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 EnglishSceapig, 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. (Full article...)
The Kent & East Sussex Railway was opened by Colonel H.F. Stephens, the railway engineer, in 1900. At its fullest extent, it ran nearly 22 miles[35km] from Robertsbridge on the Tonbridge to Hastings main line to Headcorn on the main line between Tonbridge and Ashford, Kent.
The Pilgrims' Way is the route supposed to have been taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury in Kent.
Brockhill Country Park is dominated by a large grassy valley, bisected by the Brockhill Stream as it makes its way to the Royal Military Canal at Hythe.
The Channel Tunnel terminal at Cheriton near Folkestone in Kent, from the Pilgrims' Way on the escarpment on the southern edge of Cheriton Hill, part of the North Downs.
Brockhill Country Park is dominated by a large grassy valley, bisected by the Brockhill Stream as it makes its way to the Royal Military Canal at Hythe.
Rochester is a large town in Kent, England, at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway about 30 miles (50 km) from London. Construction of
Rochester Cathedral, shown, began in about 1080.
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... that the present town of Ashford in
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At the time of the
1831census, Kent was the
10th largest county, covering 972,240 acres (3,934.5 km2), however by
1871 it had grown to 995,344 acres (4,028.01 km2) and became the
9th largest.