WELCOME TO LYMPNE VILLAGE WEBSITE

 

COVID 19 CORONA VIRUS

 

For help and support please visit the following website where you can make contact with the local community hubs which have been created to help the most vulnerable in our society at this time of need.

https://folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/community-hub

 

Our local hub can be contacted here:

Hythe (and surrounding areas) Community Hub

Email covid-19@ageukhl.org.uk
Call 01303 269602
Open Monday - Sunday 9am - 4pm

 

 

 

EMERGENCY MEETING HELD TO DISCUSS RISE IN VISITORS TO LYMPNE

 

Lympne Parish Council held an emergency meeting on Monday 18th to discuss the concerns of residents due to the influx of people to the village after the recent changes in restrictions on private lives due the COVID 19 out break.

The people coming to our village are not breaking any rules or guidance by coming here. The issue is relying on individuals to be aware of their own responsibility to social distance and keep the 2metre (at a minimum) form other people or groups.

The Parish Council have contacted websites, the Kent County Council and Kent Police to inform them of the traffic issues and concerns over lack of the ability to socially distance on the narrow footpaths which have been advertised.

The Council would like residents to be aware that the Parish Council do not have powers to prosecute parking or traffic offences.

If you are concerned about traffic, dangerous or illegal parking please report it to Kent police using the 101 telephone number or on line at

https://www.kent.police.uk/ro/report/

Litter and fly tipping can be reported to the KCC via their online reporting site at

https://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-problem

We understand it may make people feel better to express their views on social media but without reporting it to the relevant authorities they will not come to our village or deal with any of the residents concerns.

 

A Brief History of Lympne

Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with magnificent views overlooking the expanse of Romney Marsh and the English Channel,  Lympne (pron. Lim) has much to offer and includes a vibrant village hall, the County Members pub, Village Stores and Post Office. 

Lympne dates back to at least the Roman period.  The ruins of  “Stutfall Castle”  Saxon Shore Fort,  lying down the escarpment, was built to guard the Roman port, Portus Lemanis.

As you wander down The Street, you will pass Lympne Hall, a medieval hall house; the Old Castle Stores with stories of smuggling; The Bistro, a good resting point for refreshments; and on to  Lympne Castle, the earliest part dating back to the 13th century.  Once owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and where Thomas a Becket is said to have stayed, the Castle is privately owned and available for weddings and special events. 

Adjacent to the Castle stands the beautiful Grade 1 listed Parish Church of St Stephen, the tower dating back to the late 11th century with a 12th century nave and 13th century north aisle or Lady Chapel. 

Lympne Airfield, now long disused and under threat of further development, has an important history from 1916 – 1984.  Developed in WW1 to send aircraft across the Channel, it was the site of many air races, world record flights and the beginning of commercial passenger flights  before becoming an RAF station in WW2.  It continued as a commercial airport into the 1960s, ending its days as a parachute club. 

Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, on the edge of the village, is a favourite for families.  Its central mansion and gardens built for Sir Philip Sassoon in the early 20th century, is now a hotel but in its heyday saw many famous celebrities and politicians, many of whom flew into Lympne.

Shepway Cross, standing proudly at the top of Lympne Hill, was dedicated in 1923 “To the Glory of God and in memory of the historic deeds of the Cinque Ports”.  It stands on the ancient site of the Royal Court of Shepway, where the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and jurats were sworn in and regular courts were held.   Although just outside the boundary of Lympne, SHAL (Studying History and Archaeology in Lympne) undertook to organise the cleaning and restoration of the Cross, following which it was re-dedicated on 8 August 2018.

Wandering around the village, there is a wide variety of buildings dating from the medieval period through to modern, including Berwick Manor which is listed in the Domesday Book.

Above courtesy of Studying History and Archaeology in Lympne please visit their website at http://www.shalstudygroup.org.uk/