| Hythe | |
  Hythe shown within Kent |
|
| Population | 14,170(Parish) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Hythe |
| District | Shepway |
| Shire county | Kent |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Folkestone and Hythe |
| List of places: UK • England • Kent | |
Hythe (IPA: /haɪð/, or haithe) is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway (derived from Sheep Way) on the south coast of Kent. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Governance The district was formed on April 1, 1974 as a merger of the boroughs of Folkestone Hythe Lydd and New Romney along with Elham and Romney Marsh Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Kent Police, a Home Office police force polices Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory fire and rescue service for the County of Kent covering a geographical area south of London The South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent (including Medway South East England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Folkestone and Hythe is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of places in Kent, England split by local government district and sorted alphabetically A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. The Romney Marsh is a sparsely-populated Wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. Governance The district was formed on April 1, 1974 as a merger of the boroughs of Folkestone Hythe Lydd and New Romney along with Elham and Romney Marsh KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place.
The town has Medieval and Georgian buildings, as well as a Saxon/Norman church on the hill and a seafront promenade. Georgian architecture is the name given in most English -speaking countries to the set of Architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840 Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the History of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid- 5th century until the For other buildings in Normandy see Architecture of Normandy. An esplanade is a long open level area usually next to a river or large body of water where people may walk Hythe was once of such significance that it was defended by two castles, Saltwood and Lympne. Saltwood is a Village and Civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Lympne (lɪm village is situated on the once sea cliffs above the Romney Marsh in Kent. The Town Hall (formerly Guildhall) was built in 1794 and its fireplace was designed by the famous Adam brothers. Hythe's market once took place in Market Square (now Red Lion Square) close to where there is now a regular Farmers' Market (every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month). Hythe has a Bowling Club, Lawn Tennis Club, Cricket Club , Football Club, Squash Club and Sailing Club. Lord Deedes was for many years Patron of Hythe Civic Society and The Rev. William Francis Deedes Baron Deedes, KBE, MC, PC, DL (1 June 1913 &ndash 17 August 2007 was a British journalist and politician Sampson is President of Hythe & District Gardeners Society. The hounds of The East Kent Hunt are kennelled in the nearby village of Elham.
It is one of the original Cinque Ports of England, but although it is beside a broad bay on the English Channel, silting of the coast removed any sign of its harbour hundreds of years ago. Cinque Ports is also the name of a 1703 Galleon (ship The Confederation of Cinque Ports (sɪŋk pɔrts is a historic series of coastal England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Hythe was once geographically the central Cinque Port, between the ports of Hastings and New Romney to the west with Dover and Sandwich to the east. New Romney is a small town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh an area of flat rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea Sandwich is a historic town in Kent, south-east England. It was one of the Cinque Ports and still has many original medieval buildings
According to Hasted, a French fleet approached Hythe in 1293 and succeeded in landing up to 200 men, but "the townsmen came upon them and slew every one of them: upon which the rest of the fleet hoisted sail and made no further attempt". This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.
In 1348 the black death afflicted Hythe, and in 1400 the plague further reduced the town's population. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as
Contents |
The Royal Military Canal
Romney Marsh lies immediately to the west of Hythe. The Romney Marsh is a sparsely-populated Wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. The Royal Military Canal runs across the northern edge of the Marsh, to Winchelsea, along with a series of Martello towers built at the same time along the coast from Folkestone to Seaford. The Royal Military Canal is a canal running for 28 miles between Seabrook near Folkestone and Cliff End near Hastings, following the old cliff line bordering This article concerns the town in the United Kingdom For the town in Victoria Australia see Winchelsea Victoria. Martello towers (or simply Martellos) are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century from the time Folkestone (ˈfoʊkstən is a resort town on the south coast of Kent, England, traditionally known as "The Garden Coast" Three of the many (43) towers along this coast survive at Hythe. One of these was converted into a house in the 1930s, the other two are on the beach and are owned and maintained by the Ministry of Defence. Geologically the town had developed upon a succession of parallel terraces, rising from the level ground around the Royal Military canal up towards the steep incline upon which the parish church of St Leonard was built.
Running under Stade Street at one point, the old Royal Military canal (intended to help repel a threatened French invasion during the Napoleonic wars (1804–15)), gives central Hythe much of its character. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Now shaded by tall trees, the canal, a defensive moat 30 ft (10m) wide passes into the marsh from the middle of the town. The canal begins at Seabrook and runs through Hythe and across Romney Marsh to Winchelsea. Its 26 mile length can be walked via footpath. From the High Street narrow alleys lead up to the steeper levels of the town.
The 11th century parish church of St Leonard
The large 11th century church can be found high above the town, some way up the hill; the tower at its eastern end was destroyed by an earth tremor in 1739 and restored in 1750.
The chancel, dating from 1220, covers a processional ossuary – a bone store, more commonly found on the continent – lined with 2000 skulls and 8,000 thighbones. An ossuary is a chest building well or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains They date from the medieval period, probably having been stored after removal, to make way for new graves. This was a common practice in England during the period but bones were usually dispersed, and this is thus a rare collection.
Lionel Lukin credited with the invention of the lifeboat, is buried in the parish church yard of Hythe. Lionel Lukin ( May 18, 1742 - February 16, 1834, Hythe, Kent, England) is considered by some to have been A lifeboat is a boat designed to save the lives of people in trouble at sea
The castles at Saltwood and Lympne
Hythe was once of such significance that it was defended by two castles, Saltwood and Lympne. Saltwood Castle is a castle in Saltwood village— which derives its name from the Castle— 1 mile (2 km north of Hythe Kent, England. Lympne Castle is a mediaeval castle near the village of Lympne, Kent, above Romney Marsh. Saltwood derives its name from the village, in its shadow. During the reign of king Canute the manor of Saltwood was granted to the priory of Christ Church in Canterbury, but during the 12th century it for a while became the home of Henry d' Essex, constable of England. Knut or Kanute is a Scandinavian first name of which the anglicized form is Canute. Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a Canterbury ( ˈkæntəbɹ̩i is a City in eastern Kent in the South East region of England.
Thomas Becket had sought from King Henry II, for the Church, the restoration of the castle, as an ecclesiastical palace. St Thomas Becket (c 1118 &ndash December 29, 1170) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170 Henry instead granted the castle to one of his loyal barons, Ranulf de Broc.
That the castle had been returned to the control of Becket, as archbishop of Canterbury, and remained a church property until the reign of Henry VIII, when Hythe and Saltwood were to be sequestrated to the Crown, leads to the implication that some complicity in the murder of Becket, by the baron Rranulf de Broc was possible. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of It was during this time at Saltwood, on 28 December 1170, that four knights plotted the death of Becket, which took place the following day. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Hugh de Moreville was one of the four knights who assassinated Thomas Becket, along with Reginald Fitzurse, William de Tracey, and Richard le Breton. Hugh de Morville (died c 1202 was an Anglo-Norman knight who served King Henry II of England in the late 12th century Woodspring Priory is a former Augustinian priory beside the Severn Estuary about north east of Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset. Richard le Breton (or Richard de Brito) was one of the four Knights who murdered Saint Thomas Becket.
From the moment Hythe came under Crown control the senior official of the town was also to become a bailiff appointed by the Crown, this state of affairs remained (uniquely for a Cinque Port) until 1575 when under a charter given by Elizabeth I, the town regained control of its domestic affairs.
The last Crown bailiff of Hythe was also to become the first mayor of the town. His name was John Bredgman, a brass inscription bearing his name remains in the parish church, dated 1581.
The Cinque port Court of Shepway
A monumental cross now indicates the position of what was once from 1358 a meeting place of the confederation of the Cinque ports, located several miles to the west of Hythe, and known then as "the Shepway crossroads". Shepway cross erected in 1923, the monument to the Court of Shepway, may be found beside the Hythe to Lympne road (B2067). The lathe of Shepway was the Saxon name for south east Kent, roughly corresponding with the modern District of Shepway, comprising Folkestone, Hythe, Romney Marsh and the nearby villages as far north as Elham.
Most people (including the inhabitants of nearby West Hythe and Lympne) seem to think that this monument exists to mark the spot where traditionally the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports held his court for Shepway, and it is invariably referred to as the “Shepway Cross”.
In fact the Shepway Cross is a civic War Memorial erected in 1923 to commemorate the men of the Cinque Ports who went to war and those who never returned – its true title should be the Cinque Ports War Memorial. It was placed on the top of Lympne Hill because that was traditionally the site of the Court of Shepway. This confusion has resulted from its positioning there.
The Shepway Cross was paid for and unveiled in August 1923 by Earl Beauchamp KG, the then Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Archbishop of Canterbury Randall Davidson attended the unveiling ceremony. The war memorial is now at risk and showing signs of serious decay. The lettering denoting the monument's true purpose is now hardly legible.
The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway
Hythe is the northern terminus of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, the world's smallest public railway, running third-scale steam and diesel locomotives. The Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a gauge Light railway in Kent, England. The track runs parallel to the coastline passing through the towns of Dymchurch and New Romney to Dungeness, where there is a lighthouse, power station and RSPB National Nature Reserve. Dymchurch is a village and Civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. New Romney is a small town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh an area of flat rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB) is a British Charitable organisation which works to promote conservation and protection
The founders of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway were Captain JEP Howey and Count Louis Zborowski. Count Louis Zborowski ( 20 February 1895 – 19 October 1924) was a racing driver and automobile engineer Something of a hobby, the project was begun in 1925, and opened in 1927. The locomotives and trains run on a narrow gauge of 15 inches (380 mm) in width, and the track is nearly 14 miles (23 km) in length.
During the Second World War the service was taken over by the military and used to transport the secret Operation Pluto pipeline; it is now a tourist attraction, and also carries children to school in New Romney. New Romney is a small town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh an area of flat rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea
Every two years, Hythe Corporation hosts the Hythe Venetian Fete, when local organisations and individuals create decorated floats which travel up and down the Royal Military Canal. The Hythe Venetian Fete is a traditional "floating tableaux" (carnival that dates back to the 1860s and takes place on the third Wednesday in August every two years on the The Royal Military Canal is a canal running for 28 miles between Seabrook near Folkestone and Cliff End near Hastings, following the old cliff line bordering
Folkestone and Hythe are represented in Parliament by Conservative Michael Howard, former home secretary and former Conservative party leader. Folkestone (ˈfoʊkstən is a resort town on the south coast of Kent, England, traditionally known as "The Garden Coast" The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of
Local places of interest
- Brockhill Country Park
- Port Lympne Wild Animal Park & Gardens
- Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
- Woodchurch Rare Breeds Centre
Theatre
The Folkestone & Hythe Operatic & Dramatic Society owns The Tower Theatre at nearby Shorncliffe. Brockhill Country Park was previously part of a large estate dating back to Norman times Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near the town of Ashford in Kent, England is set in and incorporates the historic mansion and landscaped The Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a gauge Light railway in Kent, England. Folkestone & Hythe Operatic & Dramatic Society, FHODS, is a Charitable organization that holds performances and events at its theatre in Shorncliffe, It is a charitable organisation which produces and performs several shows a year at their own theatre. The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates
Notable people of Hythe
- The writer, painter, and filmmaker Derek Jarman lived at the isolated Prospect Cottage, at nearby Dungeness, where he created his famous seaside garden. Derek Jarman ( January 31 1942 – February 19 1994) was an English Film director, Stage designer It was here that he was "canonised" by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence ( SPI) also called Order of Perpetual Indulgence ( OPI) in Australia and elsewhere are " radical
- The novelist Elizabeth Bowen spent part of her childhood in Hythe and retired to a house on Church Steps (overlooking the Parish Church) where she died. Elizabeth Dorothea Cole Bowen (7 June 1899 &ndash 22 February 1973 was an Anglo-Irish novelist and short story writer
- The novelist H. G. Wells built Spade House at nearby Sandgate. Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 &ndash 13 August 1946 He was an outspoken socialist and a pacifist, his later works becoming increasingly political Sandgate is a village in the Folkestone & Hythe Urban Area in the Shepway district of Kent County, England.
- The novelist E. Nesbit, author of "The Railway Children", lived on Romney Marsh. Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland; 15 August 1858 - 4 May 1924) was an English author and poet whose children's The Railway Children is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally published in 1906 The Romney Marsh is a sparsely-populated Wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England.
- Noel Coward lived at Goldenhaye Farm at nearby Aldington for many years. Sir Noël Peirce Coward ( 16 December 1899 26 March 1973) was an English Actor, Playwright Aldington is a village and Civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England.
- Saltwood Castle was the family home of Lord Deedes and was recently the home of Lord Kenneth Clark, the famous art historian, and his son Hon. Saltwood Castle is a castle in Saltwood village— which derives its name from the Castle— 1 mile (2 km north of Hythe Kent, England. William Francis Deedes Baron Deedes, KBE, MC, PC, DL (1 June 1913 &ndash 17 August 2007 was a British journalist and politician Kenneth McKenzie Clark Baron Clark, OM, CH, KCB, FBA ( July 13, 1903 &ndash May 21, 1983) was an Alan Clark, Conservative MP. Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (13 April 1928 &ndash 5 September 1999 was a British Conservative Politician, Historian and Diarist
- The novelist Daphne du Maurier lived briefly with her young family at Hythe in the early years of World War II. Daphne du Maurier Lady Browning DBE ( 13 May, 1907 – 19 April, 1989) (ˈdæfnɪ du ˈmɒɹieɪ was a British World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
- Francis Pettit Smith, inventor of the marine screw propeller, was born and raised in Hythe; a plaque commemorating this can be seen on the wall above the premises of Paydens Chemist in the High Street. Sir Francis Pettit Smith ( 1808 - 12 February 1874) was a British inventor and along with Frédéric Sauvage and John Ericsson A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an
- Charles Wakefield, 1st Viscount Wakefield, founder of the Castrol Oil Company and noted philanthropist. The title of Baron Wakefield was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom on 20 January 1930 for Charles Cheers Wakefield, (1859 Castrol is a Brand of industrial and Automotive Lubricants which is applied to a large range of Oils Greases and similar Philanthropy is the act of donating money goods services time and/or effort to support a socially beneficial cause with a defined objective and with no financial or material
- Michael Howard is the Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe. Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Folkestone (ˈfoʊkstən is a resort town on the south coast of Kent, England, traditionally known as "The Garden Coast" He lives at nearby Lympne. Lympne (lɪm village is situated on the once sea cliffs above the Romney Marsh in Kent.
- Noel Redding (1945-2003), bassist with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was raised on Romney Marsh and gave his first public performance at Hythe Youth Club. David "Noel" Redding ( December 25, 1945 &ndash May 11, 2003) was an English Rock and roll guitarist best "The Experience" redirects here For other uses of this term see Experience (disambiguation.
- The Royal photographer, Lisa Sheridan, lived on the seafront at Hythe until her death in 1966.
- Comedians Julian Clary and Paul O'Grady (aka Lily Savage) live nearby. Julian Clary (born 25 May 1959 is an English Comedian and Writer, known for his playing-on-stereotypes camp style with a heavy reliance on Paul James O'Grady MBE (born 14 June 1955
External links
- Official Shepway site
- The Tower Theatre website
- Information on the area by local resident
- Hythe, Kent
- Hythe Town FC
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic