IChurch · listed 1950St Leonard's ChurchOn the list as The Parish Church of St LeonardPhoto: DeFacto · CC BY-SA 4.0
Royal Military Canal, Scanlon's Bridge to Town Bridge · Photo: Ethan Doyle White · CC BY-SA 4.0A−History Grade
History of Hythe · Historic England
114 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England counts them inside Hythe’s built-up area, 78 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 6 scheduled monuments. We have photos of 5 of its listed buildings and 1 old view of the town. 22% of its homes were built before 1919. Hythe grades A− for history: #20 of 87 in Kent.
Listed buildings
114
78 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
1
exceptional interest
Grade II*
2
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
6
nationally important sites
Homes built before 1919
22%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
Hythe in 7 photos and old views
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
The Parish Church of St LeonardGrade I listed
The Town HallGrade II* listed
Centuries, 1 and 2Grade II* listed
Red Lion Public HouseGrade II listed
National Westminster BankGrade II listed+2See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
Through time
Hythe in old photos
1 old photo or postcard, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.
c. 1767Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.
The map
Where Hythe’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monument
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
0 of 10neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 46% were built before 1919.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
114 listed buildings by grade
1 Grade I2 Grade II*111 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).
Grade I
The Grade I listed building in Hythe
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
Grade II*
The 2 Grade II* listed buildings in Hythe
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. Every one is photographed.
II*Public · listed 1950The Town HallPhoto: Nilfanion · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 1950CenturiesOn the list as Centuries, 1 and 2Photo: David Kemp · CC BY-SA 2.0
Historic streets
High Street has the most listed buildings
Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.
High Street22 listed
Bartholomew Street4 listed
Stade Street4 listed
Theatre Street4 listed
North Road3 listed
Of the 114 entries, 49 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.
What’s protected
Most of Hythe’s listed buildings are homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas76
Walls, gates & bridges21
Inns, shops & warehouses11
Public & civic buildings3
Churches, chapels & priories2
Memorials, crosses & tombs1
76 entries (67%) are houses, terraces and villas. 2 are churches, chapels and priories, including 1 of the 1 Grade I buildings.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
111 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
All 111 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
Avenue Cottage and Wall Adjoining to the SouthBotfield CottageBuilding Adjoining No 4 on the North (Western Part Only)Cantle Cottage and Wall Adjoining West and South SidesChimneysChurch of St Michael and All AngelsDukes Head InnFormer Animal PoundGarden Wall on North and West Sides of No 32Garden Wall to North, South, East and West of No 38Garden Wall to South of No 36Garden Walls on South and East Sides of No 34 (Hill House)Garden Walls to South of Corner House, Quorndon and West BankGrove HouseHay HouseHythe Lifeboat StationsHythe Town ReservoirK6 Telephone BoxLloyds BankMilitary TerraceMill HouseMoses Drinking FountainNational Westminster BankOak HallOverburyPiers CottagePortland HousePortland VillaPound CottageProspect HouseRear Portion of No 2Red Lion Public HouseRockdeanRose CottageSt John's HospitalStables to Rear of No 86 High StreetThe Bell InnThe Black CottageThe CottageThe HermitageThe King's Head InnThe Manor House the Old Manor HouseThe Oak InnThe Swan HotelThe VicarageThe Water MillThe WhimThe White Hart InnWall Adjoining No 17 (Overbury) to South EastWall Adjoining No 26 to the North WestWall Adjoining Nos 5 to 9 (Odd) on South East SideWall Adjoining the Old Manor House to North, East and SouthWall to Cantle Cottage on West SideWall to North and East of Oak LodgeWall to North and South West of Tynwald, North of Clyme House, North and South of Dunkery and North, South and West of GramaryeWall to North and West Sides of the DeneWall to North and West of No 25Wall to North and West of Nos 7 to 15 (Odd) Hillside CourtWall to South of Parish Church of St LeonardWalls on South and East Sides of No 3 Church RoadWalls to North, South, East and West of Vicarage and Adjoining Property to the WestWalls to South, West and East of Old Walls1, High Street1-7, Theatre Street10, Hillside Street102 and 104, Stade Street11 and 13, Theatre Street110 and 112, Stade Street112 and 112A, High Street114, High Street114, Stade Street116-120, High Street119-123, High Street12 and 14, Hillside Street122, High Street124, High Street125, High Street126 and 128, High Street13-17, Portland Road130, High Street14-20, North Road152, 154, 154A and 156, High Street160, 160A and 160B, High Street2 and 4, Theatre Street21-27, Church Hill22-26, Bartholomew Street26-38, Stade Street29 and 31, Dymchurch Road31 and 33, High Street36, High Street38, 38A and 40, High Street4, Mount Street4, Prospect Road46, Bartholomew Street5 and 7, Bartholomew Street5-9, Church Hill53 and 53A, High Street6, Marine Walk Street6-18, Theatre Street64, High Street67 and 69, High Street7 and 7A, Dymchurch Road7-13, Mill Road8 and 8B, Bartholomew Street8, Marine Walk Street80, North Road82, North Road86, High Street87, High Street93 and 93A, High Street94-98, High Street
Conservation areas
1 conservation area covers 11% of Hythe
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
Hythe 196947 ha
47 hain conservation areas, of 446 ha inside the built-up area.
102 of the 114 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
More than half of Hythe’s listed buildings were added in one year, 1973
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1973 · 891950 · 14
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 14 entries were listed in 1950, 1 of the 1 Grade I buildings among them. 89 came in 1973, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 2 have been added in the last 15 years.
Monuments & landscapes
Monuments, parks and gardens
Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.
6 scheduled monuments
Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.
History Grade
Hythe grades A− for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (130 points, 89 per 10,000 residents)More than 79% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (22%)More than 67% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Homes by age
22% of Hythe’s homes were built before 1919
Every home by when it was built, from council tax records, against England & Wales (the dark tick).
14%
Before 1900
8.1%
1900–18
6.6%
1919–29
8%
1930s
4.7%
1945–54
14%
1955–64
11%
1965–72
8.2%
1973–82
9.6%
1983–92
2.2%
1993–99
4%
2000–08
3.7%
2009–15
6.4%
2016–25
HytheEngland & Wales
14% of homes are Victorian or older, against 16% across England and Wales. The busiest period since was 1955–64, which added 14% of today’s homes.
Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties by build period, 31 March 2025, for the neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that make up the town, split by where their residents live. Homes with no recorded build period (48 here) are left out; 1939–44 is not a period in the data.
Born here
9 notable people born in Hythe before 1900
Their lives on one timeline, earliest first.
Hamo Hethe
Frederick Mackeson
Francis Pettit Smith
William Orfeur Cavenagh
Charles Scrope Hutchinson
John Fryer
Henry H. Travers
Margaretta Louisa Lemon
Charles Latham
13501500165018001950
Margaretta Louisa Lemon1860–1953 · British humanitarian, ornithologist and conservationist
Francis Pettit Smith1808–1874 · British inventor
HH
Hamo Hethe1275–1352 · Bishop of Rochester
HT
Henry H. Travers1844–1928 · New Zealand naturalist and botanist (1844–1928)
FM
Frederick Mackeson1807–1853 · British army officer in the East India Company
Charles Latham1882–1968 · Wheat farmer and politician in Western Australia (1882–1968)
CH
Charles Scrope Hutchinson1826–1912 · British Army officer (1826-1912)
John Fryer1839–1928 · English missionary and academic (1839–1928)
Everyone born in Hythe → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Hythe has the 103rd most Grade I buildings of 557 towns its size
Places of 9,000–23,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
Hythe1
#118 of 557for listed buildings per resident (78 per 10,000). Ludlow, Bridport and Monmouth lead.
102 have more. The typical town its size has 0.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around Hythe
| Town | People | Listed | Grade I | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hythe | 14,613 | 114 | 1 | A− |
| Lympne | 1,074 | 1 | 0 | C− |
| Folkestone | 51,987 | 226 | 2 | A |
| Lyminge | 1,918 | 12 | 1 | B+ |
| Dymchurch | 3,097 | 22 | 0 | B− |
| Hawkinge | 8,499 | 2 | 0 | D− |
| Brabourne Lees | 1,479 | 15 | 0 | B+ |
| Capel-le-Ferne | 1,962 | 0 | 0 | D− |
In brief
Hythe in brief
Old houses are part of Hythe’s character: 22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town. All told, the list holds 114 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I, including St Leonard's Church. For its size, it has more listed heritage than 79% of UK towns. Only 102 of the 557 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings.
High Street alone has 22 listed buildings. A conservation area has protected part of it since 1969. Most entries on the list, 67%, are houses, terraces and villas.
Questions about Hythe’s history
How many listed buildings are there in Hythe?
Historic England lists 114 buildings inside Hythe’s built-up area: 1 Grade I, 2 Grade II* and 111 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in Hythe?
One: The Parish Church of St Leonard.
Which street in Hythe has the most listed buildings?
High Street (22), Bartholomew Street (4) and Stade Street (4) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.
Are there scheduled monuments in Hythe?
Yes, 6 scheduled monuments, including Royal Military Canal, Scanlon's Bridge to Town Bridge, Royal Military Canal, Seabrook Lodge Bridge to Seabrook Sluice, Royal Military Canal, Shorncliffe Battery wall and Royal Military Canal, Town Bridge to Twiss Road Bridge.
How many conservation areas are there in Hythe?
1, covering about 47 hectares of the town. The largest is Hythe.
When were Hythe’s buildings listed?
The first in 1950; the most, 89, in 1973.
Are there old photos of Hythe?
Yes: 1 public-domain photo or postcard from 1767 to 1767, all on this page.
Who was born in Hythe?
Among people born before 1900: Margaretta Louisa Lemon (1860), Francis Pettit Smith (1808), Hamo Hethe (1275), Henry H. Travers (1844) and Frederick Mackeson (1807).
How old are the homes in Hythe?
22% of homes were built before 1919 and 37% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.