LYMPNE CASTLE

Kent

Lympne (pronounced "Lymm") stands on the high ground overlooking Romney Marsh that was once the coast.  This can be seen from the ruins, halfway down the hill, of Stutfall Castle - one of the Roman "Forts of the Saxon Shore".

A Castle was built here by the Archdeacons of Canterbury, but the Castle which stands here today was built around 1360 during a lull in the Hundred Years War.  This part of Kent was always in danger from French invasion, but it seems that no action occurred at Lympne Castle and it had a relatively quiet life during the medieval period.  The Castle stayed in the possession of the Archdeaconry right up until 1860.  Ironically soon afterwards it saw its first action when it became the haunt of smugglers who operated along this part of the Kent coast, with frequent skirmishes occurring with the Revenue men.

Again in World War II Lympne Castle saw some action; a watch tower was built into the structure (top right in photo) ... so just as the Roman Fort was built to look out for marauding Germans, so too was this new watch tower something like 1500 years later!

Sadly the Castle has been in decline as a tourist destination for many years...where in 1980 you could go up the west tower and the WWII watch tower by the time we visited in 1992 you only had access to the interior rooms and terrace...and now the Castle's opening times are so erratic that not even the local Tourist Information Centre know when it will be open.  A great shame as Lympne is a fascinating little curiosity.

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2001