Most of the parish of Brenzett is on the eastern side of the Rhee Wall with the greatest part being open marshes. The northwest part of the parish is in Walland Marsh. There is no village with most of the houses standing at straggling distance on each side of the road leading from the church to Snave Green. In other respects, it is much the same as adjoining parishes. There is a fair on Whit Monday for toys and pedlary (selling items).
The parish of Brookland lies mostly in Walland Marsh. Brookland is more sheltered with trees and enclosed with hedges than any of the neighbouring parishes. The village is neat and pleasant and the houses as well as the inhabitants are of a better sort that are usually seen on the marsh. There is a school here for teaching reading and writing, supported by contributions, at which up to 50 children are usually taught.
The parish of Burmarsh has a village in it with a church and five houses. It is situated among thriving elms, an unusual sight in this part of the marsh. The roads which are wide and exceedingly crooked and winding, are in general nothing more than the deep black soil of the marsh, having in some places beach and shingle spread on them. There are a few hedges on either side of the roads and to part property. Deep and wide ditches or post and rail fences are everywhere. There is a great deal of marsh ploughed up in this parish, where the land is fertile and rich.
Dymchurch parish is situated adjoining the sea, from which it is defended by an artificial wall of great strength. The Dymchurch wall extends some three miles from Brockman’s Barn to Wallend, about 1½ miles from New Romney, by the ‘New Sewer’ outfall at St. Mary’s Bay. The cost of the wall is supported by the whole marsh. It is more than 20ft in height and as much in width at the top. The High Road from Hythe to New Romney being along the summit for much of the way. At a very small distance from the wall, lies the straggling village containing 40 houses with church and parsonage. The inhabitants are mostly of the lower sort and like many dwellers of the marsh, employed in the management of the level, or a kind of seafaring men who follow an illicit trade as well by land as water.
The parish of Hope All Saints lies in the level of Romney Marsh, the lands very much like the adjoining ones and being fertile, without trees or hedges to shelter them. There are only two houses in it. There is no road leading to the ruins of the church (below), which stands on a small knoll.
The church and eastern part of Ivychurch parish are in the level of Romney Marsh with the western part in Walland Marsh, cut off by the Rhee Wall. The parish extends some eight miles to the county boundary at the Kent Dyke and varies from ½ mile to 1½ miles in width. The village is much the same as the adjoining ones and consists of about 20 houses. It is entirely flat of marshes, without a tree or hedge among them. The church has a clock.
Midley parish is very much like St. Mary’s and there are only three or four houses in it. There is no road leading to the ruins of the church (next page) which stands on a small knoll on the marshes. The lands in it are very fertile and it lies to the west of the Rhee Wall and in Walland Marsh.
Old Romney written in ancient records as ‘Romenel’ or ‘Rumene’ meant a watery place which might have been when it was a port. The village or street and the church were in the liberty of New Romney and was at one time of much note until it lost its harbour and prosperity to New Romney. The village consists of 15 mean and straggling houses with the church in the midst of them, where it is much sheltered with trees which gives it a more pleasant appearance than any part of the adjoining country with the rest of the parish open, unsheltered and flat.
Snave parish is much the same as Brenzett and there is no village. The church stands on the south side of Snave Green, along which there are several straggling houses.
There is very little of worthy of note in St. Mary’s parish. The lands of which are an entire flat of marsh grounds without a hedge or tree among them. There is no village, but there are about 9 or 10 houses, interspersed in the parish, very much the same in appearance as the neighbouring Newchurch and Eastbridge.