Isle of Sheppey
Isle of Sheppey | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | Sheerness | |
Postcode district | ME11/ME12 | |
Dialling code | 01795 | |
Police | Kent | |
Fire | Kent | |
Ambulance | South East Coast | |
UK Parliament | ||
The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England, neighbouring the Thames Estuary, centred 42 miles (68 km) from central London. It has an area of 36 square miles (93 km2). The island forms part of the local government district of Swale. Sheppey is derived from Old English Sceapig,[1] meaning "Sheep Island".
Today's island was historically known as the "Isles of Sheppey" which were Sheppey itself, the Isle of Harty to the south east and the Isle of Elmley to the south west. Over time the channels between the islands have silted up to make one contiguous island, which is now linked by two bridges to the Kentish mainland. Sheppey, like much of north Kent, is largely formed from London Clay and is a plentiful source of fossils. The Mount near Minster rises to 250 feet (76 metres) above sea level and is the highest point on the island. The rest of Sheppey is low-lying and the southern part of the island is marshy land criss-crossed by inlets and drains, largely used for grazing. The economy is driven by a dockyard and port, the presence of three prisons, and various caravan sites.
The Swale
Sheppey is separated from the mainland by a channel called the Swale. In concert with the Wantsum Channel that once separated the Isle of Thanet from mainland Britain to the east (before it silted over in the late Middle Ages), and Yantlet Creek at the Isle of Grain to the west, it was occasionally used in ancient times by ships navigating to and from ports such as Chatham and London to reduce exposure to bad weather in the Thames Estuary or North Sea.
Bridges
The Kingsferry Bridge was first built in 1860, thus eliminating the need for ferries. Over time, there have been four bridges built over the Swale at this point. All bridges had to allow sufficient clearance for shipping heading to the commercial docks at Ridham:
- 19 July 1860: The London, Chatham and Dover Railway built the first bridge to an Admiraltydesign. It had a central span raised between two towers. Trains and road traffic were able to use it, as with the next two bridges.
- 6 November 1906: The South Eastern and Chatham Railway replaced the first bridge with one having a "rolling lift" design. It was originally worked by hand, but later by electricity.
- October 1959: lifting bridge was installed, able to lift both the road and the railway line to allow ships to pass beneath.[2]
- May 2006: The mean high water springs above the Swale, and carries the A249 trunk road. Pedestrian, animal and bicycle traffic, as well as the railway, are still obliged to use the lifting bridge, which still provides the most direct link between the island and the Iwade/Lower Halstow area.[3]
On 5 September 2013, fog caused a 130 vehicle pile-up on the Sheppey Crossing bridge and its northern approach in which eight people were seriously hurt and another 30 hospitalised.[4]
Ferries
Four ferries previously connected the island to mainland Kent: the King's Ferry to
Sheppey history
The complex of causewayed enclosures at Kingsborough Manor attests to the importance of the island's high ground during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.[5] Later prehistoric, Roman and medieval occupation has been found by archaeologists in advance of development at Neat's Court and St Clements CofE Primary School in Leysdown.[6]
Vikings
In the year 835,
In 855, Sheppey as part of the kingdom of Wessex, became the winter camp of an occupying Viking force,[10] presumably the raiders from prior attacks. Raiding continued in the springtime, with Sheppey's minsters being used by the invaders as feasting halls or general headquarters.[7]
In 1016,
Shurland Hall
Sir
A curious legend (first recorded in the 17th century) surrounds Sir Robert. It is said that he killed a priest, and resolved to ask the king for a pardon. Mounted on horseback, he swam out to the
Sir Robert died in 1324 leaving as his heir a daughter Margaret, who married William, son of Alexander Cheyne of
Shurland Hall is a Grade II listed building. In 2006 a grant of £300,000 was made by English Heritage to restore the hall's façade. The Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust carried out the restoration work which was completed in 2011.[14] The house was put on the open market for £1.5 million, and was sold.[15]
Dutch occupation of 1667
Sheppey is one of few parts of what is now the United Kingdom to have been (temporarily) lost to a foreign power since
Capture of James II of England (and VII of Scotland)
Three miles (5 km) across the Swale lies Whitstable. The Swale channel was the point of departure selected by James II, when departing in some haste "from the Protestant deliverance of the nation" by William of Orange in December 1688.
A
Bluetown Heritage Centre
Bluetown hosts the history and Heritage Centre for the Isle of Sheppey. The Heritage Centre contains memorabilia and artefacts pertinent to the Sheppey's history, including displays on aviation, maritime, wartime activities, and island history and offers guided walks of Sheppey Isle and Bluetown.[18]
The present Heritage Centre is on the site of two earlier establishments. Originally called the "New Inn", in 1868 the site became "The Royal Oxford Music Hall". The following year the building, which is situated a few doors down from the Bluetown court house, became the Criterion Public House, with a music hall called the "palace of varieties" situated immediately to its rear. In 1879 the building was replaced with a brick structure.[19]
On 5 June 1917 the Criterion was badly damaged by a German air raid. Shrapnel marks from the attack can still be seen in the dockyard wall opposite the building. After the air raid, the building was re-built in its present form retaining some of its original features. After a variety of other uses, the site became the Heritage Centre in January 2009. A special exhibition in 2014 commemorated the centenary of the First World War.[20]
Maritime history
The dockyard served the Royal Navy until 1960 and has since developed into one of the largest and fastest expanding ports in the UK. The Port of Sheerness contains at least one Grade II listed building, the Old Boat House. Built in 1866, it is the first multi-storey iron framed industrial building recorded in the UK. Decorated with ornate ironwork, it features operating rails extending the length of the building, for the movement of stores, much like a modern crane.
A large ferry terminal was built by the
The dockyard and port at Sheerness today are a significant feature of the Isle of Sheppey's economy, which includes the extensive export/import of motor vehicles, and a large steel works, with extensive railway fixtures. The island is, however, suffering from an economic recession and these industries are not as extensive as they once were.
The area immediately outside the dockyard was occupied by dockyard workers, who built wooden houses and decorated them with Admiralty blue paint illegally acquired from the dockyard. This area was, and still is, known as Blue Town, though it is now mostly occupied by the Sheerness Steel complex.
Beyond Blue Town, an outlying residential area overlooking the sea was chiefly designed for various government officials. This area became known as Mile Town because it is one mile (1.6 km) from Sheerness.
About 200 shipwrecks are recorded around the coast of Sheppey, the most famous being the
Natural history
In 1629 the first recorded botanical visit was paid to the island by the apothecary Thomas Johnson and colleagues. They were thought to be foreigners so were arrested and imprisoned in Queenborough Castle before being released by the Mayor.[21]
Edward Jacob (1710–1788) purchased the little Manor of Nutts, Isle of Sheppey, in 1752. There, he pursued his hobby as a naturalist. He discovered much of interest to the antiquarian, naturalist, geologist and zoologist, although there was little prior knowledge. In 1777, Jacob published a book about his various fossil finds, including what he called "the remains of an elephant".[22]
The island has an established
The last known colony in England of the British endemic subspecies of the Essex Emerald moth, at Windmill creek, died out as late as 1991.[21]
In 2008 palaeontologists published details of the fossil skull, found on the island, of a large flying bird from the Eocene epoch called Dasornis in the deposits of the London Clay.[25]
Local government
From 1894 to 1968, Sheppey comprised the
In parliamentary terms, Sheppey has been in the constituency of Sittingbourne and Sheppey since 1997, a Conservative-Labour marginal seat; prior to this it was in the Faversham constituency, also a marginal but held by the Conservatives for the last 27 years of its existence.
Early aviation
The island has a long history of aviation development in England. It was home to
The Eastchurch airfield played a significant role in the history of British aviation from 1909 when Frank McClean acquired Stonepits Farm, on the marshes across from Leysdown, converting the land into an airfield for members of the Aero Club of Great Britain.
The Short brothers, Horace, Eustace and
The Eastchurch airfield was also the site, in July 1911, of the competition for the
A stained glass window in the south side of All Saints' Church, Eastchurch (built in 1432), was dedicated to Rolls and Grace, who were killed in July and December 1910 respectively.
In July 2009, Eastchurch celebrated 100 years of aviation history associated with the island. SkySheppey brought together a number of associations and joined with many visitors to recognise the importance of British aviation history that started at Eastchurch.
From March 2015 a new museum, The Aviation Museum Eastchurch, was set up at The Old Mill Green off Brabazon Way, HMP Standford Hill, to commemorate the pioneer aviators and the site as a long established RAF Station serving from WW1 through to the end of WW2.
Sheppey today
The largest town on the island is Minster with a population of 21,319. Other towns include Sheerness and Leysdown-on-Sea. The whole north coast is dotted with caravan parks and holiday homes; there is also a naturist beach beyond Leysdown, towards Shellness. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds managed a portion of Elmley National Nature Reserve known as Elmley Marshes up until 2013, at which point it reverted to management by Elmley Conservation Trust, owners of the site.
There are three prisons on the island, all located to the south of the village of
In the 2011 census, the island had a resident population of 40,300, many of whom commute to the mainland via the
Education
Secondary education on the island is provided by Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey.[27] The school moved into new buildings in February 2013 and is split between two sites: East and West. The academy is split horizontally into five mini-schools.
Further education is provided by EKC Sheppey College.
There are several primary schools on the island.
Sport and leisure
The island has a
The island's largest cricket club is Minster Cricket Club, who compete in the Kent Cricket League. Sheppey Cricket Club plays in the Kent Regional Cricket League.
The island also has a rugby union club, Sheppey RFC.
The Isle of Sheppey Sailing club (previously Sheppey Yacht Club) organises the Round the Isle of Sheppey Race, established in 1959, and other races for mono hulls and catamarans.
Local media
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South East and ITV Meridian. Television signals are received from the Bluebell Hill TV transmitter. [28]
The island is served by county-wide radio stations: BBC Radio Kent on 96.7 FM, Heart South on 102.8 FM and Gold on 603 AM.[29]
Three radio stations broadcast from Sheppey: BRFM 95.6 FM broadcasts 24 hours a day from studios on the Minster Cliffs;[30] Sheppey FM 92.2 is a community radio station based in the Heritage Pavilion, Sheerness;[31] and Hospital Radio Swale which broadcasts from the Sheppey Community Hospital in Minster.[32]
The Sheerness Times Guardian is the island's local weekly newspaper.
Airport
Various concepts for a
See also
References
- ^ Wikisource.
Her hæþne men ærest on Sceapige ofer winter sætun.
(in Old English). 855 – via - ^ Information on the bridge from Railways of the Southern Region Geoffrey Body (PSL Field Guide 1884)
- ^ Rohani, A (23 April 2008). "Critical analysis of the design and construction of the Sheppey Crossing" (PDF). Proceedings of Bridge Engineering. University of Bath. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
a maximum clearance of 29 metres height at midspan
- ^ "Sheppey Crossing reopens after dozens of vehicles in massive pile-up in thick fog", KentOnline, KM Group, 5 September 2013, archived from the original on 8 September 2013, retrieved 11 September 2013
- from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ "Roman and Stone Age remains find at dig in Warden Bay on the Isle of Sheppey", KentOnline, KM Group, 25 November 2009, archived from the original on 17 August 2010, retrieved 15 March 2014
- ^ ISBN 0-7134-2881-3.
- ^ The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- ^ Blair 2003. p. 68.
- Longman. p. 57. Archivedfrom the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
- ISBN 0-521-62655-2.
- ^ Hasted, Edward (1798). "Parishes". The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. 6. Institute of Historical Research: 80–98. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ^ a b Harris, Oliver D. (2023). ""Grey Dolphin" and the Horse Church, Minster in Sheppey: the construction of a legend". Archaeologia Cantiana. 144: 97–123.
- ^ "Shurland Hall". Isle of Sheppey Net. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ "House for sale Sheppey, Kent ME12 4BN". Jackhom-Stops and Staff. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014.
- ^ "Sheppey". Wayback Machine. Swale Borough Council. Archived from the original on 20 February 2005. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ "Sheerness". Fortified Places. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ "Blue Town Heritage Centre (Featuring The Criterion Music Hall and Cinema)". Swale Borough Council. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ "The Criterion Blue Town". Blue Town. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ "Blue Town Heritage Centre". visitkent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ a b Badmin, John, ed. (2014), The Natural History of the Isle of Sheppey, The Kent Field Club
- ^ Ian Ellis. "Today in Science History". Todayinsci.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ Rein, Jan Ove (2000). "Euscorpius flavicaudis". The Scorpion Files. Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
- ^ "Science: scorpions in a cold climate" Archived 20 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine (16 May 1992) New Scientist Issue. 1821. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- S2CID 128768473. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.)
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(help - ^ "Queenborough in Sheppey MB through time | Census tables with data for the Local Government District". Visionofbritain.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ "Kent Schools, Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey". Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ "Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) Full Freeview transmitter". May 2004.
- ^ "Local radio stations for Kent and Medway".
- ^ "BRFM". BRFM. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "Welcome to Sheppey FM". Sheppey FM. Sheppey Matters. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "Hospital Radio Swale". Hospital Broadcasting Association. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "BBC News". 21 September 2008. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
External links
- The Sheppey Website Archived 20 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- Swale Borough Council's Sheppey Tourism Page Archived 27 July 2004 at the Wayback Machine
- Sheppey Access Archived 27 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- History of Harty Ferry Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- FM 92.2 community Radio For The Island
- BRFM
- Minster Gatehouse Museum
- Bluetown Heritage Centre
- History of Kingsferry Bridge and Sheppey Crossing
- Film trailer of A Dream of Flight Archived 7 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine a documentary that celebrates the centenary of the first powered flight by a Briton in Britain, JTC Moore Brabazon, in 1909 on The Isle of Sheppey.
- Sheppey Wildlife
- SS Richard Montgomery wartime Explosives carrier Liberty ship wreck