Hythe Issue 4
Your magazine December 2016
This newsletter is compiled and edited by David Cowell who is totally responsible for content. If you do not wish to receive these newsletters please email UNSUBSCRIBE to him at david@davidcowell.net
No man is an island, entire of itself................ I enjoy the feedback I receive from readers of the The Sentinel and often it gives me ideas that I can incorporate into forthcoming editions. As with all feedback some is also critical yet those comments are equally important. Recently a subscriber said that they felt the magazine went outside the area and as such was not as good as previous versions which focused on the eponymous towns and villages. I do spread the net wide to include things happening in nearby towns. One person wondered why I allowed a Dover chimney sweep to advertise and I explained that nowadays not every community has its own chimney sweep so, if you have a coal fire, you have a need and I have good personal experience of the services the one that advertises offers. I would value your thoughts on the subject. Thank you.
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Support your local Farmers' Markets
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Art and Craft Market
Great range of bread, pies, biscuits, fruit & veg, meat, eggs, cheese and charcuterie, fish, cakes and quiches, preserves and chutneys and confectionery (stall holders may vary between markets).
REAL F
D. REAL CL
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Shop Local. www.sandgatebusiness.org.uk
Sandgate Library is open Monday to Saturday 9:30am - 1:00pm (closed Wednesday) For more information call 01303 248563 (mornings only) Sandgate Library, James Morris Court, Sandgate High St. CT20 3RR
Did you know that... winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name.
December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars. It is the seventh and last month to have the length of 31 days. December got its name from the Latin word decem (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the Roman calendar, which began in March. The
In the Western World the month is strongly associated with Christmas. 2
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A sweet little gem.......... I have always relished those serendipitous moments when life throws up a new discovery. Running the risk of being accused of walking around with my eyes closed, I recently visited the cobblers at the west end of the Hythe High Street, crossing the road I suddenly saw Queenies. It was like a time warp. A traditional sweet shop with all those old favourites lining the shelves in jars - just as I remember them. Imagine my amazement when the proprietor told me they had been there five years. Go on, give them a try. They'll even serve you a quarter of a pound but don't tell the metric police will you? The Historic Houses Association (HHA) represents over 1,640 of the UK's privately and charitably owned historic houses, castles and gardens. These are listed buildings or designated gardens, usually Grade I or II*, and are often outstanding. Many are considered to be iconic symbols of Britain's unique heritage. Around 500 of these properties open their doors to visitors for days out, special tours, school visits, film locations, weddings and events, or as memorable places to stay. 24 million people a year visit HHA Member properties and there are over 45,000 Friends of the HHA. Members range from iconic stately homes such as Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle, Castle Howard, Knebworth House, Longleat and Burghley House, to more intimate houses such as Traquair in Scotland, Treowen in Wales and Belle Isle in Northern Ireland. Most are still private family homes. The Association was established in 1973 to help owners conserve these wonderful places in the interests of the nation and carries out important lobbying, advisory and marketing work on behalf of Member properties.
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From its heyday as a Victorian seaside resort to its role as a major departure point for cross-channel ferries, Folkestone has a proud and distinctive identity. This extraordinary history is embodied in the buildings that have shaped the town. Folkestone in 50 Buildings explores the history of this rich and vibrant community through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures. From the magnificent century-old Grand Hotel to the stunning new Rocksalt Restaurant, part of the ongoing regeneration of its famous seafront and harbour, this unique study celebrates the town's architectural heritage in a new and accessible way. Well-known local author Paul Harris guides the reader on a tour of the city’s historic buildings and modern architectural marvels. Due out on the 15th November. Click on photograph to visit the publisher's website.
To advertise in three The Sentinels with circa 2300 targetted readers and growing please email me at:
No job too small
david@davidcowell.net
Please call to discuss your needs
for a rate card. Thank you.
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
FOLKESTONE QUAKERS MEET IN SANDGATE We gather at
ST. PAUL’S CHURCH HALL on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of the month at 10.30am Anyone is welcome to join us. A Quaker Meeting for Worship is very simple and may be just what you need. It is a coming together in silence in which we ponder the deep issues of life without the constraints of pre-fixed beliefs. Anyone can share a heartfelt thought in the meeting. We don’t answer it or discuss it - we just receive it. In some meetings no-one speaks at all. The meeting ends with handshake and chat over coffee or tea. We also hold house discussion groups and monthly social coffee chats. Quakers have always been prepared to speak out on social issues and act on their convictions, resulting in the practical and social action that we have been known for over the years. www.eastkentquakers.org.uk
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Re p e sc rfo he rm d u l an ed ce
Saturday, 25th February 2017 7:30pm St Leonard's Church, Hythe
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Natural Solutions Helen Venner ~ Advanced Reflexologist 07935 978955 Naturalsolutions.hv@gmail.com
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If you have any photographs of the area either current or past do send them to me by email and I will feature them in future editions.
I am delighted to inform you that three electronic editions of The Sentinel are now published. With the latest Hythe addition we now produce two Sandgate, one Hythe and one Newington version each month.
If you just have prints do drop them round to Clyme House (see back page) and I will scan.
If you would like to receive a copy of any please email me at: david@davidcowell.net and put the name of the version you require ie The Sentinel Hythe or The Sentinel Sandgate/Hythe etc in the subject line.
KEVIN Plastering & Building Services Painting & Decorating Wall & Floor Tiling All aspects of building work undertaken Kevin 07948045255 Free Estimates
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New season programme of films
4th April 2017
6th December 2016 Whale Rider
Timbuktu
3rd January 2017
2nd May 2017
Manon des Sources 7th February 2017
The Salt of the Earth 6th June 2017
Pride
Tangerines
7th March 2017
4th July 2017
Raise the Red Lantern
O Brother Where Art Thou
Where The Tin Tabernacle, Portland Road, Hythe, CT 21 6FL. Parking in council car parks (including at Aldi) is free after 6 pm, and there are often spaces alongside the canal. Full disabled access. When 7.30 on the first Tuesday of the month, from October to July. Doors open 7.00. Entry ÂŁ5 on the door, or ÂŁ3 for Hythe Cinema Card holders.
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now including qualified tree surgery
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www.aridzonaawnings.co.uk For the finest German engineered awnings and glass rooms Installed by a Kent based family company.
Call Sam Ruddle for a free survey on 0330 6600949
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In the early 1900s Charles Igglesden, the founder of the Kentish Express newspaper, travelled around Kent and recorded his journey in 26 volumes called Saunters Through Kent with Pen and Pencil. This is the forth and final extract of his visit to Hythe taken from volume XXIV. Above the chair is the horn which was used in years gone by to call burgesses together. There is also the framed Charter given to Hythe by Queen Elizabeth. On the walls are portraits of Mr. Marjoribanks, who represented the borough in Parliament, and Charles James Fox. There are also two marine subjects by Daniell, one representing the burning of the “Kent” in 1825 in the Bay of Biscay, and the other showing the wreck of the “Hythe” in Australia. The two ships belonged to the Honourable East India Company, and several Hythe men, members of their crew, were drowned. On the wall behind the high seat are ten large panels containing names, five on either side of the Cinque Ports Arms, and immediately above the chair on one side is the common seal of Hythe and on the other the jurats’ seal. The names in the first two-and-a-quarter columns are those of the Bailiffs, following which are the Mayors, with about one-and-a-half columns for future names. An old oak chest contains some valuable documents. Amongst old world records I find an account of a deliberate case of a husband murderer. It appears that a Hythe butcher by the name of Lott fell in love with his young maid-servant. At that time, however, she was engaged to a man named Buss, who, however, being of a mercenary disposition, persuaded her to marry Lott upon the understanding that a will was made in her favour. The ceremony was gone through, but two days afterwards the trio went on horseback to Burmarsh and, after they had had a drink and rested at an inn, the bridegroom was taken ill. He died a few days afterwards and Mrs. Lott, who had been arrested, confessed that while Buss had placed the poison in a mug she agreed to the crime. The two were found guilty, but sufficient time had elapsed for a child to be born. The scene in court, when the young mother, holding her infant in her arms, was dragged from the dock at Maidstone, is described in the papers of the day in a most heartrending manner. Mrs. Lott, who was quite young, and her accomplice were hanged on the same day and it is stated that a quarter-of-an-hour passed before she was dead. The fire was then lighted under her body and it was consumed to ashes. Such is the old High Street of Hythe as we see it to-day, commercial enterprise 16
having given the faces of the buildings a modern look, but go into the rooms and peer into the backyards of many of these places and you will be carried back some three hundred years, when most of them were built. There are not many old houses apart from the High Street and passages leading out of it, but, nestling amid a wealth of trees, is a residence in Hillside Street known as Tynwold, with no known history, but obviously a place of importance in mediaeval times. The old building has been added to on more than one occasion, but there are distinct traces that it was originally constructed of timber, assisted by the stone from the near-by quarries. The large number of roofs, great and small, show what a great many additions have been made. Inside the house is some plain pine panelling in upper rooms, while in a room on the ground floor is some beautiful panelling of linen-fold pattern. In this room are two carved over-mantels of the Italian school, with beautiful ornamention, Scriptural and mythological figures and coats of arms in panels. The house belonged to the late Mr. Twopeny, a great antiquary and collector. The property now belongs to Rear-Admiral P. H. Hall-Thompson. The gardens of Tynwold are a revelation, for here, within less than a mile of the sea, grow immense trees with a luxuriance equal to those planted in the depths of the county away from the salt air. Here are the ilex, the cedar, the acacia and many other choice specimens rising triumphant out of the slope of the hill leading down to town. And just above the garden, across the road, is a triangular plot of land where a spring rises and trickles down through the gardens of Tynwold and the Dene. The Corporation once tried to sell this land but, according to law, this spring must never be interfered with. The land may belong to the town, but the water belongs to the owners of the land below. Nonconformity has always flourished in Hythe, and we find a Congregational Church in the High Street and a Wesleyan Church close to the banks of the Canal. The latter is quite modern, having been erected in 1897, but the Congregational Church was built in 1867. The latter is a charming building in the Gothic style, yet not too ornate. The two entrances are a feature, having arches supported by delicate pillars, with richly carved capitals. In an old book I find a reference to the first Independent Chapel Congregational, I suppose-built in Hythe. It appears that a small body of this sect in 1814 started services in a room previously used as a billiard room, and they were joined by the Baptists. The room was consecrated, but in 1816 “a neat plot of land was obtained and a neat chapel, forty feet by twenty feet, was erected.” The present Congregational Church is probably the successor of this earlier one referred to. The nonagenarian, the late Mr. Longly, told me that Chapel Street was named after an Ebenezer Chapel that stood here on the site now occupied by a chemist’s shop. In the upper rooms of another building, now used as a newspaper office, services were held, and the place was known as ]ohnny Friar’s Chapel. The Roman Catholic Church, built in 1893, is associated with the Austin Friars. In the days of religious persecution during the reign of Queen Mary the Protestants of Hythe became an important body, and several showed the courage of martyrdom 17
to the end. Four were burned at the stake in Canterbury - Streater and George Catmer as the first victims, and William Hay and Joan Catmer a year afterwards. The history of the Catmers is typical of the religious fervour of those days. The husband absolutely refused to accept the Sacrament of the altar, and, in reply to the charge, said that “God is the Worthy receiver spiritually, but the Sacrament, as you use it, is an abominable idol.” He was chained to four other men and burned to death, singing psalms up to the end. Afterwards his widow came into the limelight, for, instead of being intimidated at the painful death of her husband, she openly took up the same attitude in regard to the Sacrament as he had done, and she, too, was burned at the stake. She is described as being a most beautiful woman, and those who were compelled to officiate at the execution “turned away their heads and wept.” In the year 1573 Archbishop Parker ordered a visitation to all places in East Kent, and we find, in the reports, a statement that the Hospital of St. John at Hythe was not being properly used. In the first place, the trustees were cultivating the attached land for their own use, while “the same almes howse is bestowed uppon Roges and Beggers contrary to Lawe." In the same report it is stated that the Hospital of St. Bartholomew was being occupied by “foriners for money and suche as are able to of themselves to Lyve otherwise.” One record is amusing. It shows that a Mr. Deedes, of Saltwood Castle, to save time and bother, elected himself to represent Hythe in Parliament when a vacancy occurred. After he had taken his seat, however, ugly rumours ran through the House of Commons, enquiries were made, and the election was declared void. Mr. Deedes not only lost his seat in Parliament, but his position as Mayor of Hythe. Another instance refers to Sir Edward Dering, who represented Hythe in Parliament in 1675. He introduced a Bill for the abolition of Archbishops, Bishops, Deans and Chapters, and, not satisfied with delivering speeches in the House of Commons, published them in pamphlet form. This was a serious breach of privilege and the pamphlets were burned by the common hangman. The baronet was confined in the Tower of London for a week and disqualified for a seat in Parliament for all time. Later on he fought for King Charles I. and lost his estate. I cannot do better, in bringing my history of Hythe to a close, than mention an interview I had with the late Mr. Longly just before his death a few months ago. He had then reached the advanced age of ninety-three. Up to the last he was a remarkable man, mentally and physically, and when I saw him he could give the names of everyone who lived in Theatre Street, where he was born, his memory going back to the time when he was only seven years old. He was married in 1860. Talking of Theatre Street, he mentioned that the theatre itself was built for the use of troops encamped at the back of Hythe, under Sir ]ohn Moore, who was killed at the Battle of Corunna. The theatre was eventually pulled down and a private house built in its place. Amongst other alterations in the way of buildings, on the site of the house now occupied by Dr. Randall Davis there used to be a wheat store, and between the garden and the Ladies’ Walk a great many bones were dug up. 18
The Imperial Hotel was built on the site of a martello tower which was blown up, the explosion breaking many houses in the town, while chimneys rattled down. The National School was opened in 1814 opposite the King’s Head. In regard to the appearance of the Town Hall, it had not altered much during his lifetime. The corn market, held every Thursday, was a very important one, and all the cornfactors in East Kent had stalls there. Speaking about markets, he mentioned that a cattle market was held near the bridge close to the Duke’s Head once a week, as well as one in front of the Swan, and, although the street was narrow, he had seen sheep penned there. Mr. Longly had a vivid recollection of the opening of the Hythe railway, and the ceremony of cutting the first sod by the Duke of Connaught is within range of the author’s memory, as well as Mr. Longly’s. The Duke was then Prince Arthur, serving in the Rifle Brigade at Dover, and when presented with a rather fragile silver spade he went to work with the energy of a navvy, and the blade and handle broke in two. The Sandgate station was also built, but during one night the platforms subsided, and when the officials arrived on duty they found them level with the rails. It was originally intended that the line should be continued through Sandgate and the lower road to Folkestone, but the project was never carried out. While I was talking to Mr. Longly we were sitting on the banks of the Canal, and he visualised the picture as it appeared when he was a boy. There were merely rough banks, with no flower beds. He remembered the first houses being built on the front at the time when there was no promenade but merely a rough beach. The Ladies’ Walk was planted long before any house was built in the direction of the sea. In his early days there was some magnificent fishing to be obtained, including pike, perch and chub. One night he surreptitiously placed a flue net across the Canal and captured a forty-pound pike. Two streams from the hills ran into the Canal, the one from the mill pond being open and crossing the road. Later, iron pipes were laid to carry the water under the Canal out to sea. The intervening land between the Canal and the beach, including the tract of country towards Sandgate, reminded him very much of Romney Marsh, with ditches interlacing it. On the front were three forts, Sutherland Fort, Moncrieff Fort and the Grand Redoubt, as well as several martello towers. From these forts he used to watch coastguards firing 56lb. cannon balls, but the guns had a range of only about a quarter of a mile. Mr. Longly had a vivid recollection of the sea breaking over the front, washing away two bridges and flooding Stade Street, where he himself rowed a boat. He recalled the days when colliers unloaded coal on the beach near Stade Street, while barges came up to wharves. Much coal, however, was unloaded on the beach, and horses drew it in carts into Stade Street. Close to where Sutherland House Hotel now stands there used to be some capacious corn stores built on piles. Finally, Mr. Longly referred to the old days when cricket was played on the green, and he smiled when he described players running about in top hats and white ducks. 19
CHAMPAGNE BY THE SEA ALL YEAR ROUND Why wait for New Years or special occasions? We feel anytime is a good time for champagne!
Bar at the Hythe Imperial
Hythe Imperial Hotel, Princes Parade, Hythe, Kent CT21 6AE
01303 267441
Moet & Chandon, excellence from grape to glass. A seductive palette in every glass.
If you have any comments to make about this publication please do email me. I would be very interested in the things you like and the things you don't like and the things you'd like to see included. Thank you. If you would like to submit an article or letter please email it to me. I will print almost anything as long as it’s not libellous, racist or unkind. Name must be supplied but can be withheld if requested. Please put your articles etc in plain text or Word and images should be in .jpg, .tiff or .png. My contact details are: Address: Clyme House, Hillside Street, Hythe, Kent CT21 5DJ Mobile: 07771 796 446 Landline: 020 3239 5828 (via Skype) email: david@davidcowell.net