It is in the mid-south of a civil parish which also includes the scattered community of Bromley Green which has about half of the area's woodland.

A source of the fast-flowing, steep headwaters of the East Stour rises a mile west of the northern half of the parish in an area of Sandstone hills.

[7] According to the Domesday Book, Hugh de Montfort held a lot of land in the area, including in Ham Hundred both Orlestone and Ruckinge.

"[8] In 1629, Henry Cuffin, a curate at Ruckinge, was prosecuted by an Archdeacon's Court for playing cricket on Sunday evening after prayers.

The main cross-channel sightings were between Dover Castle and Fairlight, East Sussex in England, and Cap Blanc Nez, Calais and Dunkirk in France.

A grid of triangles was measured to link these viewpoints, which included two base-lines on Hounslow Heath and Romney Marsh.

Ruckinge was the north-western point of the Romney Marsh base-line; the south-eastern end was at High Nook near Dymchurch.

For a few centuries smuggling was rife on Romney Marsh, and it is rumoured that the notorious Ransley brothers were buried in Ruckinge churchyard after being hanged at Penenden Heath, Maidstone.