St Mary in the Marsh

St Mary in the Marsh is set in the Kent marshes, near to Hythe. Surrounded by agricultural land, the landscape surrounding the roads leading to it is largely flat, giving a feeling of space and calm. The church was originally built here in the first half of the 12th century and sits on a mound, raising it slightly above the land around it.

The aisles were added in the 13th century and the church has a number of interesting features, including some floor brasses and a medieval scratch dial carved into the frame of the priest’s door.

My interest in visiting, however, was due to it being the final resting place of E Nesbit, an author whose stories have given me many hours of joy. She died on the 4th May 1924 and was buried, in accordance with her wishes, in a plain oak coffin in the churchyard, under the protective shade of an elm which stood close to the road.

The original memorial, caved by her second husband, is now in the porch of the church and it is a replica which marks her grave. A mosaic in the church which celebrates the locality also acknowledges her presence with a stack of her books and a tablet near the door also remembers her.

Her most popular book is probably ‘The Railway Children’, but I always loved ‘Five Children and It’, ‘The Phoenix and the Carpet’ and ‘The Story of the Amulet’, a trilogy of books about Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and the Lamb who find the Psammead and have amazing adventures! Many authors have been inspired by her, including Jacqueline Wilson who wrote ‘Four Children and It’ and Kate Saunders who wrote ‘Five Children on the Western Front’.

St Mary in the Marsh,

Romney Marsh

TN29 0BX

You can read about Oakworth Station here.