St Mary's Bay, Kent

St Mary’s Bay, known locally as The Bay, is a coastal village nestled on Romney Marsh in Kent. Its long sandy beach stretches northwards to Dymchurch and south to Littlestone-on-Sea, offering a classic seaside experience. The village is served by the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, adding a charming transport link.

In the mid-20th century, St Mary’s Bay was a popular holiday destination with several holiday camps, including Maddieson’s Golden Sands and the School Journey Centre. Although many of these camps have closed or been redeveloped, traces of this era remain in the village’s layout and local history. The Sands Holiday Motel and Bahia Bar, once prominent on the seafront, were lost after the Great Storm of 1987.

Notable residents have included actor Larry Martyn and children’s author E. Nesbit, who lived locally between the World Wars and is buried nearby.