“The world according to the best geographers is divided into Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Romney Marsh”

from Ingoldsby Legends, Rev. Richard Harris Barham

So there you have it ~ Romney Marsh is VERY famous.  And today I went right across it from east to west.  Very green, and very very flat.  Field after field of sheep and lambs ~ never seen so many.  And it’s even got a charming little train chugging across the marsh, I even saw it.

My friends in the know told me that I just MUST visit 2 famous churches in Romney Marsh, so of course I did.  Plus go up the church tower in Rye – FANTASTIC!

Firstly Brookland Church, Kent with its spire totally separate from the actual church (to make sure it stood up – given the marshy land underneath), huge box pews, lead font and the most wonderful grave shelter – where the vicar would sit in what looks like an upright coffin to conduct burials….

Then nearby to St. Thomas  à Becket Church in Fairfield, Kent, located in the middle of a marshy field full of sheep and lambs. Really, truly and honestly completely in the middle of absolutely nowhere.  With the key hanging up outside a nearby farm.  This church is extraordinary – both in its location – and inside, with a 3-tier pulpit and white box pews….

And finally onto Rye, E. Sussex, where I had a spare hour to rush around the town and to the church, and yes, up the church tower.  £3:50 to go up.  What a bargain – kinda counts as a donation too.  Do go up if you’re in the area.  There were loads of people up there – the busiest church tower I’ve been up so far!  Really great views of the town and the marsh and even as far as the sea. Beautiful!

Plenty more I could have seen and done, but oh so little time ~ and so onto Bexhill….

But then that’s a whole other story!

Quaint and Quirky ~ that’s Postling!  Such a delightfully charming English village.  Just imagine it ~ sheep and lambs in every field, primroses and daffodils on every roadside, little cottages galore and an ancient black and white manor house.  There’s even a red telephone box with a real telephone. And an old church with wooden beams and ancient wall paintings.  And a village full of interesting people. Most interesting of all of course are my good friends from CMS, Peter and Sarah. They live right there in Postling, surrounded by lambs and sheep, primroses and daffodils ~ and there I was yesterday catching up…..

So while Sarah went off to work, Peter took me to explore the cliffs and walks of Folkestone, called the Folkestone Warren… a long trail along by the railway, a steep walk up the cliff, which brought us, sort of by chance – out by – well, an ice-cream shop ha ha! So, fortified by a large 99, off we went along the cliff, and there was the Battle of Britain Memorial, where the Queen had been only a few weeks ago to open the new wing….

That’s Peter up there on the edge of the building – in his Superman pose ready for take-off…..

And into Folkestone to see the promenade ~ the Metropole and Grand Hotel ~ what a place!  Sadly no time for the Grand Hotel Tour and Cream Tea ~ that’s for next time…..

Such a lovely area of Kent, and such lovely people to visit ~ thank you Peter and Sarah, certainly never a dull moment visiting Postling ~ ha ha!