(/' V 



ROMNET MARSH— ITS PHYSICAL 

 FEATURES. 



This large tract of low land has al most all been recovered from 

 the sea during historical times. In Roman times, a harbour 

 existed at the foot of Lympne Hill, and there yet exists 

 the remains of the Roman castrum now termed Stutfall 

 Castle. In a.d. 833, King Egbert granted to the monastery 

 of Lyminge a piece of land at Sandtun, that was bounded 

 on the south by the river Limen (now named Bother), the 

 militaiy canal now occupying nearly its course. Subse- 

 quently the Rother shifted its course and flowed out to sea 

 at Romney, this was most likely before the Norman con- 

 quest. In those days the Rother flowed from Newenden, 

 round the north side of the Isle of Oxney, by Small Hithe 

 and Reading Street to Appledore, and from this latter place 

 to Romney its course was along the Ree Wall, the present 

 high road. "With regard to Dungeness beach, if true as 

 supposed by Mr. Drew, in his memoir on Romney Marsh, 

 that the river at that time took its course between New 

 Romney and Lydd, it follows that all that great mass of 

 shingle forming Dunge beach, which lies to the east of this 

 point, must have collected since the Rother first came to 

 Romney. We have no accurate maps to guide us before 

 the time of Queen Elizabeth, during whose reign a chart 

 was made of the Marsh and Ness. It appears from Mr. 

 Redman's researches, that, at that time, Dungeness point was 

 just three miles from Lydd church, whereas in 1844 it was 

 three miles and seven eights. In the middle of the thirteenth 

 century some destructive storms forced the river to seeka new 

 channel. It then changed its course at Appledore and fell 

 into the sea at Rye, and from that time New Romney de- 

 cayed as a port. 



I will now gpeak of this Lydd beach. One charac- 

 teristic of this and all bimilar beaches, is thai it 



