St Mary the Virgin, Romney Marsh - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

It is probable that there was a Saxon church on the site originally known as "Siwold's Circe". This was superseded after the Norman invasion by a stone built church with a splendid three tier tower of Kentish ragstone. The oldest parts of the church are about 1133 AD. The chancel was extended in about 1220 AD. Inside is a plaque commemorating Edith Nesbit, author of "The Railway Children", who lived at St. Mary's Bay and is buried in the churchyard. There are many interesting features of the building which warrant a visit.

St Mary in the Marsh is surrounded by the stark beauty of the marshes and the open landscapes of rich farmland

The church is Grade I listed and the entry at the Eglish Heritage website (visit link) tells us:

"Parish church. C12, circa 1300, circa 1800 and C19. Mixed stone, partly rendered. Plain tile roof. Wood shingles to spire. West tower, virtually continuous nave and chancel, north and south aisles to nave, and south porch. West tower: C12. Three stages to north and south, lower two incorporated to west. Clasping buttresses. Splay-footed octagonal spire. North and south sides each have small chamfered round-headed opening to first and third stages and broader round-headed opening to second stage (blocked to north). Single trefoil-headed light to top stage to west. 2-centred arched west door with plain chamfer and broach stops, now rendered. South aisle: probably circa 1300. Narrow and gabled, with 3 buttresses. No west window. Two 2-light south windows of circa 1800 with round-headed cavetto-moulded lights and segmental hoodmould with dropped verticals. Chamfered, round-headed east window, possibly inserted. South porch: coped, with rounded kneelers of rendered tiles. Rectangular lights to east and west. Chamfered 2-centred arched outer doorway and similar inner doorway with broach stop. Chancel: C12, extended circa 1300. South-east and north-east angle buttresses. Battered plinth to east. 2 tall rebated south lancets, that to west longer and broader. Small doorway to west of centre with pointed arch, plain chamfer and broach stops. Cusped 4-light east window of circa 1300, with 3 quatrefoils to head, cavetto mullions, hollow-chamfered architrave and no hoodmould. One tall chamfered north lancet towards west end. North aisle: circa 1300. No plinth. Gabled, with moulded stone coping. 4 evenly-spaced north buttresses on moulded plinths. 2-light east window with cinquefoiled head , square top and hoodmould. 2 similar windows to north in outer bays. Central hollow-chamfered north doorway with broach stops and almost pointed head. No west window. Interior: Structure: 3-bay nave arcade with pointed arches of 2 hollow-chamfered orders and columns with bell capitals and bases. Arcades rest at east and west ends on moulded imposts, that to north-west forming tall moulded hat slung low over carved head beneath. No chancel arch. Tower arch plain chamfered and pointed (a later alterarion?). Springing from attached columns with scalloped capitals and bell bases.East window flanked either side by slender shaft with bell capital and base set within the hollow-chamfered architrave of the window.Hollow-chamfered rere-arch with roll-and-fillet hoodmculd.String below east window rounded but not undercut. Inner arches of 2 south lancets spring from small carved heads with bell "hats". Small moulded imposts to north lancet. Rectangular stone to east of centre of chancel in north wall said to mark extent of C12 chancel. Broad rectangular blocked opening at west end of south chancel wall. Narrow round-headed rood-loft doorway just above nave arcade at south junction of nave and chancel. Roof: 4 crown-posts to nave; 2 to centre octagonal with moulded capitals and bases, that to west end rectangular with broad chamfered sides, that to east end plain. Sous-laces, ashlar-pieces and moulded cornice. Moulded tie-beams, those to centre with pendant posts and solid braces. Chancel roof of common rafters with collars, sous-laces, ashlar- pieces and chamfered cornice. Straight central plain-chamfered tie-beam. 4 short, rectangular, chamfered crown-posts to north aisle on heavy cambered moulded tie-beams. Sous-laces and ashlar-pieces. Moulded cornice to north. 3 plain straight intermediate tie-beams. South aisle roof similar, but with taller crown-posts. Fittings: 2 stepped sedile and unusual double piscina under continuous roll-and-fillet hoodmould with mask-like face between sedile and piscina and priest's head between sedile. All 3 have trefoil-heads, hollow chamfers and broach stops. Medieval floor tiles to chancel. Octagonal Medieval font with octagonal shaft on square stone plinth to west of south door. Painted wood font cover, probably C17, with knob finial. Slender moulded beam to west end of east bay of south aisle, set towards springing of arcade and probably the head of a screen. C18 north door to north aisle and C18 doors with fielded panels to tower arch. C18 hexagonal pulpit with fielded panels and balusters. Royal arms 1775 over north door. Italianate triptych on west wall of south aisle. Monuments: Plain tablet above font to Edith M. Nesbit 1858-1924. Brass to Matilda Jamys, d.1499, and brass to William Gregory, d.1502 in nave."

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