The annual outing for the friends traditionally involves a visit to two or three churches on or around Romney Marsh and then tea with the Women’s Institute in Stone.
In recent years the weather has been kind for the event, but this year, high winds and showers threatened for July 15. However as the party met at Station Approach, the clouds shifted and the sun shone.
In two community buses, 24 friends headed down the Military Road to the first stop at one of the most interesting of Marsh churches: Brookland. Chair friends explained that it dated from the late 1100s and was credited to Archbishop of Canterbury Baldwin who, as owner of much of the Marsh, carried on the work of Thomas a Becket in draining and cultivating that part. Baldwin’s sewer or ditch still meanders round the church. Brookland has many interesting features: a separate wooden bell tower, a rare 12th century lead font with zodiac and monthly activity signs, a school room, the remains of medieval wall paintings, a set of vintage weights for measuring crops and a mobile shelter for priests conducting funerals in bad weather. As the Norman stone structure has settled into the reclaimed Marsh, the walls and columns have required several buttresses to prevent collapse.
Next stop was a small church in the woods north of Hamstreet: Orlestone. Dating from the 12th century Orlestone originally belonged to a Norman manor but is now maintained by the Oliver family, whose memorials can be seen inside.
From Orlestone, the buses took a scenic country route to Warehorne. Here the attractive church sits on the high ground above the old Saxon shoreline. Built on a Saxon mound by the Normans it was hit by lightning in the mid 1700s causing the tower to collapse. This was subsequently rebuilt in brick. Other features include a Flemish gable attributed to Hugenots in the 16th century, coloured local stone columns and Georgian box pews. By this time the friends were starting to settle low in the pews, perhaps anticipating tea.
After Warehorne, there was just time to reach the memorial hall in Stone, where the Women’s Institute team had laid out a magnificent tea in their signature WI china.
After tea the transport threaded its way in bright sunlight to the Military Road and then back to Rye.
This was another enjoyable afternoon excursion. The chair thanked the WI for tea, Gill and Paddy Harvey for making the logistic arrangements, Pat Hughes of Rye Community Transport for the safe travel and Elizabeth Kimber for reading “The Brookland Road” by Kipling during the first stop.
Facebook: @FriendsOfStMarysChurchRye
Image Credits: Anthony Kimber .