The name was originally Siwold's Circa meaning the burial ground on
the wooded(Wold) island(Ie) but the later christians changed
the name to remove its pagan history. A Ciric or Circa is a circular
Celtic burial ground raised above ground level, to keep the dead dry.
The circular form is believed to be the celtic symbol of immortality.
The current church was started about 1133 AD and was built by the
Normans on top of an old wooden Saxon church.
The local smugglers used the church for storing smuggled goods as
were most of the others on Romney Marsh .
The churchyard holds the grave of E(dith) Nesbit the author of the
"Railway Children" who lived in Friston further along the coast in
the south downs.
The village only consists of a few houses as many of the others in
the marsh, but there is a Public House which caters for the locals
and the many tourists to the area.
The nearest trains run from Appledore about 8 miles to the north,
with the nearest shops at New Romney about 3 miles south.
Views
The stark beauty of the surrounding marshes contrasts with the
church lying on its own small island .
All around are the open landscapes of rich farmland with a few trees
mostly bent towards the east .