Ivychurch is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

in the Folkestone and Hythe district of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England. The village is located on the

Romney Marsh Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about . The Marsh has been in use for centuries, though its inhabitants commonly suffered from malaria until th ...

, three miles (4.8 km) north-west of

New Romney New Romney is a market town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh, an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to silt up. New Romney, one of the original Cinque Ports, was once a sea port, w ...

. The parish council consists of five members.Ivychurch Parish council
The parish is huge and spreads across the marsh down to the Kent ditch (the boundary between Kent and East Sussex) although its population is only some 170, 50% of whom live in the village. The shape of the parish is rather unusual as it follows the parcels of land to the south-west which were progressively 'inned' (drained) in the 12th century onwards. Due to its size and space, St. George's is known as 'the Cathedral of Romney Marsh' and is mainly a 14th-century building with a seven bay arcade built in the late Decorated style of English architecture. The body of the church dates from around 1360 with the Perpendicular-style tower and west end being added about 100 years later. There are some remains/ reminders of an earlier, Early English, church which are mainly found at the east end and the first Rector is recorded as taking up his post in 1242. The building is mainly constructed of Kentish

ragstone Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones that are quarried in thin pieces, such as Horsham Stone, sandstone, Yorkshire stone, and the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. Near London ...

but some

Caen stone Caen stone (french: Pierre de Caen) is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in north-western France near the city of Caen. The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about ...

from the earlier church can also be found as can many wave-rolled flints which are a reminder of the close proximity of the English Channel. The nave is particularly impressive as it is empty of seats and the space is put to uses such as exhibitions, concerts, barn dances and the annual Harvest Supper. The recently restored north aisle (originally a

Lady chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British term for a chapel dedicated to "Our Lady", Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chapel or a Marian chapel, an ...

) is now a Museum of Rural Life. The pub, The Bell Inn, acts as a centre point for many village activities, hosting local

morris men Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may ...

groups and inviting many local musicians to showcase their talents. The Bell presents a very popular beer and cider festival every year.

References

External links

Villages in Kent Civil parishes in Kent Folkestone and Hythe District {{kent-geo-stub