elder brother Richard, Marquis Wellesley, recently returned from India and facing the possibility of impeachment for his management of the post of Governor General. Philp Guedalla, in The Duke, (1931) describes Wellesley’s election in some detail: “The campaign was not exacting, since the Rye electors listened more closely to their proprietor than to any candidate. Their simple appetites appear in Wellesay’s accounts and totalled £367/17/6 (in food, wine and other expenses),

Light Relief

brigade had more than just a military effect upon the neighbourhood of Rye and Hastings. It will be recalled what influence the presence of the dashing had on the Bennet girls, in Pride and Prejudice especially Lydia. Balls were organised by the Hastings garrison, sometimes only concluding at 5am “when the company retired highly delighted with the elegance of the entertainment and the extreme politeness of the officers”, and special performances were requested at the local theatres. In July 1806, one of Sir Arthur’s colonels, Houghton of the 8th Foot, and the officers of the regiment asked that the “celebrated tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”, be presented at the Theatre, Hastings, together – to afford light releif, no doubt, “the comic opera of the Poor Soldier”. This combined performance was for one night only, the theatre, adjoining the Hare and Hounds at Ore, reverting to what was, one imagines, the more popular fare of “Laugh when you can” and “Love laughs at Locksmiths”.

Royal Approval

The high point, in military terms of Wellesley’s service in Suissex was reached on the 10th of August 1806, when the Duke of York came to review the young major general’s command. He and his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, arrived from Hythe, towed along the Military Canal in a boat drawn by three horses. They were welcomed with a royal salute from the East battery of Captain Gill’s Cinque Port Artillary sited in the Gungarden. After spending two hours at the George, the royal Dukes inspected the forces, consisting of infantry, two troops of the 17th Light Dragoons and the 1st Somerset Militia. The Duke, pleased with the performance  of his troops, thanked Sir Arthur and proceeded via Cliff End to Hastings. There, according to some unsubstantiated sources, a banquet was held in honour of Wellesley. Be that as it may there seems little doubt the York and Cambridge took refreshment at the Swan Hotel and that Sir Arthur entertained them at Hastings House. The following day the royal pair departed to meet their elder brother at his favourite resort of Brighton.

Warden of the Cinque Ports

The general’s time at Rye and Hastings ended in December 1806, when he was posted to Deal, but his connections with the area were top be renewed when, in 1829, as Duke of Wellington, he was installed as Lord Warden of the CinquePorts. Even after his death in 1852, the force of his personality was still felt by the tow towns. The Mayor of Hastings, Thomas Hickes, on the announcement of the old soldier’s demise, journeyed to Rye, whose own Mayor, E.S.Banks, held the post of Speaker of the Cinque Ports that year, to suggest that a meeting should be convened to see that “every possible respect to the memory of the illustrious deceased ” be paid. Much to Mr. Hickes’ surprise, Mr. Banks declined to “give himself, any trouble in the matter”. “The Duke was a very good man, I dare say”, he added, “he is dead now, so why make any fuss? Let them bury him”.

Acting independently of the unconcerned Speaker, the Mayors of Hastings, Sandwich and New Romney waited on the Prime Minister, Lord Derby,and the eventual result was that a carriage for four persons, representing the Cinque Ports, was to be included in the funeral procession on November 18th. A meeting was held in Rye on October 28th to decide who should represent the Confederation and the shameless Mayor of Rye claimed the right to be one of the privileged four as the current Speaker. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the other Ports rejected this claim and the carriage that followed the great Duke on his final march contained the first citizens of Dover, Sandwich, New Romney and Hastings.

Iden Mote

By Richard Holmes

Beginnings

As historians believe that before the Norman Conquest there were no more than 400 parish churches in the whole of England, it does on the face of it seem unlikely that Udimore church was one of them. However, if there was a Saxon church in Udimore, it was probably wholly or partially destroyed in the autumn of 1066. When William sent armed parties out from his fortified base at Hastings, to devastate the countryside and bring back provisions for his men and horses, they were instructed to raid only the towns and villages that lay outside the territory of the Abbey of Fecamp. Within easy range of Hastings and not owned by Fecamp, Udimore was, therefore, probably a prime target. The sharp decline in its value at this time. and subsequent recovery (as recorded in the Domesday Book) supports this conjecture.

Norman Period

The “church and two acres of meadow” recorded in the Domesday Book 20 years later must refer, therefore, to either an original Saxon church, restored by the Normans, or to a new Norman foundation. The parts of the present structure which experts attribute to the Norman period, seem to date from the early 12th century, which suggests a second phase of building, some 40 years after the Conquest, forming the nucleus of the church as we know it today. In addition to the nave, which seems to have been about one third shorter than the present nave, there was probably a small semicircular apse, serving as a chancel.

Medieval Period

Early in the next century, probably around 1230, a major new building programme was put in hand. The capacity of the nave was augmented by replacing its south wall with an arcade of two arches, beyond which a south aisle was built. At about the same time, the earlier chancel was replaced by a spacious and beautifully proportioned Early English chancel, which has survived, with very few changes, to this day. The brackets of the new chancel arch were decorated with a striking dog-tooth pattern, and the capitals of the two arcade arches were carved with an elegant “stiff leaf design”.

Not long after this, both the new aisle and the nave were extended westwards, by the length of one further bay. This naturally involved the construction of a third arcade arch. It was a simpler structure, far less ornate than the other two. This is not surprising, for funds were no doubt scarce then, as they are today, and soon many more resources had to be found for the construction of the tower, the next major project. Signs of this extension can be clearly seen in the external masonry of the nave North wall, and in the two filled-in doorways nearby. There is an intriguing possible explanation for this. It was customary to locate a north door very near the font.
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 During baptisms , this door was opened wide, to allow the devil to escape from the newly-baptised person, for the north side of the churchyard was generally associated with the powers of evil. When the nave was extended, the font would have been moved further West, so the previous position of the door was no longer suitable.

As a result of these improvements, the building was now large and impressive enough for its role as the family church of the Echinghams, whose manor house, Court Lodge, stood nearby. As the family were on at least two occasions hosts to royalty, we can safely assume that both Edward I and Edward III attended Mass in the church, with their royal households , during their visits to Udimore.

14th Century

England went through difficult times in the 14th century, wars with France, economic problems and the disastrous Black Death. A declining population may well have been the reason for the decision to demolish the entire south aisle built in the previous century. All three arches of the nave arcade were filled in, creating a continuous south nave wall. New windows were set in the east and west bays of this wall, and a door in the central one, with a small porch to shelter it from the prevailing winds. Another theory to explain the disappearance of the south aisle is that its founda tions were inadequate to support this heavy structure in soil, which is to this day liable to become waterlogged after prolonged rainfall. So perhaps it simply collapsed.

18th Century

For the next six centuries, very few structural changes were made. In 1795 (a date recorded in the plasterwork) the height of the north wall of the nave was increased by some 4 ft. This seems to have been associated with structural work on the nave roof A musicians’ gallery was installed, also a three-decker pulpit and box pews. At about this time there seems to have been a need for a new font. Instead of having one carved in stone, as decreed by ancient ecclesiastical edict, the parish officials commissioned a wooden one, carefully painted to resemble stone on the outside and lead on the inside, thereby saving the parish considerable expense. This ingenious fake is still on show in the church today, though we have no record of whether the authorities ever detected it.

19th Century

During the 19th century, however, when many other parish churches underwent radical (and sometimes insensitive) restoration, Udimore church endured a different fate: it suffered from prolonged neglect. By the end of the century it had fallen into a state of severe disrepair . To quote a contemporary description,
“the walls were damp, the timbers rotten, the tower unsafe , the floor uneven and mean, the ceiling full of holes, the bells cracked, the windows broken and the font a sixpenny pudding basin.”

In 1896 Prebendary Frewer of Brede took over the parish. after a period of 27 years during which Udimore had no resident vicar. With the active support of the Patron of the Living, my grandfather, Alfred Holmes, he quickly set about putting things right. We can be extremely grateful to him that his restoration of the building was on the whole very sensitive and sympathetic to its distinctive architectural character.

In addition to extensive repairs to the fabric, to make the church weatherproof again, and the removal of the West gallery, the replacement of the dark old box pews with much simpler pews, lighter in colour, the main changes that he introduced were in the chancel. The style of this work was strongly influenced by his high churchmanship (he was a notable Tractarian). He directed the installation of an elaborate and ornate gradine-style high altar, which was replaced in 1955 by an ‘English” altar and dossal curtains. The only feature of his chancel scheme that remains to this day is the black and white marble paving of the floor and altar steps.

20th Century

His good work was carried on in 1906 by the next vicar, Revd Henry Williamson, during whose vicariate the central arch of the arcade was reopened, to give access to a large new porch, in effect reoccupying part of the space which had been lost when the old south aisle was removed. He also oversaw the installation in the north wall of the nave of three large new windows, similar in style to the original nine lancet windows of the chancel, and like them, glazed with clear glass. The absence of large areas of stained glass makes this a very light church, even on overcast days.

Iden Mote

The mote is situated in the parish of Iden about 3 miles from Rye, in a small shallow valley down which runs a small stream on its way to join the River Rother. In this valley Edmund de Passeley caused a basin to be excavated 460 feet square. On the north side the containing bank must have been entirely artificial, formed no doubt with the material dug from the centre basin.

In the centre of the excavation a rectangular island was left, levelled and raised artificially and to be occupied by the future castle. A sluice was probably provided at the northwest comer of the lake to regulate the level of the water. On the southwest comer throwing embankments across the stream formed two ponds. These ponds were intended as store ponds when the level of the water in the lake became low from any cause, as well as for the keeping of fish. Below the northern side of the retaining bank can still be traced a length of straight bank, which was probably the edge of a wharf abutting onto an artificially formed harbour.

Up to the 1930′s the stream leading to the wharf was quite navigable for small boats. On the west side of the castle side an outer court was formed by enclosing with two subsidiary moats a piece of land measuring 500 ft. by 150 ft. Owing to the eastern side of these moats having to be dug out of the rising side of the valley, the amount of excavation required was very great and the remains are impressive to this day. The similarity in the layout to the site of Bodiam Castle is clear. The same low lying situation, the same forming of an artificial lake instead of a moat and the same artificial island in the centre. A feature of Bodiam Castle, which is supposed to be unique, is the bridge of timber built to approach the castle gateway sideways from the west bank. The illustration on the license granted to Sir Edmund Passeley to embattle his man sion of La Mote by Edward II in 1318 shows that the idea was intended to be put into practice there, 70 years earlier.

The purpose of the building of the first moat castle was to protect the rear approach to Rye from French invaders. In 1460 the Manor of Mote passed by marriage to the Scott family from Smeeth in Kent, 1464. In 1481 the lake was reduced to a moat and the castle was rebuilt in the form of a fortified manor ho se. The main part of the work was the construction of a great tower housing, among other rooms, a new hall, chapel and a high chamber. Stone for the original castle had been transported from Caen but the rebuilt manor was mainly brick, made on site and stone from quarries from Eastbourne, Cranbrook and Fairlight. Timber was imported from the Corke Wood.

The Scott family remained in possession of the mansion for some 200 years until it was abandoned in the 1650′s. Stone from the ruins was used to construct ForstaI Farmhouse on the estate. In.500 years the castle had never heard a shot fired in anger.

From J H Cheney

This section deals not only with the long and fascinating history of Rye Harbour but also with the Nature Reserve of recent times.   If you are interested in a particular period or wish to jump to the Nature Reserve, use the navigation bar above.   If you would like to see everything available, simply scroll down.

History of Rye Harbour:   Beginnings  and Timeline

by Jo Kirkham

 Rye has always been a port, starting from the time when it was an island. The Roman iron production in the area was under the control of the Roman Fleet, Classis Britannica who exported it from here to the rest of Europe. A senior Cinque Port from the 12th Century, it was the home of the Royal Galleys from 1240, and has been a fishing, shipbuilding and trading port throughout 1000 years. It has also been very involved with pirating, smuggling and coastguard patrols.

Pirating ships, cargoes and their sailors for ransom was a lucrative source of income for the Town and a legitimate one in time of war, when Ryers were licensed by the Crown as Privateers.

A specialized lantern  used for secret communication is kept in the Museum.

Wool was sent out in return for luxury goods, including spirits, tobacco and tea. There were few convictions as the juries were local,  many buildings in Rye were modified with secret cupboards, panels and ‘hidey-holes’ for the contraband, and there were secret passages and ways through attics to enable the smugglers to escape capture.

Roman Times
No evidence has been found of  a Roman settlement  where Rye now stands but remains have been found at Playden. In Roman times the River Rother flowed into the sea at New Romney.

1189
By this date Henry II had conferred Cinque Ports status on Rye and Winchelsea as  ‘Limbs’ of Hastings and subsequently they became full members of the Confederation.

1287
Old Winchelsea, sited possibly where Camber is to-day, was destroyed by storms. The course of the River Rother altered  to nearly its present position.

1350
Edward III and the Black Prince fought the Spanish in Rye Bay.

1375
The Rother and the sea undercut cliffs and caused the eastern part of Rye to disappear. From this period until the twentieth century the main docking area was on the Strand and along the River Tillingham.

1377
The French plundered Rye and took  the Church bells.

1400’s
Rye was important for transporting fighting men to France during the Hundred Years War.

At the beginning of this century Rye was considered one of the finest of the Cinque Port harbours. Henry VIII demanded more armaments and cannon, and built  Camber Castle. Throughout Tudor times, as in Medieval times, Rye was important for the  storage and shipment of iron.

1550
An Act of Parliament was passed to try and stop harbour silting.

1573
Elizabeth I visited the town and stayed at Grene Hall, now the Old Custom House in Church Square.

1600’s
Continued silting of the harbour led to a further decline in the  importance of Rye as a port.

1720-23
Three Acts of Parliament set up a Harbour Commission, with Commissioners. The Harbour continued to silt up and the attempt to construct a new one lasted over  sixty  years The famous engineer John Smeaton was brought in toward the end of the struggle and the finished harbour was called–somewhat unfairly–Smeaton’s Harbour. It failed within three months, in 1787.  

1801
The Harbour at Rye Act authorised Tolls for maintaining the harbour at Rye.

1806
Rye Harbour became a separate village,

1808
The Royal Military Canal was completed as a protection against Napoleon’s
invasion. Throughout the nineteenth century there were constant battles between the landowners and the harbour authorities.

1813
Scot’s Float Sluice, on the Rother, was rebuilt despite protests from Rye.

1817
Ryers attacked and destroyed  the new river Brede dam which obstructed navigation.

1818
The Lord Chief Justice found in favour of Ryers re the Brede Dam.

1830
Rioters damaged Scots Float, but they were acquitted.

1833
Differences were resolved by another Harbour of Rye Act. A temporary nnlull ensued.

1835
An Eastern Jetty was built at the mouth of the Rother

1841
The Railway came to Rye

1882
Storms almost blocked the harbour;  this led to a decline in usage.

1893
  A dredger was bought with help from the Rother Commissioners, which led to the two interests co-operating to keep a clear river channel.

1917-18
Treasury gave a grant to keep the harbour open

1920-21
More storms caused problems with the river mouth.

1929
New schemes (Plat Taylor plans) were devised to improve the Harbour

1930
The Land Drainage Act was passed and Land Drainage Boards created nation-wide. The many old land drainage commissions were abolished and in the Rye area the Rother and Jury’s Gut Catchment Board also took over the operations of Rye Harbour and the sea defences.

1941-44
The Admiralty made improvements to the harbour and dredged its mouth

1950
The Kent River Board planned a drainage project including barrage

1951
The Sea Fish Industry Act imposed a duty to keep the harbour open for the fishing industry.

1962
The barrage plan was abandoned

1965�
Responsibility for the Harbour was transferred to Kent River Authority

1966
A plan to build 23 pumping stations in low lying areas to pump flood waters into the tidal river, independent of the tide level, was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture–which resulted in less silting.

1967
Alsford Wharf was constructed, bringing more harbour traffic.

1974
Responsibility for the Harbour was transferred to Southern Water Authority.

1976
New by-laws were enacted and a Harbour Advisory Committee formed to advise on policy.

1988
The Harbour Authority was made responsible for pilotage services.

1989
The Water Act transferred Harbour responsibility to the National Rivers Authority.

1993
A Five Year Plan  was enacted to improve harbour conditions and health and safety
and to provide more moorings.

1996
Responsibility for the Harbour was transferred to the Environment Agency Rye Bay Plan.

1998
A new five year management plan was developed in order to continue to improve the harbour. There are signs of an increase in commercial activity thanks to Rastrums, the new owners of Alsford’s Wharf. The fishing industry continues to thrive and pleasure craft numbers are being maintained in a competitive climate.

This series of articles

This series includes articles on various aspects of Romney March  history.  If you scroll down you will find pages  on  ‘the Fifth Continent’,  marsh formation and draining,  farming on the marsh, the Rhee Wall  and   also on Dungeness and its power station and lighthouses.   Next will come a feature on the Romney Marsh churches..  There will be more after that!

The Romney Marsh Research Trust

Much of the information is based on the work of the Romney Marsh Research Trust, and some articles have been provided by Jill Eddison.  The Trust supports the work of a team of archaeologists, historians and geographers who are working on the history of the Marsh.  It runs an annual programme of lectures, guided walks, and site visits for its members. For further information please apply to Terry Burke, Secretary Romney Marsh Research Trust, 41, Mermaid Street, Rye, Sussex. TN31 7EU ( 01797 – 224418 ) or E-Mail TerryBurke9@hotmail.com

A website devoted to Romney Marsh

 Did you know there is a whole website devoted to Romnay Marsh?  There are maps,  articles covering e.g. Man on the Marsh,  natural history, myths and legends…, recommended books….     Go to http://www.andrewleaning.com/index.php.

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Still Standing on the Marsh 

Fourteen medieval churches still stand on the Marsh. There were more but these have either vanished or fallen into disrepair. Examples of these are Blackmanstone Church, which appears in the Domesday Book, but has since disappeared, Orgarswick which is now a mound and the church at Broomhill which is now merely a heap of stones. Eastridge, Hope and Midley churches are in ruins but the rest are still standing even though many are in danger unless remedial work is done.

These churches are a vivid reminder of the wool trade that prospered on the Romney Marsh and enabled these churches to be built. The Romney Marsh is often used as generic term for what is in fact three main areas, the Romney Marsh itself, in the east, Walland Marsh in the west and Denge Marsh in the south. See the section on the history and development of Romney Marsh.

Brenzett

This church is dedicated to St. Easwyth, a Saxon princess who established a nunnery in Folkestone The church was heavily restored in 1876 and in 1902 the chancel and bell turret had to be re-built. However, a thirteenth century priest’s door remains in the chancel as well as some Norman masonry

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Brookland

The church is famous for its separate wooden bell tower. The tower is conical in shape and octagonal.   One of the bells dates from before the ReformationInside, the nave arcades and outer walls lean outwards. This is because of subsidence and this is still continuing. In 1964, a wall painting of St. Thomas a Becket was discovered on the south wall.The nave is unrestored and there is still a Georgian pulpit and box pews. The font is circular and made of lead, and is the most important of its kind in the country. It has the signs of the zodiac depicted upon it. 

Burmarsh

This church has Norman origins, yet there is only one fifteenth century window, near the porch. The rest of the windows are eighteenth century. The Georgian interior was removed when restoration work was done in 1876. The tower was re-built in the fourteenth century and had buttresses added to stop subsidence.
 

 Dymchurch 

The church is a Norman building, enlarged in 1821 by the remova1 of the north wall in order to widen the nave. At this time the tower was demolished. The legendary Dr. Syn, the Marsh smuggler, would have used this church.

East Guldeford

The church was built in 1505 by Sir Richard Guldeford. It is made of brick and has two pitched roofs, with a bell-cote sitting between them. It is a simple open design inside, and was much restored in the early nineteenth century. There are box pews and also a frieze depicting the seraphim with musical instruments.
 

Fairfield

 The church is dedicated to St. Thomas à Becket and the village of Fairfield no longer exists. A causeway was built in 1913, and until then the church was more often than not surrounded by water during the winter and spring. In 1912 the fabric was in a very poor state and a complete rebuilding within the timber framework took place.   However, the inside of the church was, fortunately, left untouched. It is Georgian, with a three decker pulpit, box pews and texts boards. The hepews are still painted white with black linings.

Ivychurch

This is a large church built between 1360 and 1370. During the thirteenth century there was a Priory on the site, which might account for the church being so big. The church has three parallel aisles, running the full length of the building, a total of 133 ft. The Chinese Chippendale screens are reputed to have come from Old Romney. The tall tower and fifteenth century chancel stalls are unusual for a village church. Some of the old glass survives in the western window of the north aisle and the eastern window of the south aisle. 

Lydd

Lydd is a small town on the Denge Marsh, which became a corporate member of the Cinque Ports Confederation in 1290. The church is the largest in Kent and the tower is 132 ft. high and was built in the fifteenth century. The original church was a Saxon basilica, parts of which can still be seen in the north aisleThe blocked window and the arches are the oldest parts of the building, and are indeed the oldest remaining church building on the Marsh. No Norman building work remains. The church was rebuilt and enlarged from the thirteenth century onwards. The east end was destroyed by bombs in 1940, but has been well restored. There are sixteenth and seventeenth century brasses.
 

Newchurch

The church was originally built in the thirteenth century with aisles being added later.

The tower suffered subsidence during its construction and for some time work stopped, It was later completed, correcting the tilt brought on by the subsidence, and this gives the tower its apparent ”kink”. The pulpit is Jacobean.
 

New Romney

The prefix ”New” was not used until the fifteenth century (see entry for Old Romney) and the town is one of the origina1 Cinque Ports. The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas, and is the only one to survive from the four churches that existed in the Middle Ages.

The building dates from the twelfth century and the tall tower is about 100 ft high. Originally there was a spire which acted as a landmark for shipping. This was taken away in the eighteenth century. The west doorway is Norman and the floor level is below the street.

This arises from the great storms of the late thirteenth century, which diverted the river Rother from flowing into the sea at Romney, to entering the sea at Rye. During these storms silt was built up outside the church. In the fourteenth century the church gained a Decorated east end chancel arch, two three bay arcades and three large East windows.

The church hs recently been reopened after extensive restoration work.

 Old Romney

”Old” is not really correct. The town was originally all one, until the part nearest the sea became larger and the inland part declined until it was just a few houses and the church. The church of St, Clement was built in the twelfth century and later enlarged. The nave has massive moulded tie beams and crown posts. It has an unusual thirteenth century font of Purbeck marble and Caen stone supports. The Georgian minstral Gallery survives and it has been used in many films.
 

 St Mary in the Marsh

The Norman church tower, with its later shingled spire, is all that is left of the original church. Two of the bells are from before the Reformation. In the thirteenth century the church was enlarged and two narrow aisles were added.

The high Georgian box pews were removed, but the 1ow box pews seen today, could be the previous pews cut down. Quarry tiles make up the floor and the ones in yellow and green are from the fourteenth century.

The rest are from the late eighteenth century. E. Nesbit, the writer, is buried in the churchyard.

 Snargate

The church has a thirteenth century nave and aisles, with a fourteenth century chancel. The tower is early perpendicular.

In 1964 a terracotta coloured painting of a ship was discovered on the north wall. Because the church is in an isolated position, it was used by smugglers as a ‘hide’.

The eastern part of the north aisle was blocked off from the inside and entrance could only be gained from the outside.

 Snave

This church is dedicated to St. Augustine and is very remote. Most of the building is thirteenth century with the exception of the upper part of the tower. Many buttresses surround the building in order to avoid subsidence. Restoration took place in 1873. The church is now in the care of the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust

The work of the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust is acknowledged and more information about the Trust and its work can be obtained from:- The Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust, C/o Mrs E Marshall, Lansdell House, Rolvenden, Kent. TN17 4LW (01580 241529)

Augustinian Friary (The Monastery)

Friary Chapel by Grimm

In 1364, Benedict and Henry Zely, together with William Taillour, the owners of two acres of land on the East Cliff, where the sea had already destroyed some houses, gave permission to the Prior Provincial and the Friars of St. Augustine, to build an Oratory and Manse for their order.

These two acres can be identified as being the part of East Cliff that was later destroyed by the sea and to which the present Ockman’s Lane used to lead.  The Oratory and Manse were built. This was the founding of the first house of the Friars Heremites of St. Austin in Rye.

The King did not oblige them to pay a rent of 2/10 (14p) because the Lord Warden reported the property as having no current value and in return the Friars were to celebrate the Divine service for the good of the King as well as those of the donators of the land and for their souls, progenitors and heirs. 

The Chapel and Manse of the Austin Friars on East Cliff were among the buildings that suffered from the French raid of 1377 which  destroyed most of the town by fire. As the site was already being undermined by the sea, it was deemed unwise to rebuild on the same site. The Fraternity applied to the Corporation for a new site, which was duly granted in 1379 at a place called ‘La Haltone’. Here the Friars built a new Chapel and other buildings which no longer survive.  (The Chapel, which did survive, is known today as the Monastery.)

Throughout this time and until the Reformation, the Friary also acted as sanctuary, as did the church of St. Mary’s. In 1538, as part of the Reformation and the suppression of the monasteries, the Bishop of Dover came to Rye and formally suppressed the Austin Friary.  The Mayor was ordered to detain a friar and a priest for defaming the King and Queen.      The Friars were a small body, with a Prior, under the jurisdiction of Oxford, and since the establishment of the Friary in 1364 Rye people had often made it  a beneficiary of their wills. Understandably,  they resented the suppression. 

However, their lands and buildings were taken by the Crown and the Friary remained in the Crown’s hands until 1545, when it was sold to Thomas Goodwyn, with all its buildings and property, with the exception of the legacies definitely left for the masses for the dead. Thomas Goodwyn paid the large sum of £1,112.2.6 for the Friary buildings and contents.

In 1646 we know that the Friary was owned by an Anthony Norton, who was a strong Royalist and was often in trouble with the Corporation for his strong words against that body, as indeed, was also his wife. He owned not only the Friary but all the land to the north, up to the town wall, as well as other lands and houses in the town. In about 1711, Ralph Norton, a relation of Anthony. owned the Friary as well as Whitefriars, the house opposite. The Friary Chapel, which was all that was left, the other buildings having been demolished and their stone used elsewhere in the town, acted as a store house for many years in the C19th and was in poor repair. There is a picture of it in about the 1880′s in the Museum.

In 1903, the then Vicar of Rye, the Rev. Howes, interested himself in the chapel building, and proposed its conversion into a Church House. It had been the Salvation Army Barracks for some time, but they had moved to their new Citadel in Rope Walk, later an Antique Shop. It was extensively altered by a syndicate of Churchmen, and was formally opened in 1905. After this it was used for many community events, especially during the last war, when dances were held here, and also films after the bombing of the cinema. In the 1950′s it became the home of Cinque Ports Pottery, sadly no longer operating.   

Today the Monastery awaits decisions as to its next use.   A group of influential local citizens have formed The Fletcher Group and are hoping this unique heritage from Rye’s past can become the focus of a cultual centre with theatre (commemorating the 16th century playwright John Fletcher who was born in Rye), cinema, restaurant and even a library.  

In 10 years’ time, will this building again be a source of pride for Rye? a venue for Rye Festival events?  a vibrant attraction for visitors to the town?  

Adapted from Leopold Amon Vidler,  A New History of Rye (Rye, Goulden, 1971)

by Cliff Bloomfield

Backdrop to Romney Marsh

10,000 years ago the waves of the sea were eroding the Wealden hills and river valleys, creating the long curving coastline that is the backdrop to Romney Marsh, which includes Romney Marsh proper, Denge, Walland Guldeford and Pett Marshes and a number of Levels.

The geological structure of these hills is variable. In the south-west at Pett Level, steep cliffs of sandstone with clay capping occur at varying heights, but do not exceed 100 feet (30m). The hills extend north beyond Winchelsea, Rye, and Iden and include the former island of Oxney, with its very prominent headland. Three river valleys carve through the hills, the Brede, the Tillingham and the Rother, its northern arm embracing Oxney.  North-east wards beyond Ham Street are degraded slopes of Wealden clay; eastwards to Hythe the hills of clay-capped limestone rise once again to 300 feet (90m) a total length of 28 miles (7.8kms 

The Embryo Marsh

The bay lying beneath these hills may once have been covered by sea water at all states of the tide. At other periods low tide may have exposed extensive salt marshes, their seaward edges fringed with shingle made up of flint gouged out of the chalk cliffs of the South Downs, broken down by sea and driven eastwards by wave action generated by the prevailing south-west winds. This process, known as long-shore drift, formed a long thin shingle shore-line across much of the very early Romney Bay behind which the marsh could develop.

 Forming the Foundations

Siltation has been a major feature in the development of the marshes. Most silt is carried in from the sea; on the top of the tide, with the water relatively stilled, the suspended silt settles along the outer margins of the river and back waters of the salt marsh; it settles too in the lee of the shingle fringe which provides protection from the waves of the open sea. To the sea-bourne silt must be added that carried down by the rivers swollen by winter rains.

Changing Sea Levels

As the bay evolved, the sea level could well have been some 70 feet (21m) lower than it is today; the bed rock of the marsh can be found as deep as 100 feet (30m). Sea levels have oscillated over time, rising and falling over thousands of years. Whatever nature created within the bay or out on the shore-line will have been washed away by the sea many times. A thousand years before the Romans came, the marsh was forested, with rivers and streams running from the hills to the sea.

The Roman Era

During the Roman period the marsh was again sinking; between Stone and Appledore the river was probably flowing eastwards to the sea at near West Hythe. Here successive shore-lines of shingle, curved landward, suggested a river mouth which could clearly be identified until evidence was removed by a shingle extraction company in the 1960’s. This was the outlet of the river Limen, with a Roman port and settlement established near the Lympne of today. Following the close of the Roman era, the Limen appears to have silted up or to have become blocked by the long-shore drift of shingle. Much of Romney Marsh proper and a large area west of the Rhee Wall in Walland Marsh, including Lydd, was probably of Saxon origin.

The Calm before the Storm

By the 12th century the vulnerability of sea walls within the marsh caused concern. Grants of land carried provision for tenants to maintain the walls and waterways from damage by tidal water. Laws were passed by the 13th century for the administration of the marsh to be carried out by 24 elected men who would enforce the paying of levies or ‘scots’ for the upkeep of waterways and embankments. The expression ‘scot free’ has its origins in exemption of a person having land above marsh level. The system of levies or ‘scots’ continued until the Land Drainage Act, 1930

The 13th Century Storms

The river (which we now call the Rother) made its way south east from Appledore across the marsh to an outfall into the sea at New Romney; by the 12th century this marsh river was converted into a canal 6 miles (9.7 kms) long to Old Romney. The 13th century was remarkable for a series of storms accompanied possibly by a rise in sea level. The first was in 1236 followed in 1250 when the town and port of Old Winchelsea were overwhelmed; there was a temporary recovery until it finally succumbed in the storm of 1287 by which time the new town of Winchelsea on the hill of Iham was being colonised. 

The Rother Changes its Course

During this period, the people of New Romney were increasingly concerned with the condition of the river or canal and consequently of their harbour which was being blocked by silt and shingle. A further 2.5 miles (4.1 kms), of cana1 were excavated to make a new outfall to the sea. It was to no avail; the river at Appledore now turned south flowing through the inundated lands to Rye and the sea. The Walland, Guldeford and Pett Marshes were covered with tidal water and for the next 500 years man took advantage of the siltation process and enclosed or ‘inned’ the salt marshes. The name ‘Walland’ marsh is as its name implies- ‘wa11-land’; Guldeford takes its name from the Gilford family who inned this marsh from 1478 to 1716, the last large scale innings took place along the fringes of Walland Marsh and the estuary of the Rother by the Salts Marsh Embankment Act 1833.

Wet Fences

Approximately 80% of the landscape features have evolved over many centuries with a pattern of fields formed of old salt marsh creeks connected with man made ditches, the farming community refer to the system as Wet Fencing. Centuries ago winter drainage of the land was a problem in those areas away from the tidal channels, with little gradient in the water courses, general water logging must have occurred. In summer, a simple system of artificially retaining water would have been devised. Fog and marsh mists being common place, in these conditions a form of malaria referred to as the ‘Marsh Ague’ was prevalent.

Farming

Sheep have grazed the marshes for centuries; the quality of its pastures, thanks to the alluvial deposits, is renowned. The sheep known as Kent or Romney pure breed are believed to have originated in Flanders; the fleece is long and close giving it the hardy qualities necessary to withstand the rigours of marsh winters. By 14th century England’s most important export was wool; tax provided a major source of revenue; the smuggling out of wool remained a clandestine trade into the 19th century. In l939 there were some 200,000 sheep on the marsh, but after five years of war, the sheep being sent away to the hill farmers in Yorkshire, the numbers were halved and arable farming had increased four-fold to 15,000 acres and remains roughly the same today.

Counter Invasion Measures

In 1940 the Pett Marsh suffered a temporary disaster, lasting 4 years; it was deliberately inundated by the sea as a counter invasion measure, the then sea wall was breached, flooding almost its total area, only being retained on its landward edge by the western bank of the Royal Military Canal, its purpose was to stop aircraft landing invasion forces, whereas in all other areas of the marshes and river valleys, individual fields were planted with thousands of 20 foot (6 m) poles cut from the local woodlands.

The Rhee Wall

The major feature of the Romney Marsh today is the Rhee Wall, which literally dissects the marsh, Romney Marsh proper to the east and Walland Marsh to the west, following the line of the original embanked canal, in the 12th century attached to the rising ground on the western edge of Appledore village, today its line resumes on the south side of the Royal Military Canal, a classified road the B2080 leads south to Brenzett joining the A259, passing Old Romney to Hammonds Corner where it ceases to be defined as it crosses the fields to the site of its ancient outfall.

Coastal Areas

The shore-line of the marsh has over the centuries been split into three specific areas by accumulations of shingle due to long-shore drift; east of Pett Marsh to the River Rother Mouth; east of Walland Marsh at Jurys Gap to Dungeness point, curving north to Greatstone; and finally an area north of the Redoubt beyond Dymchurch to Hythe. Between these areas the marshes have been exposed to the sea, they consist of Pett, Walland and Romney Marsh proper. Originally only having the natura1 protection of a shingle fore-shore and crest, they were prone to move landward, and creep onto the marsh unhindered. Today these marshes are protected by sea-walls.

 Sea Defences

Early attempts were made to stem this advance by building earth walls behind the shingle crest, which were then thatched with faggots, (bundles of brushwood) cut from the local woodlands. It proved quite resistant to the sea in the short term.

Faggots in the form of thick sticks referred as bats were dug in to the shingle at right angles to form groynes to trap the eastward drifting shingle.  In the long term it made little difference to the problem, until seawalls were constructed of stone and subsequently concrete, because the natural long-shore drift continued moving shingle eastwards.

Shingle Recycling

In the last 30 years the local authority has resorted to shingle recycling. The practice is to move it from areas of accumulation, this is always to the east, and transport it back to the west,to recharge the shore, leaving the long-shore drift to redistribute it eastwards. A shingle covering on the walls acts as an absorbent sponge to the waves. This prevents the over topping of the wall, and gives protection to the wall’s structure. A case of harnessing nature to solve a problem.

Conclusion

Global warming now presents a serious threat to the marsh, as it is all below high tide level, at an average of almost 5ft (1.5m). The present authority is working on a rise of 2ft (60cm) although other predictions give a figure of 3ft 3” (1m) in 100 years. In the shorter term shingle recycling will continue. The Romney Marsh coastline is an isolated pocket separated by the Fairlight Cliffs to the west and the Folkestone cliffs to the east, and within this area extensive shingle deposits exist. This may well provide shingle for replenishment to top up the recycling process.

It may be contentious to refer to specific areas where likely shingle deposits could be extracted, as much of these are owned by the Ministry of Defense and also included in these are other areas where Nature and Bird Reserves exist. Either the sea will eventually take over, the marsh, or the shingle could be extracted in a systematic way. Removing it from along the whole length of the shore edge its visual loss would be imperceptible, on these open natural shores, erosion still continues, its crest-line being naturally raised as the sea rises, and this happens when a gale on a high tide is experienced at present. It is difficult to imagine that nothing will be done in say 50 years time. In 500 years time the sea may have taken back that which it gave up.

How the Marsh was Formed

By Jill Eddison

is one of the three great marshlands of England. Nearly all this 100 square miles of flat land lies below the level of high tides. It is flanked on south and east by the sea.
 

 Origins

The Marsh has been formed in the 10,000 years since the last Ice Age. After the ice melted, sea leve1 rose quickly up to 6,000 years ago. The whole area of Romney Marsh was a wide sandy bay and, as sea level rose, the sea piled in layer upon layer of sand until it was about 10 metres deep.

Then a great change took place, which altered the area for ever. A massive supply of flint pebbles (known as shingle or, commercially, as gravel) which had been eroded out of the Chalk of Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex during the Ice Age, began to arrive from the south-west, and built out a great bank towards Hythe. Behind this barrier, the sandy bay became salt marsh, with fresh-water swamp in the valleys.  

Since then the outer coastline, consisting of massive barriers of shingle, has been continually changing, and so have the tidal inlets which once provided harbours near Hythe, Romney and Rye.

How this Happened

You can see the sea and the wind at work today, building up and altering the coastline, just as happened in the past:

1. Shingle is moved along by the waves. Go down to any shingle beach and watch what happens when a wave breaks on the shingle. Pebbles will be thrown up the beach, probably at an angle. In a storm, when the waves are high, and you will see great quantities of the beach being moved along.
 

2. Salt marshes are built up by the inter-action of plant-growth and deposition of sediments. The English Channel looks dirty. This is because it carries great quantities of fine- grained sediment suspended in the water. The tide flows in round the end of the shingle banks, or up river estuaries, into calm water behind. At high tide the movement of the water ceases, and the load of sediment is deposited. When this has built up sufficiently, plants specially adapted to grow in salt water flourish. Their leaves trap more sediment, and thus help to built the surface up above the level of all but the highest tides. At this stage, the twice-daily flow of the tides is limited to channels winding around clumps of plants.

3. Sand Dunes The oldest dunes at Camber are only 200 years old, and parts are still growing out to sea. As the tide goes down the wide sandy beach dries out. If the wind is blowing onshore, it picks up some of that sand, and blows it inland to form the dunes. As a result the coastline near the coastguard cottages east of Rye Golf Club has grown outwards by 100 m. in the last 20 years. This can be seen happening especially in winter gales.

Nature built up and altered the Marsh in these ways.

The Roman Marsh

Scattered archaeologica1 evidence indicates that the Marsh was still a salt-marsh in Roman times. Burnt clay (briquetage) and broken pots provides evidence of a widespread salt-extraction. Professor Barry Cunliffe has suggested that men would have lived on the Marsh in summer, using the excellent pasture for sheep and cattle, and evaporating salt (a very valuable commodity) from sea water at the marsh edge.
In winter these people probably retreated to the surrounding upland. There is no known evidence that the Romans built defences to keep out the incoming tides.

In about A.D. 350, a marsh inlet was guarded by massive shore fort on the hillside below Lympne. This was a base for the Roman fleet, the Classis Britannica, which was attempting to ward off Saxon invaders.

Thus, except for the shingle barriers, most of the marsh was under water until at least Saxon times. It was a changing kaleidoscope of land and water, changing from high to low tide, from season to season and from century to century.

by Jill Eddison

Reclamation and Occupation

The whole Marsh is sub-divided into several different smaller marshes, each of which was reclaimed at a different time.
The map shows the division into Romney Marsh proper, Walland Marsh, Denge Marsh, Pett Level, and the Rother Levels.

Denge Marsh

Saxon land-charters show that Denge Marsh, which was surrounded on three sides by massive shingle banks, was occupied in Saxon times.
 

Romney Marsh Proper

The Domesday Book shows that by 1086 the whole of Romney Marsh Proper was occupied. Domesday recorded most of the churches now known there (and a few which cannot be identified now). At this time, that area was still protected from the sea on the east by a great shingle bank. So it is unlikely that any major sea-walls were needed. To the south lay salt-marsh which probably provided fish and sea-birds to augment the local diet, and reeds and rushes for houses.

Walland Marsh

None of the churches on Walland Marsh are mentioned in Domesday Book, and it was only to cope with the demand for new land caused by a sharply rising population that the frontier of colonisation moved south-west across Walland Marsh.
In the 13th century the sea broke down the shingle barrier which had previously extended across the present area of Rye Bay, from Fairlight to Dungeness. This defended the south side of the Marsh against the sea. The old town and port of Winchelsea (which stood on the shingle barrier somewhere off the present mouth of the Rother) was washed away between 1249 and 1280, and in 1280 king Edward I, ordered three senior officials to establish a new town on ”the hill of Iham”.

This is the town of Winchelsea we know today.
Sea-floods in the 1200s and 1300s checked southward colonisation, and the Black Death in 1349 brought demand for new land to an end. Then, between 1400 and 1700 salt-marshes were reclaimed for sheep pasture in connection with the Wealden woollen industry, so that by 1700 the map of Walland Marsh was similar to that of today.

This section describes how it was done, and what the result is:

Reclamation (”Inning”), Sea Walls and Drainage

As soon as people occupied any part of the Marsh on a year-round basis, they needed to construct an earth bank to keep spring tides and storms out. They also needed to drain rain water away through a sluice, and to keep the drainage channels and ditches clear.

Over the centuries, more and more land was ”inned” in this way.
At the same time, the sea gradually moved the protective shingle banks away, and it became necessary to construct sea walls:

-  The Dymchurch Wall was built before 1500
-  The Broomhill/Camber Wall was built in 1600s
-  The Pett Wall was built in the 1950s

Half the coastline is now protected by these walls.

Inland

 The marsh is criss-crossed by an essential network of drainage channels and ditches. Every main drain (known as a ‘sewer’) has an outlet through a sluice to the sea at both ends. This means that if one outlet becomes blocked, or the sluice needs to be repaired, then water can still drain away through the other end.