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Hythe History
Royal Military Canal | St Leonards Church | Saltwood & Lympne | Famous People
Hythe is a small coastal town in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. 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 promenade. Hythe was once of such significance that it was defended by two castles, Saltwood and Lympne. The Town Hall 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 Swimming Pool, Bowling Club,
Lawn Tennis Club, Cricket Club and
Sailing Club.
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. 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.
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".
In 1348 the black death afflicted Hythe, and in 1400 the plague further reduced the town's population.
Royal Military Canal
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Romney Marsh lies immediately to the west of Hythe.
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. Three 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 gives central Hythe much of its character. 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.
St Leonards Church
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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. 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
St Leonards Church, Hythe.
Saltwood and Lympne
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Hythe was once of such significance that it was defended by two castles, Saltwood and Lympne. 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.
Thomas Becket had sought from King Henry II, for the Church, the restoration of the castle, as an ecclesiastical palace. 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. 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. Hugh de Moreville was one of the four knights who assassinated Thomas Becket, along with Reginald Fitzurse, William de Tracey, and Richard le Breton.
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 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.
Famous People of Hythe
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The writer, painter, and filmmaker Derek Jarman lived at the isolated Prospect Cottage, at nearby Dungeness, where he created his famous seaside garden. It was here that he was "canonised" by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
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.
The novelist H. G. Wells built Spade House at nearby Sandgate.
The novelist E. Nesbit, author of "The Railway Children", lived on Romney Marsh.
Noel Coward lived at Goldenhaye Farm at nearby Aldington for many years.
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. Alan Clark, Conservative MP.
The novelist Daphne du Maurier lived briefly with her young family at Hythe in the early years of World War II.
Hythe is the birthplace of Francis Pettit-Smith, inventor of the marine screw propeller. She 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.
Charles Wakefield, 1st Viscount Wakefield, founder of the Castrol Oil Company and noted philanthropist.
Michael Howard is the Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe. He lives at nearby Lympne.
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.
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.
Sources: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)
