England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Newington next Hythe St Nicholas

The Parish

The parish of Newington next Hythe, its qualifier to distinguish it from the other Newington in Kent near Sittingbourne, lies in the extreme south of Kent about 3 miles northwest of the port and market town of Folkestone, a detached portion of the parish forms a short stretch of the county's English Channel coastline. Newington sits on and particularly north of the A20 road which links Folkestone with London. Newington consists of a single street, The Street, headed north from the A20. Newington is a settlement much changed in modern times, previously a small agricultural settlement farming a mixture of both arable and pastoral methods, today the village stands immediately above the entrance to the Channel Tunnel and its immense infrastructure funneling traffic towards and from the trains. Newington stands on a lofty summit with a cliff of chalk falling below into the compound. Modern developments abound around the village, in addition to the Channel Tunnel railways, that joining Folkestone to Ashford from the Victorian era also passes through the parish as does the modern M20 motorway, a former branch line to Lyminge is nowadays a cycling and hiking trail, Sitting on porous chalk there is no surface drainage with most water making its way sub-surface to the nearby English Channel. Newington is sited at 60 metres above the sea although land within the parish varies between sea level and 175 metres above the escarpment lying to its north, land on that chalk feature rises to peak at 186 metres close to nearby Paddlesworth. Newington parish was extensive covering just over 3,100 acres and supporting a population of close to 450 parishioners. Domesday Newington was held by Hugh de Montfort and was a modest place offering just 5 ploughs, it did possess 3 mils and a half share in a fourth giving it some income.

The Church

St Nicholas' church stands on the eastern side of The Street at its junction with School Lane and less than is necessary to keep the churchyard peaceful from both the M20 and the Terminus of the Channel Tunnel. The church has ancient origins with both nave and chancel dating back to the 12th century Norman Romanesque period (indeed Historic England indicate an even earlier date for the nave of the 11th century Saxo-Norman period), also contemporaneous is the nave's southern doorway, now blocked, which is also of the 12th century. It is clear from Early English Gothic elements that building continued into the 13th century as the northern chapel and northern arcade show. Various windows also in lancet forms of the 13th century dot the chancel's walls as well as a single Decorated styled window of the early 14th century. The smart shingled bell-turret gracing the western end is an 18th century addition. Restoration was sporadic and late, the northern porch was added arounf the middle of the 19th century and in early 20th century the northwestern vestry. A thorough renewal of all of the windows was conducted in 2003. The Street has a few places where parking can be safely done, wooden gates set into School Lane form the main entrance into a churchyard which has uninterrupted views from all of the favoured southern aspects.