St Mary's Bay, Kent
| St Mary's Bay | |
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 The entrance to Dunstall Lane |
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 St Mary's Bay
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| St Mary's Bay shown within Kent | |
| Population | 2,819 (parish, 2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | TR089276 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Romney Marsh |
| Postcode district | TN29 0 |
| Dialling code | 01797/01303 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Official website |
St Mary's Bay, also known as The Bay, is a coastal village in Kent, England. Situated on Romney Marsh, St Mary's Bay has a long sandy beach which stretches north to Dymchurch and south to Littlestone-on-Sea. It has a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
During the 1950s and 1960s, St Mary's Bay was a popular destination for vacationers. 'The Bay' had a number of holiday camps, among them Maddieson's Golden Sands at Dunstall Lane, the School Journey Centre at Jefferstone Lane, and the Rugby Club camp on the opposite (sea) side of the A259 main road between Jefferstone Lane and Taylor's Lane. The School Journey Center closed at the end of the 1970s, and the site is now occupied by a housing estate. Also at St Mary's Bay was the Sands Holiday Motel and accompanying Bahia Bar, sited on the seafront roughly opposite the turning to Jefferstone Lane on the A259. The hotel and bar were demolished after being badly damaged in the Great Storm of 1987.
St Mary's Bay was the site of a home for mentally handicapped children. Known as Pirates Spring and located on Coast Drive close to the beach, the home was run by the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children (now Mencap) and had the actor Brian Rix among its patrons. After the facility closed in the 1980s the building housed a hotel and country club in the 1990s. The Springs Community now provides sheltered housing accommodation for people with the special needs associated with autism and Asperger's syndrome.
History of the Camp at St Mary's Bay
'The Bay' had a number of pubs and clubs, including the Bailiffs Sergeant pub, located in the Pirates Spring Country Club. Of these, only The Bailiffs Sergeant, located down Jefferstone Lane, remains open to the public today. Many were closed as a result of the diminishing tourist traffic to the area. The Nightrider Club, formerly next to the Jenner's coal yard, was demolished in the 1990s and the site, along with the coal yard itself, is now occupied by houses. Currently the only takeaway food shop is Yongs Chinese Takeaway, positioned almost next to The Bailiffs Sergeant pub.
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Wikipedia