Isle of Sheppey

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About Isle of Sheppey

The Isle of Sheppey is a low-lying island in the Thames Estuary off the north Kent coast, separated from the mainland by the Swale. It is a blend of naval history at Sheerness, a Victorian resort at Leysdown and some of the largest marshland bird reserves in southern England.

The story of Isle of Sheppey

Sheerness Dockyard was built in 1665 to defend the Medway and was overrun in 1667 when the Dutch fleet under Michiel de Ruyter raided the River Medway, burning English warships and towing away the flagship Royal Charles in one of the worst defeats in Royal Navy history. Queenborough, chartered by Edward III in 1368 and named after Queen Philippa, was once a thriving port and sent two Members to Parliament in medieval times. Sheppey played a founding role in British aviation: in 1909 the Short Brothers established Britain's first aircraft factory at Shellbeach, and in the same year J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon made the first fixed-wing powered flight in Britain by a British pilot from the island. Elmley National Nature Reserve occupies the marshes at the island's western end and is one of the largest wetland reserves in southern England.

Visiting with care

Cross the Sheppey Crossing or the Kingsferry Bridge from the mainland and explore Sheerness, the resorts at Leysdown and Minster, and the Elmley and Swale reserves. The marshes are superb for waders and marsh harriers, and the beaches run for miles along the north coast.

Interesting facts

• The Dutch raid on the Medway in 1667 burned English warships at Sheerness and captured the flagship Royal Charles.
• Short Brothers' Shellbeach factory on Sheppey in 1909 was Britain's first aircraft factory.
• J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon made the first powered fixed-wing flight in Britain by a British pilot on Sheppey in 1909.
• Queenborough was chartered by Edward III in 1368 and named for Queen Philippa.