St Mary's Bay, Kent

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

static_image_caption=The entrance to "Dunstall Lane"
official_name= St Mary's Bay
latitude= 51.0105
longitude= 0.9771
population = 6,700 (inc Dymchurch)
civil_parish= St Mary in the Marsh
shire_district= Shepway
shire_county= Kent
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Folkestone and Hythe
post_town= TONBRIDGE
postcode_district= TN29
postcode_area=TN
dial_code= 01797/01303
os_grid_reference= TR089276

St Mary's Bay is a village in Kent, England. On the coast, situated on Romney Marsh, St Mary's Bay has a long sandy beach which stretches north to Dymchurch and south to Littlestone-on-Sea. It has a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.

History

During the 1950s and 1960s St Mary's Bay was a popular destination for holidaymakers, 'The Bay' having a number of holiday camps, among them Maddieson's "Golden Sands" at Dunstall Lane, the "School Journey Centre" at Jefferstone Lane, and the "Rugby Club" camp on the opposite (sea) side of the A259 main road between Jefferstone Lane and Taylors Lane. The "School Journey Centre" closed at the end of the 1970s and the site is now occupied by a housing estate. Also at St Mary's Bay was the "Sands Holiday Motel" and accompanying "Bahia Bar" [http://www.stmarysbay.org.uk/stmarysbay/motel.html] , sited on the seafront roughly opposite the turning to Jefferstone Lane on the A259, these have also since closed and been demolished, part of the motel having been badly damaged in the Great Storm of 1987.

St Mary's Bay was also the site of a home for mentally handicapped children. Known as "Pirates Spring" and located in Coast Drive close to the beach, the home was run by the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children (now Mencap) and had the actor Brian Rix among its patrons. After closing in the 1980s followed by a brief period as a hotel & country club in the 1990s, "The Springs Community" [http://www.thespringscommunity.co.uk/] as it is currently known, today provides sheltered housing accommodation specialising in catering for people with the special needs associated with autism and Asperger's syndrome, etc.

Entertainment

In addition to the "Bahia Bar" 'The Bay' had a number of pubs and clubs, including "The Bailiffs Sergeant" pub, the previously mentioned "Pirates Spring Country Club". Of these, only "The Bailiffs Sergeant" located down Jefferstone Lane remains open to the public today, "The Nightrider Club", (formerly next to the "Jenner's" coal yard) also in Jefferstone Lane having been demolished in the 1990s and the site, along with the coal yard itself, now occupied by houses.

St Mary's Bay has had a number of establishments offering refreshments and food although these have now dwindled to the present two, a result of the diminishing number of holidaymakers that now visit the area. In the 1970's 'The Bay' hosted "The Palm Grove Cafe" down Jefferstone Lane, and "The Cobsden Cafe" in nearby Cobsden Road, unusual for being located on the second storey of the building and accessed via wooden stairs and a bridge. Both these have now closed, "The Palm Grove Cafe" having been turned into a chemists/off licence in the mean time (also now-closed), and "The Cobsden Cafe" now being used as private accommodation. There was also a tea shop/cafe on the A259 located in what is now the site of the "Gazedown" cul-de-sac. Currently the only takeaway food shop is "Yongs Chinese Takeaway" positioned, conveniently, almost next to "The Bailiffs Sergeant" pub.

Retailers

At one time 'The Bay' was home to a number of shops, although, as with other things, these have now reduced in number. The Post Office is now located in a building in "Teelin Close" down Jefferstone Lane, having previously been sited in a building that was part of the "School Journey Centre" positioned at the top of Jefferstone Lane at the junction with the A259.

There were two Newsagents, one at the top of "Taylors Lane" alongside the former "St Mary's Bay Garage" and the other "Harry's Newsagents" (previously a draper's shop) down Jefferstone Lane. The former has now closed and become a private house whilst "Harry's Newsagents" has now become the "St Mary's Bay Superstore", selling a range of provisions and publications.

Also down Jefferstone Lane is "Foord"s electrical retailers, previously "Colmer"s, who were also an electrical store. During the 1970s St Mary's Bay also had a small supermarket situated at the top of Jefferstone Lane opposite the previous Post Office site. Known as the 'Mini-Market' it closed at the end of the 70's and remained empty and derelict until the 1990s, when it was pulled-down and a new housing development, "Jesson Close", built on the site. Previously, 'The Bay' was also host to both a butcher's and a baker's, both long-gone now, the site down Jefferstone Lane having had houses built on it in the late 1980s and named "Old Bakery Close".

In between what was once 'Harry's Newsagents' and the post office was a restaurant, called "Betty's Restaurant". This closed and was reopened as a pharmacy, but again this facility closed soon afterwards

chool

'The Bay' has a small nursery school in Jefferstone Lane situated next door to the church. Children older than nursery-age go to schools outside St Mary's Bay, generally Dymchurch Junior School, and then later perhaps Southlands in New Romney, however some children travel to schools further afield.

Religion

St Mary's Bay has a small modern Anglican church, the "All Saints Parish Church", located down Jefferstone Lane.

Other

'The Bay' is the home to an Army Cadet Force Detachment, located down Jefferstone Lane just over the RH&DR railway level crossing and adjacent to a caravan park.

St Mary's Bay has a modern village hall located opposite the site of the "The Bailiffs Sergeant" pub on land that was originally part of the "School Journey Centre" holiday camp. Previous to the building of the new hall the village hall was located on the same site in one of the holiday camp's old buildings, the building remaining in this use for some years after the rest of the holiday camp itself had been demolished.

Although no longer offering the opportunity for purchasing fuels, the "St Mary's Bay Garage" site still maintains a facility for light automotive repair, in the shape of "Colin Wood Engineering" who occupy the original service area of the garage, located on the left (New Romney) side of the old "St Mary's Bay Garage" building.

At the end of Jefferstone Lane is a large recreation ground, well kept and with a pavilion for sporting events.

Famous residents

St Mary's Bay was formerly the home to actor Larry Martyn, who lived down Jefferstone Lane in "Old Bakery Close" until his death in 1994.

The children's author E. Nesbit, author of among others, "The Railway Children", lived with her second husband Captain Tucker in St Mary's Bay between the two World Wars and is buried in the churchyard at nearby St Mary in the Marsh.

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.stmarysbay.org.uk The "stmarysbay.org.uk" website]
* [http://www.thespringscommunity.co.uk/ "The Springs Community" website]
* [http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=610000&Y=127500&width=700&height=400&gride=&gridn=&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=pc&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=TN29&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&in
]
* [http://www.poolekites.freeserve.co.uk/surveys/kent/stmarysbay.htm Kite Flying Site Report]
* [http://www.historic-kent.co.uk/vill_s.htm E. Nesbit at St Mary's Bay]
* [http://www.kent.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E503169D-C06B-498F-BD0A-678EE22B4D37/6841/sae108.pdf Ward population estimates (PDF)]