Romney Marsh

Romney Marsh is a wide, flat wetland in south-east England, mostly in Kent but stretching into East Sussex. It covers about 260 square kilometres and has been shaped by the sea and rivers over centuries. Parts of the land lie below sea level, kept dry by ditches and embankments. The area was once notorious for malaria and later became a centre for smuggling. Today it is known for its sheep, which have grazed here for more than seven centuries. The Marsh has played a part in England’s trade and defence since medieval times. The River Rother once flowed past Romney and Lydd, making those towns busy ports. Storms in the 13th century destroyed harbours and shifted shingle along the coast. The Rhee Wall, built in the 13th century, once helped flush silt from New Romney’s harbour. Over time, reclamation turned salt marsh into farmland, though the sea still shapes the land today. Visitors find a quiet landscape of open fields, narrow drainage ditches and scattered farms. Dungeness, with its shingle beach and lighthouses, marks the southern edge. The Marsh is home to rare birds such as Bewick swans and little terns. Sheep still graze the pastures, and old drainage works like Baldwin’s Sewer remain in use. The wide skies and slow pace make it a place to see how land and water have shaped each other for hundreds of years.