Hythe represents the Saxon word 'hyth', a 'landing-place' or 'harbour'. It first appears as the Domesday Book with the Norman spelling Hede.
The large 11th Century church is dedicated to St Leonard, and was expanded in about 1175 to provide a larger nave. The transepts were added in the 13th Century. The chancel was rebuilt to provide the ambulatory containing an ossuary, (a bone store), lined with 2,000 skulls and 8,000 thighbones. They date from the medieval period, probably having been stored after removal, to make way for new graves. A Tower was also added at this time, which was destroyed by an earth tremor in 1739 and restored in 1750.
Hythe is mentioned in the Domesday Survey and for many centuries, there was a close connection with successive kings and archbishops.
After the Norman Conquest, the name of 'Cinque Ports' was given to the ports of Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich in return for the obligation to provide ships and men for the monarch, to protect the south-east shores from invasion and provide cross-Channel passage for the sovereign and his retinue.
The oldest Cinque Port Charter was granted to Hythe as long ago as 1278, in the reign of Edward I and is still held by Hythe Town Council with other charters from Richard II dated 1392 and Elizabeth I dated 1575.
During the next few centuries, the Town continued as a south coast port, but in gradual decline. The harbour began to silt up very slowly, despite strenuous dredging efforts, and gradually became impossible to use.
The threat of invasion arose again at the end of the 18th Century, this time from Napoleon. This new threat led to the construction of the Martello Towers and the Royal Military Canal.
Hythe is the northern terminus of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, running third-scale steam and diesel locomotives. The track runs parallel to the coast through Dymchurch and New Romney to Dungeness.. It opened in 1927. The trains run on a gauge of 15 inches (380 mm) in width, and the track is nearly 14 miles long.
