St George's Church, Ivychurch, lies on the
eastern side of the main street overlooking the junction with Ivychurch Road
in Romney Marsh. The name Ivychurch originates from the Old English
words for an island burial ground, while the church dates from about
the thirteenth century, probably one of the first major buildings on
the marsh as it was systematically drained and occupied from the twelfth
century onwards. Additions were made to it in the fourteenth century.
The tower, added in the fifteenth century, is of
roughly coursed stone, while the rest is of mixed roughly coursed
stone and flint. Both north and south chapels were fourteenth century
additions. As with many churches on Romney, St George's was used for
smuggling in the eighteenth century. The building was restored in
1888-1890 by R T Blomfield. During the Second World War it was used
as an ARP and Fire Post, and underwent further restoration afterwards.
St Augustine's Church, Brookland, is on the
southern side of the High Street, with the churchyard reaching to Boarman's
Lane. Brookland was first recorded in 1262 as 'Broklande', part of an
innings in the marshland. The church was built perhaps just a few years
before this, and the detached wooden bell tower dates to the same period.
The tower is octagonal, with a conical roof of three diminishing 'flounces'.
Until 1936 it was covered in black tarred weatherboarding.
The area was noted for its smuggling activities, and for
the Battle of Brookland in February 1821 between the Customs & Excise men
and the 250-strong Aldington Gang. The church's chancel was restored in the
nineteenth century, but the nave remains untouched, and has a Georgian pulpit
and box pews. The nave arcades lean outwards at a perilous angle, thanks to
subsidence which occurred many years ago. The arcades settled over a centimetre
more between 1900-2000.
All photos on this page contributed by Sam Weller.
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