Romney Marsh - St Mary In The Marsh
The Church of St Mary the Virgin lies in the heart of St Mary in the Marsh, next to the local public house, The Star, and a few houses.
This was superseded after the Norman invasion by a stone built church with a splendid three tier tower of Kentish ragstone.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 are about 1133 AD. The chancel was extended in about 1220 AD.
The village of St Mary in the Marsh is located in the heart of Romney Marsh, surrounded by the stark beauty of the marshes and the open landscapes of rich farmland, in one of its least populated areas. This site was originally known as "Siwold's Circe", meaning the burial ground on the wooded island, but the later Christians changed the name to remove its pagan history. A Ciric or Circa is a circular Celtic burial ground raised above ground level, to keep the dead dry. The Normans built the current church on top of an old wooden Saxon church. The tower is constructed of Kentish ragstone. The oldest parts of the church date from about 1133 AD.
Author of the famous childrens' book The Railway Children Edith Nesbit, born in 1858, is buried in the churchyard of St Mary in the Marsh.
Romney Marsh - St Mary In The Marsh
The Church of St Mary the Virgin lies in the heart of St Mary in the Marsh, next to the local public house, The Star, and a few houses.
This was superseded after the Norman invasion by a stone built church with a splendid three tier tower of Kentish ragstone.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 are about 1133 AD. The chancel was extended in about 1220 AD.
The village of St Mary in the Marsh is located in the heart of Romney Marsh, surrounded by the stark beauty of the marshes and the open landscapes of rich farmland, in one of its least populated areas. This site was originally known as "Siwold's Circe", meaning the burial ground on the wooded island, but the later Christians changed the name to remove its pagan history. A Ciric or Circa is a circular Celtic burial ground raised above ground level, to keep the dead dry. The Normans built the current church on top of an old wooden Saxon church. The tower is constructed of Kentish ragstone. The oldest parts of the church date from about 1133 AD.
Author of the famous childrens' book The Railway Children Edith Nesbit, born in 1858, is buried in the churchyard of St Mary in the Marsh.