Pictures of Appledore

About Appledore

This picturesque village with its wealth of attractive architectural properties sits quietly on the edge of Romney Marsh. It is an ancient place with a long and varied history, the Danes invaded in 892 and the Doomsday book of 1086 records a church being here but there is nothing in the church dedicated to St.Peter and St.Paul (C.1380) to substantiate this.

Like so many other places in this area, Appledore was once a flourishing port on the estuary of the River Rother. A storm in the 13th-century caused the course of the river to alter and in 1359 the village became a market town with rights granted by King Edward III for a weekly market and an annual fair. These lively, colourful events continued until well into the last century.

The French landed here in both the 13th and 14th-centuries, they burned the village and destroyed the church which was later rebuilt with much of the 13th-century work surviving. The church, with its magnificent clock-face tower stands in a peaceful churchyard surrounded by graves and tombs of centuries. Inside, visitors can see a screen from the 14th-century, a font C.15th-century and an amazing 20th-century tapestry commemorating the 800th anniversary of the church in 1988. It is a cherished item and portrays the history of Appledore throughout the ages.

The men of Appledore took part in the historic peasants revolt in 1381 and over a century later they marched with Jack Cade's rebel army. Queen Elizabeth I had associations with the town, the Queen became the tenant of Appledore manor in 1583.

The Royal Military Canal flows through Appledore, and interestingly when the stretch between Appledore and Hamstreet was being sold off in 1935 it was bought by a Miss Dorothy Johnson, who gave it to the National Trust. It is now a tourist destination for visitors to the town.

Not unsurprising, the loud croaking of the Romney Marsh frog is said to be occasionally heard in Appledore.

With graceful swans floating between beautiful water-meadows on the banks of the canal, and with peaceful, pretty streets, Appledore overlooking the swirling mists of the Romney Marsh offers a joyful experience for those wishing 'to get away from it all' for a quiet weekend or to spend a longer time getting to know the sights and sounds of the Marshes and the beautiful Kentish coast.