Hythe is a Cinque port just west of Folkestone, and I had to include some photos of it  because I lived there for a while too. We were the first owners of 14 Romney Way, Pennypot Estate, it was our first owned home, and I was very surprised to see that the garage out back is still standing 40 years later.  It was the first thing my ex-husband had ever built in his life!

This one shows the seafront, with changing tents. Very sensible inventions in my opinion!  Sure beats having to wear your swimsuit underneath your clothes.  Or even worse - having to do a Mr. Bean when you get there, and try to change without anyone seeing anything!

Here is a clearer picture of Marine Parade in Hythe.  Look at that woman sitting on the beach - she looks more suitably attired for a funeral than sun bathing!

Here we have Hythe High Street, the building with the ivy all over the roof is the Smuggler's Retreat public house.

Now this is where I used to go fishing.  The Hythe Canal.  I remember watching the lovely Hythe Venetian Fete here too.  Like a parade on water!  They still have it too, every two years!

Princess Parade, Hythe.  Not a terribly old picture, judging by the length of that woman's dress.  Of course, to me the 50's is not terribly old! :-) It's hard to believe that sometimes the sea is so rough that it comes up and over that wall, leaving shingle all over the road!  However, I understand it has now been made higher. I saw this card for sale on the internet, and it was described as 'Sea Wall & ?Jumper!" I do hope she didn't, with the tide that far out, all she would have achieved is a broken leg!!

You can't show pictures of Hythe without one of the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch light railway, because that is what it's best known for.  I wasn't sure if this picture was classified as a 'then' or 'now', because these trains haven't changed much since long before my childhood! For the few who haven't heard of it.  It is the world's smallest public railway.  Small as in itty bitty carriages that will take you all over the Romney Marshes.

The Canadians at Hythe.  During the first world war, I would guess from the mode of dress. (So, there was a connection between my two countries, even in those days! :-)

Last trip home, I visited St. Leonard's Church in Hythe where this macabre sight is still open to the public.  This picture doesn't show all of the skulls by any means, there are three more displays just like it.  The pile of bones at the back stretches almost the length of the crypt, although they have been rearranged since this picture was taken by scientists who did lots of tests to try to discover the origin of these people. There have been many theories over the years.  It was once thought there might have been a plague which caused so many deaths, but it was ruled out, because there are too many bones for the size of Hythe at that time. It was then considered that they might have been the result of a battle.  But as the collection includes many women and children, that idea was ruled out. They then came to the conclusion that it is nothing more sinister than the fact that the graveyard ran out of room, so they removed the larger bones to allow further burials.  The pile has only the bones from legs and arms, with a few skulls visible in this photo for effect. It is a very interesting place to go, if you are up to the steep uphill climb to get there!

This card says 'The Tram & Bus Terminus'  Wasn't there a lot of road space in those days?  All the roads in Hythe seem so narrow now.  However, I think the roads are the same size, it's just the traffic that is different.

Here is a picture that was taken between Folkestone and Hythe. It is entitled 'The Toast Rack, 5 miles by the Sea, Sandgate, Seabrook & Hythe' Doesn't it look like fun to ride on? I guess it does look a lot like a toast rack too! If you would like to read more about this tramway, check out this link: http://www.tramways.freeserve.co.uk/Cards/Postc20.htm

1940's Northern Chief, part of the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway

Hythe High Street 1904  Once again showing the Smuggler's Retreat.

Here it is again.  I wonder if it was so called because smugglers used to hide there?

A lot of soldiers in Hythe High Street in this one.  It was dated 1912.  They were possibly from the School of Musketry or Shorncliffe Camp.

Here is Hythe High Street once again, but this time the timeframe is 1955  I thought they had moved on from sepia cards by then, but obviously not.

Talking about the School of Musketry, here it is.  A very ancient establishment.  It later became the Small Arms School, but is now no longer there.

The School of Musketry again in 1912

And again, but this time, showing the barracks

Here is an engraving of Hythe by the wonderful artist J.M.W. Turner.  He has also featured some men from the School of Musketry. (I have a Turner print of Folkestone from The Sea over my fireplace, I love his work! That one depicts one of Folkestone's oldest professions - smuggling)

This is The Parade, Hythe with more tents pitched on the beach.  I believe you could pay for these by the day or by the week.  I don't think you could just go down there and pitch your own tent without some kind of charge.

This is the beach and promenade at Hythe.  Two clues that this one is a little later than the one above right.  First of all nobody is wearing black, and secondly you can actually see a little bit of leg on those ladies! :-)

Another one for you model railway enthusiasts.  This is the RHD railway train at Dungeness, with the lighthouse behind. On the front of the engine it says Hythe Chamber of Commerce On my trip over with my granddaughter, we took a trip from Hythe to Dymchurch on this railway, and were thrilled to see a fox standing beside the track  just outside Hythe as we chugged by.  Becca had never seen one before, as we don't have them in the city of Winnipeg!

And here comes the little railway again, just leaving Hythe station a lot earlier than George's photo.

This is St. Leonard's Church, Hythe.  Home of the skull filled crypt I enlarged the photo, and even looked at it through a magnifying glass, but still couldn't read that tombstone!

Here is an aerial shot of Hythe, sent to me by Dave.  The white building you can see is what used to be the School of Musketry.  It  then became the Small Arms School, but has now been demolished, as have the barracks on the hill.

This is a really interesting photograph dated around 1860 of Fort Sutherland in Hythe. You can see the Martello towers stretching way into the distance right along the coast.  The fort had 8 cannons and housed a hundred men.  There were two other forts in Hythe.  Fort Twiss and Fort Moncrieff.

This card was described as Moyle Tower beach.  I wonder where Moyle Tower is/was?

These two are both of Beaconsfield Terrace, taken at different times, but I am not sure which is the oldest.  The one at the bottom looks as if it has a sentry box stationed in front!

Now this is a lovely scene isn't it?  It is of the boating station on Hythe canal in 1935.  I don't think you ever see any swans a swimming on there these days. (Sorry, I am writing this at Christmas time!)  I was totally wrong anyway wasn't I?  Swans are still seen on the canal, as witnessed by George in his photos above.

This one was entitled 'The Boat Stage' on Hythe Canal.  Which could possibly have been the same place as the boating station.  The building looks similar.

Ah yes, I have climbed up here.  It leads up to St. Leonards Church, home of the crypt full of skulls. It is very pretty at the top, and the view is magnificent, but very tiring if it comes at the end of a long day of sight seeing like I had had that day. This photo dates from 1910.

Back to the light railway again.  This engine is Dr. Syn - named after the famous Dymchurch smuggler.  If you want to find out more about him, I am sure there is all kinds of information on the net.  Just do a Google search.

2 General views but no date for either.  You can see the subtle differences in the two photos.

I don't know how old the Red Lion is, but as you can see, it has been around for a good many years.  This very old  photo was entitled 'One of the Trams at Hythe'.

Still at the Hythe station of the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway, and the engine this time is the Hurricane.

A very busy Hythe Beach in 1910.  I thought at first that the child in the foreground was being hauled back with a pair of reins - something you don't see these days, but on second glance, I think mother is hanging onto the little girl's dress.  notice that the child's hat is bigger than her mother's!

Same beach looking in the opposite direction - but this time we are in 1965.

The beach and Moyle Tower again.  I have to admit, I have never been on Hythe beach.

A modern photo of the beach at Hythe, and look - you can see two Martello Towers.

Another view of the Royal Military Canal.  This was taken in 1933.

Oh my goodness!  I wish I had a date for this one.  Again it is Hythe Canal, and doesn't it look old?  I don't think you see cattle in Kent with horns like that any more do you?

ROYAL MILITARY CANAL The Royal Military Canal was built between 1804 and 1807. It was constructed as a defence against Napoleon when it was feared that an invasion by the Imperial Army was imminent. The Canal was designed as a series of measured staggers at 800 feet apart (within cannon range) to defend each section. Hitler, too, had to take account of this formidable obstacle in planning his invasion of Britain. The Canal runs from Seabrook in Kent to Pett Level in East Sussex. This statement and the photo on the left was taken from Frontline Hythe http://www.hythe-kent.com/heritage/index.htm This picture is copyright © 2000 Hythe Town Council

Looking at this lovely picture, it looks like a subject for John Constable.  You would never guess that this canal was built for military purposes would you?

The canal again in 1956.  This time showing the Town Bridge.  A fellow by the name of Tony Reeve tells me that this photo was taken shortly after the bridge was erected.  Before that, following the war, for many years there was a bailey bridge, borrowed from the army, spanning the gap, as the original bridge was partially destroyed by a bomb during the war.

Here is an interesting comparison.  I don't have a date for the one on the right, but the left one dates from 1890.  You can see how they have added the spikes to each corner of the tower (I am sure there is a proper name for those, but I don't know what it is!)  The round turret in the centre has a bigger roof, and there is also something poking up from the left side of the building that wasn't there before.  There also looks to be less graves doesn't there?   Hmmmmm, did they possibly add to the bones in the crypt around that time?  It does look as if the graveyard has been cleaned up in the photo on the right doesn't it?

Here we have a very old engraving of Hythe.  I have no idea of the date, or of the accuracy of the picture depicted.

To show you that Folkestone hasn't always had a monopoly on the South-East coast fishing industry.  Here are some boats waiting to go out from Hythe.

Not quite the same angle, but very close.  You are looking at two photos of Hythe High Street.  On the left in the early 1900's and on the right in the present day.  Again there are subtle differences, but the building with the clock has remained exactly the same.  Now I stand to be corrected, but I believe this building is the Town Hall, formerly the Guildhall, which was built on the site of the covered market place in Hythe High Street in 1794. Previous meetings had been held in the parvise of the Church of St Leonard's. Meetings of Mayors and Town Councillors (called Jurats) may have been held in the ancient 'Wealden House' almost opposite the Town Hall.

This 1890 picture is of the same street, but a different part, they sure didn't need any double yellow lines in those days did they? Tony again writes to say that in the 50's and he believes into the 60's parking in the High Street was limited to one side of the road on even numbered days - and the other side on odd numbered days.

Not the same portion of the street, but you can see quite a contrast between them can't you?  Good grief!  Is that Ken Barlow waiting to cross?

Another pretty old picture showing the Guildhall, and on the immediate right is the Smuggler's Retreat.

These buildings look so derelict, it's amazing that they stayed up as long as they did.  Now is that a pram emerging from the shop next to the Smuggler's Retreat?  Looking at the rims on those wheels, and the shallow body, I wouldn't be surprised if the poor baby wasn't bumped right out onto the pavement at regular intervals!

A modern day photograph of runners going full pelt down the High Street.  No horses in sight these days - and no cars either, because there is no parking on either side of the street!

Here is another one of the High Street showing the Town Hall.  Isn't it amazing that this building has now been there for over 200 years?  Or has it been rebuilt at some point?  It has looked exactly the same in every photo I have seen of it.

Before we leave the shopping area, here are the employees of the Hythe branch of the International Stores.  I believe their trademark at the time was that all employees wore a long white apron which was frayed at the bottom.

The Hythe Venetian Fete.  I used to love watching this.  Tony also had something to say about this.  "I remember one Venetian Fete in particular, the guest of honour was Peter Twiss, who was the pilot of the first UK airplane to reach the incredible speed of 1,132mph - before that, the official speed record was lttle more than 350mph!

The Imperial Hotel, Hythe.  Not much around it in those days was there?  It is a Victorian hotel, still very much in operation today - see next picture...

It really hasn't changed much has it?  It still has very spacious grounds too, with a fabulous sea view if your room is on the other

One night Sunday Spa Break Relax and make Sunday nights special with our new one night Spa Break for only £125.00 per person to include the following: 1 nights accommodation Full use of the Reflections Spa and Leisure Facilities E'spa Facial or Full Body Massage Table d'Hote Dinner in the Restaurant Full English or buffet Breakfast

I was checking in my Ward Lock guide from 1905-06 to see if they advertised their rates.  They didn't, they only mentioned that they had 120 rooms available. However, most of the other hotels in the area at the time were ranging from 1/6d to 3/6d per night.

The Parish church in 1926.  Is that a photo of the interior of the same church on the right?  I am not sure.

Isn't this pretty?  It is called Ladies Walk.  Still there, running from the centre of the town to the seafront.  It was laid out in 1810 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of King George 111.  Due to dutch elm disease, the walk is now less wooded.

Another one of the Promenade.  Judging by the length of that woman's dress, I would guess it to be late 30s or early 40s. It is funny how the older photos sometimes look more modern than the younger ones.  Compare the quality of the one on the left with this one.  The one on the left has to be older because of the way the woman on the bench is dressed.

The military have always had a presence in Hythe.  Even now, they use the ranges in West Hythe for military exercises. In 1853 the School of Musketry was formed, shown here in 1910.  It later became the Small Arms School, which finally closed down in 1968. The street names in Hythe still reflect the military past.  The street pictured here is Military Road, and around the corner is Barrack Hill, where the barracks were located. (Picture above)

This was the officers' mess, photo taken sometime between 1910 and 1920.

Back to the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway.  This time it is the turn of the Southern Maid to do the run across the Romney Marshes.

St. Leonard's Church taken from a different angle.  The date on it as you can see spanned at the time from 1100 to 1908.  However, the card was postmarked 1911, and in fact it is still there today, so was it rebuilt sometime after 1908?

I don't have a date for this one though.  It shows a tank field gun andwar memorial.  I don't know the location, or if it is still there.

The Avenue, in 1906 located on the North side of the canal

The Parade.  It looked like a womens' day out didn't it?

Here we have the Twiss Bridge.  Do you know why Twiss is such a prominent name in Hythe?  It probably arose from the fact there used to be a Fort Twiss, which was named for Brigadier-General Twiss, who was a key player in getting the Martello Towers built all along the south-east coast.

Ooh look at this one!  A much older photograph of the Venetian Fete.  I wonder who the woman in the box was supposed to be?  Just look at the crowds and crowds of people lining the canal bank.

And to prove Alan's point, here is a photo showing the memorial and bandstand.  This one was taken in 1929.

All three of these are of West Parade, taken at different times.  I would guess that the last one is the youngest.  That car looks around the 40's vintage to me.

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Looking East down the Promenade on a pretty busy day.  I see the hemlines are creeping away from the ankles on some of the women, so it is probably mid twenties.

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Update: Actually, this is what Alan Taylor told me about this pub: "The tower on the roof of the Smuggler's Retreat was reputedly used to house a lantern to signal to smugglers at sea;  Hythe was heavily involved in the smuggling trade in the 18th century.  The building was demolished in 1908 and three mock Tudor shops were built on the site, and remain in situ.

It's time we had some photographs that fit into the 'Now' category. George Hills lives in West Hythe, and frequently sends me photos  of things he comes across while walking his dog, Zara.

The canal and the Botolph's Bridge Inn.  The swans gather there in the winter time

Listening dish on the 'Roughs'

Wooden carving of a cricket that George came across while walking along the canal bank.  He said there are a few different ones along there.  The question is, how long will they stay there?  I am sure someone will come along who will decide it would look good in his own garden!

West Hythe the way it looks now.

Here comes the little railway!

Sailing boats on the lake at Palmarsh

Thank you George, these photos are really lovely!

A couple of people came to my aid on this one.  Klaus of Germany said it was a youth centre  in the late 60's, because he had been there in 1967/68. Alan said it is the building on the left of the picture.  It was built in 1877-8 for use as a hotel.  However, it was left as an unfinished shell for a number of years.  The Holiday Fellowship moved in the premises in 1923.  The Fellowship ran about forty such Christian Holiday Centres throughout Britain.

I had a very interesting e-mail from Tony Reeve about this photograph.  The white building in the photo used to be a Martello tower, and here is what Tony says: "The Martello tower was inhabited in the 1940's and 50's - later Ronnie Ward, who was the architect of the new lighthouse at Dungeness, built a glass cube on the roof, where, even in the strongest storm, you could sit and enjoy the view of the sea.  On the floor of this room was linoleum, laid out as a map of the Channel; it was possible to stand on the martello tower marked on this floor at night, and line the lighthouses and lightships on the floor map with the real ones at sea.

And here are those fishermen who sailed those boats in 1921

This is a 1923 photo of the High Street.  Is that snow on the ground?  Something is making tracks isn't it?

I bet this is something they didn't offer in the old days though.  Here is a recent advertisement:

But Alan Taylor knows:  The tank field gun and war memorial were in the 'Grove' (gardens which are by the side of the canal).  The tank and field gun have been removed, the war memorial is still there as is a bandstand.

Another interesting snippet told to me by Tony: "My grandmother lived in a house called Lilybet, at the end of the West Parade, just before the 'dump', on the corner of West Parade and Albert Road.  The house had that name as my grandmother was Lisa Sheridan, who was a professional photographer - the business that she and her husband ran was called Studio Lisa.  She held the Royal warrant for informal photographs of the Royal family, and Lilybet was the family name of Princess Elizabeth.  My grandmother changed the house's name to Limpet in 1953, following the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11.  For the first 21 years of my life I spent all school holidays in Hythe, and knew the fishermen well - Mr. Lee, old man Whitey, the Griggs boys and others - and can tell stories of their smuggling and their superstitions.       Thanks for your input Tony, loved your memories!

Alan confirmed that the Bridge and Road are indeed named after this gentleman.  Now I have to ask, is Peter Twiss mentioned above by Tony a relative of Brigadier-General Twiss?

This page updated September 2, 2007