The tiny village of Stodmarsh lies between the Great Stour to the north and the Lampen Stream to the south. Its history is first recorded in 678 A.D. when it was granted by Lothaire, King of Kent, to the Monastery of St. Peter in Canterbury. The monks used the watermeadows for breeding horses, and the Saxon word for mare,
stode, gave the village its name.
The flint-stone church is believed to have been consecrated in 1240, although there is a small Saxon or early Norman window near the font. The treble bell dates from the sixteenth century, and the tenor bell was cast around 1289 and is the oldest inscribed bell in Kent.
The largest house in the village is Stodmarsh Court, originally owned by St. Augustine's Abbey. Two wall paintings discovered there during restoration work are now in the Victoria & Albert Museum. One of the oldest houses is believed to be Waterham Cottage, said to have been used by Edward VIII, then Prince of Wales, and Mrs. Simpson.
Stodmarsh is famous for its nature reserve, which covers 241 hectares of wetland. There are extensive reedbeds and lakes, with a rich variety of birds and other wildlife. With its broad vistas of water, marshland and open sky, it is a wonderful place to visit. The reserve is managed by English Nature as a National Nature Reserve.
For the local human population, the
Red Lion pub in Stodmarsh provides a popular watering hole. It offers a selection of traditional ales served directly from the wood, and the restaurant has a reputation for having an extensive range of good food.
