Isle of Sheppey: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Isle of Sheppey is a small (94 km²) island of the northern coast of Kent in the Thames Estuary, some 40km to the east of central London. It is connected to the mainland on its south side by the Kingsferry Bridge carrying road and rail traffic, the central section of which lifts on four columns to allow shipping to pass. Construction of a second road bridge began in early 2004. Sheppey is located in Swale Borough, named after The Swale, the narrow channel separating it from the Kentish mainland.

Sheppey is a word derived from the ancient Saxon 'Sceapige' meaning 'isle of sheep' but the small island is still called the 'Isle of Sheppey'! The same form of common rendering that compels some to speak of 'the magna carta' (magna being 'the great').

The largest town on the island is Sheerness. It has the wreck of the liberty ship S.S. Richard Montgomery nearby. This contains a sizeable quantity of unexploded munitions.

Sheerness was the focus of an attack by the Dutch navy in June 1667, when 72 hostile ships compelled the little 'sandspit fort', to surrender and landed a force which for a short while occupied the town. 'Pepys at Gravesend remarked in his diary "we do plainly at this time hear the guns play" and in fear departed to Brampton in Huntingdonshire'.

The dockyard and fort 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 major Steel works, with extensive railway fixtures. Unfortunately the island is suffering from an economic recession, and these industries are not as extensive as they have been.

Bluetown, an outlying residential area overlooking the sea was chiefly designed for various government officials.

Three miles across the estuary channel of the Swale lies Whitstable. The Swale channel was the point of departure selected by Charles II, when departing in some haste 'from the Protestant deliverance of the nation' by William of Orange in December, 1688.

A hoy having been chartered the fugitive king landed at Elmley, only to be mobbed by local fishermen, seeing in his noble manner, on such a humble vessel not their king but the notorious Jesuit Father Petre, locally hated, and so took from him his money, watch and Coronation ring. At length he was recognised by one of the assailants and the group took him in custody Faversham, where he was detained.

Other towns include Minster which has a pebble beach and Leysdown-on-Sea which has a coarse sandy one. Both towns are moderately popular day destinations.

The Isle has a long history of aviation development in England. It was home to Lord Brabazon's Royal Aero Club which formed in Leysdown in 1901 to popularize balloon flying. The club took to the aeroplane with relish, and soon Short Brothers set up shop there to build six licensed Wright Flyers for them, moving the next year a few kilometres away to Eastchurch where a new aerodrome had been built for the club.

The Isle of Sheppey is also famous for the London Clay fossils found there.

References

• The Ingoldsby Country : Charles G Harper. 1906.