Dymchurch Village Sign

Dymchurch was once the headquarters for law and order on the Marsh and its name derives from Deme, mediaeval English for judge or arbiter. It was here where the governors of the Marsh resided (known as The Lord of the Level), and where swift justice was administered to anyone endangering the wellbeing of the Marsh

The governors met in a court room called the  New Hall, located in what is now New Hall Close opposite the church. It was originally a wooden structure, but was rebuilt in 1575 after the earlier wooden structure was destroyed in a storm. It was used as a court room for the Romney Marsh area.

The head magistrate was known as Leveller of the Marsh Scotts. It was here that the so-called scot tax was introduced, levied on residents to fund maintenance of the sea wall. Those directly outside the boundaries and thus not eligible for the tax were said to have got away " Scott Free" .

Residents with land were required to grow thorn bushes for building of the wall, as thorn twigs were believed impervious to sea water. Failure resulted in an ear being cut off.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, smuggling was rife all along the south east coast of England. Due to its remote location Romney Marsh and the surrounding areas were amongst the busiest locations for illicit trade. Inspiration from this gave rise to Dymchurch being the setting of the " Doctor Syn" novels, based on smuggling,

Three Martello towers and Dymchurch Redoubt are located in Dymchurch, all built during the Napoleonic Wars. 

The more modern history of Dymchurch  begins in the early 20th century. In 1908 Walter Jerrold described the village as a quiet scattered village and a delightful place far from the madding crowd. It is typical of this part of the coast, having originally been a very small village which during the 1930s became a much larger settlement. When people were wanting to own their own property. Land was sold to them and buildings erected - often derelict railway carriages.

Many of the houses were converted railway carriages, yet they are sadly no longer seen, however a flavour for them can be found just along the coast at Dungeness. Dymchurch is now a popular seaside resort complete with holiday camp, caravan parks, light railway station and amusement park.

Today the village is a relatively large one, and much of it is dedicated to the holiday maker. Restaurants, cafes and takeaways are there, as are the four public houses and amusement park and arcade.

To Find the Cache

At the first sign you will need to answer the following questions.

How many sheep can you see on the sign = A

How many waves are depicted = B

Also make a note of the number of cannons

At the second sign you will need to answer the following question

Total number of cannons on both signs = C

Number of sails on the boat = D

How many fish are caught on the line = E

The cache can be found at

N51 01.A(B+E)E

E000 59.(D+C)(D-E)A

Good luck and happy hunting

About Village Sign Caches

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This cache belongs to the Village Sign Series, a series of caches based on ornate signs that depict the heritage, history and culture of the villages that put them up (generally on the village green!). The signs can be made of different materials from fibreglass to wood, from forged steel to stone. They can depict anything from local industry to historical events. The tradition probably started in Norfolk or Suffolk and has now spread across most of the country so we thought we would base a series on them!

More information, bookmarks and statistics can be found at the Village Signs Website

If anybody would like to expand the Village Sign Series, please do.
I would ask that you request a number for your cache first at www.villagesignseries.co.uk
so we can keep track of the Village Sign numbers and names to avoid duplication.