Please note the translations of Saxon place names mentioned in the text are lower down this page

This map shows the Romney Marsh area in Roman times, the high tide levels are shown 5 metres higher(Please see our Sea Level pages), and the river Rother/Limen flowed across the north of the Marsh passing the Roman shore fort of Portus Lemanis(modern Stutfall castle) finally emerging at the sea near modern day Hythe.

Behind Dymchurch there is an area currently just below sea level that appears to be a lagoon, it is recorded that the romans were extracting salt around the Dymchurch, Lydd and 'St Mary in the Marsh'(most likely a later Saxon settlement as Christianity only reached Kent in AD601) areas in the 2nd century, probably mostly from this tidal lagoon, implying a line of barrier islands that protected the lagoon from the sea.

Portus Lemanis(This name most likely originates from the early Latin 'Portus ille manus' which roughly translates into 'The Port of the hand' or more accurately 'Port that hand' ) is most likely to have been located in the lagoon. This implies the Roman Navy, Classis Britannica(CLBR) used the lagoon as a protected harbour for their fleet, with Stutfall Castle as its major defence. It also seems to imply that the Saxon Shore forts protected important harbours for the CLBR so Pevensey may also have also been a major port.

The Rother was tidal to at least Bodiam in Roman times and probably untill the 1300's, and the tidal effects probably reached further upstream past Etchingham to Tidebrook near Stonegate.

The shaded areas on the Marsh area are derived from research carried out at the University of East Anglia The "Kent A" cadastre - page 5 - Peterson 2002 the main data shows the differing soil types on the marsh - implying land at various points.
 

Saxon places names translated

Current translation for Rother
		rother derived from roðer  – sailor or rower probably means sea inlet or deep river
“Sailor or rower probably means sea inlet or deep river”
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Current translation for Limen
		limen derived from læmen  – river full of silt(clay)
“River full of silt”
Found in Domesday 1086AD Name found: Limwarlet (Kent)
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Current translation for Dymchurch
		dym derived from demman  – dam to stop water
		church derived from cirice  – burial ground
“Burial ground dam to stop water”
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Current translation for Hythe
		hythe derived from hyð  – hythe - usually a harbour or port, an important or first one, or starting point
“Hythe”
Found in Domesday 1086AD Names found: Hed (Kent) Hede (Kent) Iaonei (Kent)
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Current translation for Lydd
		lydd derived from hlaed/lid  – a pile or mound or agger or a ship
“Pile or mound or agger or a ship”
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Current translation for Stutfall
		stut derived from stut  – gnats and midges
		fall derived from feoh el  – the cattle people
“Gnats and midges cattle people”
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Current translation for Pevensey
		pevens derived from fæsten naess  – fortress promentory
		ey derived from æg  – an island
“Island fortress promentory”
Found in Domesday 1086AD Name found: Pevenesel (Sussex)
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Current translation for Bodiam
		bodi derived from bodan  – ships keel - probably shipyard
		am derived from hamm  – Denotes a piece of land surrounded with paling, wicker-work, etc., and so defended against water, which would otherwise wash it away, so a valley settlement or settlement with a jetty.
“Ships keel denotes a piece of land surrounded with paling, wicker”
Found in Domesday 1086AD Names found: Bodeham (Sussex) Borham (Sussex)
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Current translation for Etchingham
		etch derived from weacg  – metal
		ing derived from ænge  – troubled village(appear to be fortlets or pallisaded villages)
		ham derived from hamm  – Denotes a piece of land surrounded with paling, wicker-work, etc., and so defended against water, which would otherwise wash it away, so a valley settlement or settlement with a jetty.
“Metal troubled village denotes a piece of land surrounded with paling, wicker”
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Current translation for Stonegate
		stone derived from stan  – stone - probably a roman road, milestone or builders stone
		gate derived from gat  – an entrance - from gat eye of a needle or a hole - appears related to roman roads, or parks
“Stone entrance”
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Current translation for Tidebrook
		tide derived from tyd  – time - meaning regular
		brook derived from broc  – a brook or stream
“Time brook or stream”
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