Romney Marsh - "Lost Villages" of The Marsh

"Lost Villages" of The Marsh

These lost communities on the Marsh are further instances of the modern decline of the rural communities, except that these probably occurred over the centuries. In 1348, for example, many villages were hit by the Black Death.

The villages, shown below with the modern Ordnance Survey map information on Sheet 189, were:

• Buttdarts: Buttdart Bridge, over one of the larger marsh drains grid reference TR071296
• Dengemarsh: south of Lydd, village closed when the Lydd ranges were opened in WWII
• Eastbridge: Eastbridge House, on Dymchurch to Bonnington road: the road is named Eastbridge Road out of Dymchurch. Remains: large part of west wall of the tower, some other fragments. Village had a population of 21 (1801 Census). grid reference TR078319
• Fairfield: NW of Brookland grid reference TQ977270
• Falconhurst: a house north of the Royal Military Canal six miles west of Hythe. grid reference TR076344
• Galloways: south of Lydd, village closed when the Lydd ranges were opened in WWII
• Hope All Saints: Hope Farm, NW of New Romney. The remains of the church are marked on the map. (See Romney Marsh Gazeteer) grid reference TR049258
• Midley: Midley Cottages, SW of Old Romney grid reference TR016237 This was once a small island in the Rother between the larger ones of Romney and Lydd, and the name means "middle island". In the 8th century there was a village on this site, and 23 people still lived here in 1801. Now, only the ruined west wall of the church remains. During World War II, there was an RAF airfield here.
• Orgarswick: Orgarswick Farm, NW of Dymchurch grid reference TR090309
• Shorne: no modern trace, although there are unnamed church remains NNW of New Romney near Chapel Land Farm grid reference TR049258
• Snave: Although the church still stands, it is used only once a year for a harvest festival service and today falls under the Hamstreet group of churches. (See Romney Marsh Gazeteer) grid reference TR015299