England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Lyminge St Mary & St Ethelburga

The Parish

The parish of Lyminge lies in southeastern Kent about 5 miles northwest of the port of Folkestone. Lyminge is a large village sitting in lanes about 2 miles east of the B2068 road which connects the city of Canterbury with the M20 and follows the ancient Roman route of Stane Street. Lyminge is an ancient settlement, an abbey founded by the daughter of King Ethelbert was established at Lyminge as early as 633 and by the time of the Conquest the village was a large and prosperous place, as detailed below. Lyminge's economy would have been underpinned by farming with a mixed regime present, the parish's extensive woodlands, almost 20% of the area, also provided numerous opportunities for charcoal, coppice & carpentry. Lyminge is drained northwards by the Nail Bourne which joins the Little Stour to the east of Canterbury and thence the Stour to reach the North Sea through the port of Sandwich. Lyminge is sited at around 110 metres above the sea in rolling chalk downland, local heights rise to almost 180 metres to both east & west whilst land falls away to the south to the nearby English Channel. Lyminge parish was extensive, one of the largest in this part of Kent, it covered almost 4,600 acres making it comparable to a northern English parish in size and it would have supported a population of around 900 parishioners. In Domesday times the parish was controlled by the Archbishop of Canterbury, it was extremely wealthy indeed offering a very impressive 69 ploughs, meadows, woodland supporting 111 swine renders, 3 mills and a fishery.

The Church

St Mary & St Ethelburga sits on the southern edge of Lyminge accessed along the short and narrow lane of Church Road. St Mary & St Ethelburga is one of the earliest churches in England, documentary sources record donations for its repair & renewal as early as 960. The church occupies a portion of the old abbey site and ruins of that 7th century building, including reused Roman tile can be found nearby. From the 10th century rebuild are the bulk of nave and chancel, albeit with some later work; a flying buttress was added in the 15th to prevent slippage down the hill whilst the western tower was rebuilt in the early 16th century. Most of the roofing also dates from the Perpendicular period but for once there appears not to have been extensive Victorian changes made preserving this unique historic building. Church Road has little parking, the High Street is a better bet, the church is just a short walk along Church Road where wooden gates lead to a rising tarred pathway into the churchyard. Once within the boundary trees there are few obstructions to photograph this unique Kentish heritage building.