England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Burmarsh All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Burmarsh lies in southern Kent separated from the English Channel only by the thinnest sliver of Dymchurch parish. Burmarsh is located roughly 4 miles southwest of the town of Hythe and sits about 2 miles northwest of the A259 road which connects Hythe with New Romney. Burmarsh is a small Romney Marsh village built around a "T"-junction of lanes amidst a spider's web of drainage channels. The area is largely reclaimed land, made suitable for pastoral farming only by the efforts of the drainage experts but giving rich grazing for its many cattle & especially sheep. Modern developments have come to the area, military defense generated the Royal Military Canal at the northern edges of the marsh as a means of quickly moving men & materials should we be invaded by Napoleon. The heritage railway line of the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch line just grazes the southern edges of Burmarsh parish. Burmarsh is drained by man-made channels the short distance to the English Channel. Burmarsh is sited at just 9 metres above the sea with most land for 1-2 miles being at a similar height, it is not until the Military Canal is crossed that land rises abruptly to over 100 metres at Fort Lympne. Burmarsh parish was typically sized for its area covering just under 1,800 acres and supporting a population of around 150 parishioners.It is difficult to reconcile today's Burmarsh with its entry in Domesday Book where 49 households would be enough to place it in the largest 20% of settlements by population, its assets of 14 ploughs made it a substantial holding for Canterbury Abbey.

The Church

All Saints' church sits on the northern edge of the village on the northern side of Church Road and immediately west of the Shepherd & Crook Inn. Pevsner indicates that the church has been modified in later medieval periods from an original aisleless 12th century Norman Romanesque church, the walls thereof remaining as well as a single window in the chancel and the southern doorway to the nave. Work to modify that early church began by adding a 13th century western tower which was, in turn, replaced by today's late 14th century version leaving in situ the former 13th century Early English Gothic tower arch of the original. The curious arrangement for the short nave whereby its roof is hidden behind battlements as well as the battlements and buttresses to the tower are all late 14th century Perpendicular modifications. A typical Victorian restoration of 1878 mainly restored the roofing as well as a general refresh. Church Road is suitable for on-street parking, the approach to the church is curious in that one has to cross a drainage dyke by bridge to access the churchyard. Twin large mature evergreens dominated both southeastern and southwestern aspects limiting the angles available to the photographer, it is necessary to scout around for the better views.