10 good reasons to visit...Hythe

1. The Royal Military Canal

The Royal Military Canal begins at Seabrook and runs through Hythe and across the northern edge of Romney Marsh to Winchelsea. It is more than 26 miles long and you can walk its entire length via a footpath.

Geologically, Hythe developed upon a succession of parallel terraces, rising from the level ground around the Royal Military canal up towards the steep incline upon which the parish church of St Leonard was built.

Running under Stade Street at one point, the old Royal Military canal, which was intended to help repel a threatened French invasion during the Napoleonic wars (1804 to 1815), gives central Hythe much of its character. Now shaded by tall trees, the canal, a defensive moat 30ft (10m) wide, passes into the marsh from the middle of the town.

2. Martello towers

Three of the 43 Martello towers built along this coast from Folkestone to Seaford at the same time as the canal survive at Hythe. One of these was converted into a house in the 1930s, while the other two are situated on the beach and are owned and maintained by the Ministry of Defence.

3. Parish church of St Leonard

The large 11th-century parish church of St Leonard can be found high above the town,; the tower at its eastern end was destroyed by an earth tremor in 1739 but was restored in 1750.

The chancel, dating from 1220, covers a processional ossuary, which is a bone store, more commonly found on the continent. It is lined with 2,000 skulls and 8,000 thighbones. They date from the medieval period, probably having been stored after removal, to make way for new graves. This was a common practice in England during the period, but bones were usually dispersed, which makes this a rare collection indeed.

Incidentally, Lionel Lukin, who is credited with the invention of the lifeboat, is buried in the parish church yard of Hythe.

4. Folkestone Racecourse

Kent’s only horse-racing venue is actually closer to Hythe than it is to Folkestone. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, it’s open 365 days a year and is home to more than 20 days of racing a year, both flat and national hunt. The racecourse is also an extremely popular events venue – from private and corporate functions to weddings and product launches. It can accommodate up to 10,000 people outdoors. For further information, tel: 01303 266407.

5. Saltwood Castle

Hythe was once of such significance that it was defended by two castles – Saltwood and Lympne. Saltwood derives its name from the village in its shadow, and is today a private residence, home most famously to Lord Deedes and the late Alan Clark, the maverick Conservative MP and diarist. It was here at Saltwood, on 28 December 1170, that four knights plotted the death of Thomas à Becket, which took place the following day. Hugh de Moreville was one of the four knights who carried out the assassination, along with Reginald Fitzurse, William de Tracey, and Richard le Breton.

Across history, there has been a castle here since the late fifth century, built on an old Roman site, but that was replaced in the 12th century by a Norman construction, and later much extended. An earthquake in 1580 made the structure unsafe for habitation, but the place was restored in Victorian times, after which it became a private dwelling. It is the imposingly tall, twin-turreted gatehouse that Alan Clark used to call home, and where he reportedly used to entertain guests to dinner eaten from solid gold tableware.

6. Lympne Castle

The site of Lympne Castle, with its commanding views, has been strategically important since Roman times. The Grade I listed castle itself, parts of which date to the 13th century, has witnessed invasion by the Danes and the Normans, was formerly home to the Archdeacon of Canterbury and was once occupied by Thomas à Becket. It also played an important role as an observation post in World War II.

The high vantage point of the castle, which made defence its initial attraction, allows unprecedented views of the south coast and the French coast on a clear day. Inside the castle you are transported back to mediaeval times, especially in the Great Hall with its part-panelled walls, wooden roof beams and Gothic arched windows.

7. The Cinque Port Court of Shepway

A cross shows the position of what was once, from 1358, a meeting place of the Confederation of the Cinque Ports, located several miles to the west of Hythe, and known then as ‘the Shepway crossroads’.

The Shepway cross, erected in 1923 as the monument to the Court of Shepway, can be found beside the Hythe to Lympne road (B2067). The lathe of Shepway was the Saxon name for south-east Kent, roughly corresponding with the modern District of Shepway, which comprises of Folkestone, Hythe, Romney Marsh and the nearby villages as far north as Elham.

Most people (including the inhabitants of nearby West Hythe and Lympne) seem to think that this monument exists to mark the spot where the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports traditionally held his court for Shepway, and it is invariably referred to as the ‘Shepway Cross’.

In fact, the Shepway Cross is a civic War Memorial erected in 1923 to commemorate the men of the Cinque Ports who went to war and those who never returned. It seems important, then, to give it its true title, wich is the Cinque Ports War Memorial.

The Shepway Cross was paid for and unveiled in August 1923 by Earl Beauchamp KG, the then Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Archbishop of Canterbury Randall Davidson attended the unveiling ceremony.

8. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway

Hythe is the northern terminus of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, the world’s smallest public railway, which runs third-scale steam and diesel locomotives. The track runs a parallel course to the coastline, passing through the towns of Dymchurch and New Romney to Dungeness, where there is a lighthouse, power station and an RSPB National Nature Reserve.

The original founders of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway were Captain JEP Howey and Count Louis Zborowski. Something of a hobby, the project was started in 1925, and opened in 1927. The locomotives and trains run on a narrow gauge of 15inches (380mm) in width, and the track is nearly 14 miles (23km) in length.

During the Second World War the service was taken over by the military and used to transport the secret Operation Pluto pipeline; it is now a major tourist attraction, and also carries children to school in New Romney.

9. Port Lympne Wild Animal Park & Gardens

The Port Lympne estate was purchased in 1973 by John Aspinall to solve a lack of space at Howletts Wild Animal Park. It was opened to the public in 1976. Since 1984, the animal park has been owned by The John Aspinall Foundation.

Royalty and many other famous people have stayed at the mansion at the centre of the park, which is set in 600 acres. The rooms are lavishly decorated and the landscaped gardens take full advantage of the spectacular views of Romney Marsh.

It is home to the largest breeding herd of Black Rhinos outside Africa, as well as Siberian and Indian tigers, African elephants, small cats, monkeys, Barbary lions and many more rare and endangered species. The world’s largest gorillarium, The Palace of the Apes, is home to a family group of gorillas,.

You can even take a day safari on The African Experience and see giraffe, black rhino, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich and antelope roaming free as if on the plains of Africa.

Howletts & Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks were set up by the late John Aspinall with the aim of protecting and breeding rare and endangered species and returning to safe areas in their native homeland. World leaders in conservation, the parks have so far returned to the wild Przewalski's horses, black rhino, Sumatran rhino, Cape buffalo, ocelots, pythons and gorillas.

Tel: 01303 264647.

10. Brockhill Country Park

A popular family friendly place, Brockhill Country Park is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest and has three distinctive areas for visitors to explore. The Deer Paddock is an attractive grassy area with trees such as walnut and variegated sycamore, The Lake is a shady oasis for wildlife, fringed with trees and The Valley is the largest area of the park. It has alder trees along its centre, which mark the course of the Brockhill stream.

Brockhill Country Park was previously part of a large estate that dates back to Norman times. The old manor house is now part of Brockhill School, and is located next to the park. A large, man-made lake forms the centre of the site. Two small islands sit within the lake and the larger is the final resting place of William Tournay, the last lord of Brockhill Manor, who died in 1903.

There are great walks within the park, and two circular ones that use the site as a base to explore the local area using the Public Rights of Way network.

Open 9am to dusk. Tel: 01303 266327.

How to get there

From central London, the M25 or M26, take the M20 towards Folkestone. Pass Maidstone and Ashford and take junction 11 (A261) to Hythe. From France or Dover, follow the M20 and take junction 11. When in Hythe, follow the signs to Folkestone.

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