East Guldeford

This is a village to the east of Rye.

According to the book Sussex Place names by Judith Glover and I quote: -

East Guldeford. It’s called New Guldeford in 1511, East Guldeford a few years later, taking its name from Guildford in Surrey. In 1505 an entry in the Register of Bishop James notes that in that year ‘the church of New Guldeford, within the marisco (marsh) commonly called Guldeford Innying, now reclaimed from the sea and made dry land by Richard Guldeford, Kt., having been newly built at his expense’ was consecrated as the parish church by the Bishop. The Guldeford family originated from Guildford. In 1480 Sir Richard had rented 1,500 acres of the Romney marshes from the Abbey of Robertsbridge for a payment of 12d a year. This was the beginning of East Guldeford – called New or East to distinguish it from Guildford proper.

This description of how the name came about and is more proberble than it was just named after Sir Richard as it is stated in other potted histories of the Village, no doubt I will get some more information passed on to me if I am incorrect.

East Guldeford is a rather spread out village and nowadays consists of mainly farms although Salts Farm has diversified and has a business park. There are no shops and only a Church and it no longer has the ubiquitous Public House School or Workhouse. At one time the only way to Rye was via Boons Hill Bridge, Scots Float or by ferry. The boundary of East Guldeford runs along the Kent Ditch out towards Camber then towards Rye and it buts against Playden and Iden. Part of the Military road was in East Guldeford as what is now Rye Tennis Club was once Guldeford Brewery and opposite is Guldeford Lodge. An early map which I have of the area shows Guldeford Marsh being backed onto Walland Marsh and to the other side connecting to Denge Marsh these three marshes then connect up to Romney Marsh to which they are collectively known worldwide. Also right through the area the River Limmen now known as the Eastern or Kentish Rother wended its way from Romney through to Appledore. Rye at that time was surrounded by sea.