Fowley Island, The Swale (C) N Chadwick :: Geograph Britain and Ireland IMPORTANT: Please read the Buckets Article before picking from this list Fowley Island, The Swale The Swale is a strip of sea that separates the Isle of Sheppey from Kent. It is an important wildlife location and is both a Nature reserve and Special protection area. It is also an important channel for shipping. Medway Local Group - The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Medway Local Group Conyer Creek (Leaders Sue Carter & Steve Goodrich) Sunday, 1 December 2013 Conyer lies at the head of Conyer Creek, a tidal inlet flowing off the Swale which separates the North Kent coast from the Isle of Sheppey. Much of the area is marshland and as such offers fantastic bird-watching which includes brent geese, dunlins, teals, wigeons, curlews and many more. The bird sanctuaries of Elmley and Fowley Island are close by. The village lies on the famous Saxon Shore Way, a walk which stretches from Gravesend to the west and Hastings to the east if you continue around the Kent coast to the South.

When travelling north the path follows the creek and then the Swale passing through Harty Ferry and Oare, another inlet from the Swale. Travelling South the path runs around the Marina before continuing west. Breathtaking views can be experienced along the Swale during the day and night when the sun sets over the Isle of Sheppey. An early start saw nine of us parking in Conyer for a walk through the scrub and out to the sea wall. As we togged up a dunnock sat in a tree above us and collared doves sat on the nearby roof tops, a blackbird and a robin joined us as we made our way through to the scrub. A sparrowhawk and fieldfares with the occasional redwing flew over as we made our way directly to the main attraction, the long-eared owl roost. We had been pre-warned that they may not be there, and if they were, the scrub was impenetrable. In-fact neither was true although the latter wasn't far off and the former took an hour or so of peering into a tangle of elder and hawthorn scrub to achieve.

The sight of three of these fabulously camouflaged birds was worth the cold, discomfort and effort. So, on across the boggy field towards the seawall. Both commoner woodpeckers were seen and heard. Sue and I saw a chaffinch that could well have been a brambling, but it was too short a view to say for definite. Plenty of the corvid family were about - jays, carrion crows, magpies and jackdaws. Walking to the seawall flocks of fifty fieldfares were in a far oak tree, while nine curlews fed on the meadow below with 42 lapwings and eight mute swans. At least three marsh harriers were up quartering most of the time, hundreds if not thousands of dark-bellied brent geese dropped into the Swale interspersed with hundreds of wigeons. On the end of the spit were one hundred and fifty or so avocets and a large group of black-tailed godwits. Several cormorants sat on the bank, whilst great-crested grebes were out on the water. A female reed bunting gave good views on a naked hawthorn.

As we trekked further along the seawall, on a small rocky bank a rock pipits was spied. Back into the cover and a confiding kestrel hovered right overhead. A scolding wren made our 51st species recorded during the four hour visit. Some made their way home, some to the welcome of the Ship Pub. I decided, as I hadn't been there for a while to go to Oare Marsh, a short journey along the A2. There I was rewarded with good views of 14 snipe and pintails. Fantastic close-ups as usual of various waders, black-tailed godwits and lapwings. Huge flocks of dunlins wheeled over the Swale, Isle of Sheppey side and more marsh harriers, tufted ducks, little grebes, coots and moorhen, bringing total to 57. David Saunders Visit Kent Isle of Sheppey & Sittingbourne 'Sittngbourne a town to be proud of' Sittingbourne is the only UK Town twinned with Ypres in Belgium, proud to have been twinned since 1964 and is located in the Swale area of North Kent.

This film to has been produced by Swale Borough Council with the support and participation of the community in recognition and as a tribute to the ongoing links with Ypres, providing a current reflection of the town and its aspirations for the future Sheppey and Sittingbourne spring some surprises. Beach-lazing, chic-sleeping great pub food-eating pedal-pushing, horizon-gazing, soul-soothing - do it all here. Dubbed Kent's Treasure Island, the Isle of Sheppey offers adventure and a great escape; from sandy beaches to mind-expanding marshes and bird-packed reserves. Ride the waves at the Minster Windsurf Academy and the Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club, or go kayaking, boating and kiting at Barton’s Point Coastal Park . Shallow grounds and surf beaches can always produce some superb Bass fishing. Sheppey's serene, flat marshlands make it superb big sky country. Popular with today's cyclists, artists, photographers, and fossil hunters, it drew aviation pioneers too. A 16-mile cycle trail snakes past key sites. Start at Muswell Manor , home to the world's first aircraft factory (no longer visible today) where the first circular mile was flown.

Then, go onto the Memorial to British Aviation at Eastchurch together with a sculpture representing the Wright Flyer and finish back at Muswell Manor, for drinks beside evocative aviation exhibits in the bar. There's such a wealth of things to do on the Isle of Sheppey, that we've compiled a series of itineraries and inspirational ideas. Check out everything from Lord Nelson links to cycle trails, bird-watching to Charles Dickens connections at Sheppey Country Breaks . If you thought there was no wilderness left in the South East, go to Elmley National Nature Reserve ; a special, peaceful landscape, dominated by soul-stirring skies. Follow the signpost from the Old Ferry Bridge. It's so unspoilt at the Swale National Nature Reserve that harriers, avocets and short-eared owls sometimes breed. Tucked into the isle's southern shore at nearby Harty, the Ferry House Inn is a sleek get-away-from-it-all retreat, tempting you with fine local fare, wide water views, open fires and stylish bedrooms. Lively Sittingbourne is full of cafes and restaurants - and hosts a weekly Friday market too.

In nearby Sheerness, meanwhile, market day comes twice a week - Tuesdays and Saturdays are the days for bargain hunting there. Sittingbourne is also home to the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway , which puffs back into the town's paper-milling past. The 52-hectare Milton Creek Country Park has play spaces and trails among its meadows and wetlands, while the marshes and mudflats of the Oare Marshes Nature Reserve in Faversham are a-flutter with migrating, overwintering and breeding birds. Discover more about the whole area at co.uk Find out more about the Isle of Sheppey at Share North Kent inc Swale and Medway (Sailing Directions and Charts) [Expanded View] : pilotage, charts, photos and marine business listings Margate Harbour Reculver (51°23'N., 1°12'E.), a village, is situated 7 miles W of Margate. The coast between is composed of cliffs in its E part, but is low and flat in the W part.

The Minnies, a ledge of drying rocks, lie 0.2 mile offshore at the junction of the cliffs with the low coastline; this junction, located 3.7 miles W of Margate, is commonly called Cliff End. Two very conspicuous towers, known as The Reculvers, stand at the site of a ruined church near the shore at Reculver. A church, with a very prominent spire, is situated at Birchington, 3 miles WSW of Margate. Herne Bay, a resort town, extends for nearly 1 mile along the shore, 3 miles W of Reculver. The coast between is composed of cliffs, 30m high, fronted by drying sand banks and rocks. The ruins of a promenade pier project 0.6 mile NNW from the W end of the town, and a light is shown from the former pier head. A prominent clock tower stands on the shore near the centre of the town, and a conspicuous water tower stands 0.5 mile SE of it. A prominent windmill stands on high land, 1.1 miles SSE of the clock tower. Sand banks, rocks, and shoals fringe this stretch of coast.

In the E part, they form the S sides of South Channel and Gore Channel. In the W part, they extend up to 2 miles offshore. This little "harbour" is only suitable for vert small craft, read details.. Herne Bay Caution...Several outfall pipelines extend seaward from the shore along this stretch of the coast. Oyster beds occupy a considerable area off this part of the coast and vessels grounding are liable for damages. Whitstable (51°22'N., 1°02'E.) , a small port, is the centre of a declining oyster fishery. It stands 3.5 miles W of Herne Bay, on the E side of the entrance to The Swale. Tides...Currents...Tides in the approaches rise about 4.2m at springs and 3.3m at neaps. Depth...Limitations....The harbour is tidal and dries at LW. There is 482m of total commercial quayage, with depths alongside of 4.7m at HWS and 3.7m at HWN. In addition, there is 158m of berthage for fishing vessels.

Vessels up to 3,270 dwt and 99m in length can be accommodated, with drafts up to 4.5m at HWS and up to 3.6m at HWN. Aspect...Whitstable Street Lighted Buoy is moored 2 miles N of the harbour. Whitstable Street is an ancient causeway, part of a submerged town, which is now a hard drying ridge. It extends 1 mile N from the shore, close E of the town. Vessels should approach the port on a SSE course, and then shape a course for the sector light, which leads into the harbour. A church, with a square tower surmounted by a flagstaff, stands 0.7 mile SE of the harbour entrance and is prominent. A mill and a silo, both conspicuous, stand 1 mile S and at the N side, respectively, of the harbour. Not yacht friendly, could be handy in an emergency though.. Whitstable Harbour Inshore Passage for Small Craft Inshore Passage....South Channel (51°24'N., 1°21'E.), which includes Margate Road, is of little use except for vessels of light draft.

It lies between Margate Sand, on the N side, and the shoals fringing the mainland coast, on the S side. There are depths of over 6m as far W as Cliff End Banks, where there is a tendency for a bar to form. Shoaling has also been reported within this channel. Cliff End Banks, with a least depth 4.2m, consists of patches which extend across the channel, 3.5 miles W of Margate. Vessels can anchor, in a depth of 12m, sand and mud, in the narrow part of South Channel; the best berth, partially protected from N, is 2.3 miles WNW of Margate. Gore Channel (51°24'N., 1°15'E.), a continuation of South Channel, lies between Margate Hook, on its N side, and the shoals fringing the coast, on its S side. Margate Hook, which dries, is marked by a beacon and a pocket, with depths of up to 14m, lies close off its S side.

At the W end of Gore Channel, there are depths of 2.7 to 4.3m and isolated shoal patches, with depths of 1.5 and 1.8m. Horse Channel (51°25'N., 1°10'E.), which is marked, leads WNW from Gore Channel and has a least depth of 2.2m. Copperas Channel, on the S side of Horse Channel, has a least depth of 1.8m and is unmarked. Small vessels can anchor, in a depth of 7m, in Gore Channel, about 0.4 mile off the S side of Margate Hook. Conspicious to the N will be the Kentish Flats Wind Farm, and also Red Sand Towers (see gallery). Four Fathoms Channel (51°26'N., 0°58'E.) is the name given to the passage which leads across Kentish Flats to The Cant. It is now charted (1990) as lying between Spaniard and Middle Sand, and a position S of Spile (51°27'N., 0°57'E.).

There is a least charted depth of 2.1m in this channel and the name, Four Fathoms, is no longer applicable, as there is now only a depth of 7.3m at HWS. Middle Sand, lying 5 miles NNW of Whitstable, dries 0.6m and is marked by a beacon. S pile, which dries, lies about 2 miles farther W. East Spaniard, lying 4.5 miles N of Whitstable, dries, and Spaniard, about 1.7 miles W of East Spaniard, has a depth of 1.8m. Overland Passage (51°25'N., 1°03'E.) extends from the W end of Horse Channel in a WNW direction across Kentish Flats to Four Fathoms Channel and through The Cant. The passage, which has a least depth of 2.4m, leads between East Spaniard, Spaniard, and Spile, on its N side, and the shoals extending from the Isle of Sheppey, on its S side.

Caution...Numerous wrecks and obstructions lying in the vicinity of Overland Passage may best be seen on the chart. Isle of Sheppey (51°24'N., 0°53'E.), located at the SW end of the Thames Estuary, is separated from the N coast of Kent by The Swale. The SE and NW parts of the island are low. Its S side is also low, with the exception of the elevations around the villages of Harty and Elmley. The N part of the island is the highest and rises to height of over 70m midway along its coast. Shell Ness (51°22'N., 0°57'E.), the SE extremity of the island, is located 3 miles W of Whitstable and forms the NW entrance point of The Swale. Leysdown, a village and resort camp, stands 1.8 miles NW of this point and is prominent. A conspicuous church stands 0.5 mile W of the village.

Warden Point (51°25'N., 0°54'E.), formed by a steep clay cliff, is located 3 miles NW of Shell Ness and is 46m high. The coast between is low and fringed by an extensive mud and sand bank, which dries up to 2.4m. Minster, a small town, stands 3.5 miles W of Warden Point. The coast between consists of clay cliffs, 6 to 48m high. An abbey, surmounted by a spire, stands in the town and is the most conspicuous object on the island, being visible from all directions. Numerous wrecks and obstructions extend up to 1 mile from the shore in the vicinity of Minster and are marked seaward by a buoy. The Cant, an extensive shoal area, lies off the Isle of Sheppey, between Warden Point and Garrison Point. The N edge of this shoal area, which is be seen on the chart, is steep-to.

The Swale (51°22'N., 0°57'E.), a narrow and tortuous channel, separates the Isle of Sheppey from the coast of Kent and is about 12 miles long. Its entrances are known as East Swale and West Swale. East Swale East Swale (51°22'N., 0°57'E.) is approached between Columbine Spit and Pollard Spit. The former, lying on the N side of the entrance, dries and extends about 2 miles NE from Shell Ness. Pollard Spit, which also dries, extends about 2 miles N from the coast of Kent and forms the W side of the approach to Whitstable. The entrance channel is marked by lighted buoys, beacons, and buoys which are moved as necessary. Vessels should stay in the fairway channel as it is bounded, on each side, by oyster beds. Local knowledge is advisable and vessels should not attempt this passage at night. There are several facilities for yachts and pleasure craft within the East Swale. Entrance to the East Swale is described further in the coverage of Faversham below.

Faversham...inc E.Swale, Harty Ferry, Oare Creek and Hollowshore It is possible for a shallow draft yacht or motorboat to transit The Swale from E to W. This is best done on a rising tide, as the channel is little more than a gutway, although when the banks are covered there appears to be a large expanse of water. The way is buoyed, large scale charts will be needed. Conyer Creek is tricky to enter and totally dries out, but is home to many small craft: The tide flows into (and out of) the Swale from both ends, and perhaps the counsel of perfection is to position yourself mid Swale at HW, thus catching the rising tide in, and ride the outgoing tide too. Ships of any kind are unlikely to be encountered in the E Swale, until approaching the bridges. Caution...The direction of buoyage changes at the Isle of Elmley. Kingsferry lifting bridge will need to be opened for masted vessels....see W.Swale coverage.

Garrison Point (51°27'N., 0°45'E.), the NW extremity of the Isle of Sheppey, is located 3 miles WNW of Minster. The Nore (51°29'N., 0°51'E.) is a name frequently used to refer to the area lying N of the Isle of Sheppey, where The Warp leads into the approach channels for the River Medway and Sea Reach. The River Medway The River Medway (51°26'N., 0°44'E.), which rises in the county of Sussex, flows NE across the county of Kent and passes Maidstone, Rochester, and Chatham. It is about 60 miles long and joins the River Thames between the Isle of Sheppey, on the E side, and the Isle of Grain, on the W side. Below Chatham, the river widens into an estuary which is intersected on either side by numerous creeks, their banks being formed by low and marshy islands surrounded by mud flats.

The distance, following the winds of the river, from Garrison Point (51°27'N., 0°45'E.) to Rochester Bridge (51°23'N., 0°30'E.), the limit of navigation except for small craft, is 11.8 miles and there are 12 bends or reaches between these positions. Depths...Limitations...The approach channel to the River Medway, which lies between Sheerness Middle Sand and the edge of The Cant, has a least charted depth of 11m in the dredged fairway. The river has depths of 12.8 to 21m as far as Oakham Ness. Aspect...Medway Lighted Buoy, moored 5.5 miles ENE of Garrisin Point, marks the seaward entrance of the buoyed approach channel. Garrison Point (51°27'N., 0°45'E.), the E entrance point of the river, is rounded and formed of shingle. A conspicuous fort, a radio mast, and a signal station stand on the point. The W side of the entrance to the river is bordered by the E side of the Isle of Grain.

Grain Tower, a conspicuous martello tower, stands off the E side of the Isle of Grain, 0.5 mile NW of Garrison Point. Grain Power Station, with a conspicuous chimney 244m high, stands 1.2 miles W of Garrison Point, on the SE part of the isle. The fairway channel through the reaches is marked by lighted buoys and beacons and, in places, indicated by lighted ranges, which may best be seen on the chart. Caution...A prohibited area has been established around the stranded wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery, which sunk in 1944 and is filled with a cargo of dangerous explosives. The wreck, which shows masts and superstructure at HW and is marked by lighted buoys, lies 2 miles NE of Garrison Point and close N of the main channel. Several submarine cables cross the entrance channel and reaches of the river and may best be seen on the chart.

Full coverage of the Medway (including approach) from Sheerness to Allington Lock is provided here: Medway 3, Rochester Bridge to Allington Lock West Swale West Swale (51°25'N., 0°44'E.) is the W entrance of The Swale, the narrow and tortuous channel which separates the Idle of Sheppey from the coast of Kent. The entrance channel, located 1.5 miles SSW of Garrison Point, leads across Lapwell Bank and between The Lappel, on its E side, and Queenborough Spit, on its W side. The channel continues in a S direction for about 0.5 mile and then curves NW for 0.5 mile before turning S again around Long Point. This NW stretch is known as Loden Hope. From Long Point, the channel continues in a SSE direction for 2 miles through Long Reach and Horse Reach to Kingsferry Bridge. Sector lights and lighted buoys mark the channel; however, the best time for navigating is when the mud flats are visible. Tides...Currents...The tidal currents in The Swale are subject to considerable variation.

The incoming and outgoing currents at both entrances are strongest soon after they begin, but decrease as the banks cover. The greatest spring velocities, about 3.5 knots, are attained near Kingsferry Bridge. Depths...Limitations....There is a least depth of 3.2m in the approach channel which leads across Lapwell Bank. A depth of 5.5m can be carried as far as West Point, located about 0.9 mile S of the entrance. There are depths of 3.3 to 5.5m near the centre of the fairway up to Long Point, 0.4 mile W of West Point. The least depth in the fairway from Long Point, through Long Reach and Horse Reach, to Kingsferry Bridge is reported to be 3.2m. Between Kingsferry Bridge and Grovehust Coal Jetty, about 0.3 mile NNW of Milton Creek, the least charted depth in the fairway is reported to be 2.2m. Caution...The River Swale is an important ornithological area and many parts, where landing is prohibited, are designated as Special Scientific Sites of Interest.

Small craft note, commercial shipping may be encountered in the W.Swale as far as Ridham Dock. Queenborough (51°25'N., 0°45'E.) stands on the W side of the Isle of Sheppey at the E side of West Swale. The harbour, which dries, is entered through The Creek, a buoyed narrow channel. Small commercial vessels can be handled. In addition, there are numerous yacht moorings on both sides of the harbour. The entrance to W.Swale, and Queenborough Facilities are described here: Queenborough (West Swale) The Kingsferry Bridge (51°23'N., 0°45'E.) spans The Swale nearly 1.8 miles SSE of Long Point. The bridge has a rising centre span with a vertical clearance of 28m when fully open. The maximum beam allowed through is 16.8m. The A249 High Level Bridge, a new road bridge, spans The Swale close NW of the Kingsferry Bridge and has a vertical clearance of 29m, with a width of 75.5m between the main piers.

Vessels can communicate with the Kingsferry Bridge Control by VHF Ch 10, telephone 01795 423627. Passage under the bridge should be arranged as early as possible. Sometimes it is impossible for the bridge to be raised. A directional light, which may best be seen on the chart, indicates the fairway in the vicinity of the bridges. Signals...Control lights are exhibited from the two buttresses of the Kingsferry Bridge for both upstream and downstream traffic, as follows: 1. No lights shown indicates that the bridge is down. 2. Red and green quick flashing lights (vertically disposed) indicate that the centre span is lifting. 3. A green fixed light indicates that the bridge is open. 4. A red quick flashing light indicates that the bridge is unable to lift and vessels should keep clear. 5. The inner faces of the four buttresses are marked by red fixed lights to indicate span width. The centre of the navigable passage below the A249 Bridge is indicated by a pair of flashing white lights. Caution...A submarine cable and a submarine pipeline cross the channel close SE of the bridge.

Another submarine cable crosses the channel 0.8 mile NW of the bridge. Adjacent area coverage is available here: The Swale debate - Walks - Kent Life The Swale debate 16:49 25 January 2010 The Swale debate The Swale is a popular area in Kent for walking, bird watching and sailing, but is it a river? Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. When is a river not a river? When, it seems, it is The Swale. This stretch of water separating the Isle of Sheppey from the Kent mainland is some 17 miles long and links the mouth of the River Medway near Queenborough in the west to Whitstable Bay in the east, and is a haven for bird watchers, walkers and anglers.

In former times it was wider and deeper and was a busy route for working vessels coming up the English Channel making for the Thames Estuary, but today, although still used by tankers to reach jetties at the western end, it is now largely an attractive yachting area providing miles of usually sheltered sailing, and excellent moorings in drying creeks such as Conyer, Oare and Faversham, as well as The Swale itself, especially at Queenborough and Harty. But what do we call it? As a boy in the late 1940s I remember trundling over the Kingsferry Bridge in my fathers Wolseley Wasp to visit my aunt who lived on Sheppey. Thats The Swale, my mother told me as we looked down on the rather narrow stretch of water. Any local round here will tell you that it's called simply The Swale, not the River Swale The name stuck with me unchallenged, and it was only when I joined a Kent newspaper as a trainee reporter, and later moved to Fleet Street, I discovered that while locals used that name, nationally it was often called a river.

For 10 consecutive editions of Jack Cootes East Coast Rivers pilot, it was described as a river until he changed it after a Faversham resident said it could more correctly be described as a ria, a submerged valley. A geographer will tell you a river has to have a source, but the Swale is really a waterway where the tide floods from both ends, meeting roughly at Elmley, off Milton Creek. Perhaps a clue to the centuries of confusion comes in The Place Names of Kent by Judith Glover, which has references to it recorded as Suuealuue Fluminis in 812 (flumen is Latin for river) and Sualu in 815, from the old English swealwa whirlpool, rushing water, swallow.

Florence Pendrey, of Sheerness Library, says Edward Hasteds History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, originally published in 1798, says the island is separated from the rest of the county of Kent by a narrow arm of the sea, called the Swale, while none of the local newspapers reporting the opening of the Sittingbourne and Sheerness railway, when the first Kingsferry Bridge opened, in 1860, refer to it as a river. Arthur Percival, MBE, honorary director of the Faversham Society, is in no doubt. Apart from anything else it's not geographicallya river - it's the Kent/Sheppey equivalent of Spithead and The Solent, not River Solent, the channel which separates the Isle of Wight from Hampshire. The story goes that originally at its eastern end the channel ran round the north side of the Isle of Harty, not the south side, as at present, he says.

The UK Hydrographic Offiice, which has been charting the seas for over 200 years, told me they used Ordnance Survey as the authority for British place names, and that the UKHO had been using The Swale on British Admiralty BA chart 2482 since its publication in August 1988. But some East Coast yachtsmen are still using charts showing it as a river. Willie Wilson, director of Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd says: I think just The Swale is correct. Weve been taken to task a few times and as we reprint charts were deleting the River bit. Last word, from Dick Holness, joint author of Imray's best-sellingEast Coast Pilot: Any local round here will tell you that it's called simply The Swale, not the River Swale, although this name keeps being used by others. It's not a river in any sense of the word, it'sa tidal waterway with access fromboth ends, and as a result it has its own fascinating and complex tidal patterns. My mother would have approved.

Close Walks and Cycling from the Ship Inn Conyer | The Ship Inn theshipinn Birds, Walks and Cycling Conyer lies at the head of Conyer Creek. A tidal inlet flowing off the Swale which separates the North Kent coast from the Isle of Sheppey. Much of the area is marshland and as such offers fantastic bird-watching which includes Brent Geese, Dunlin, Teal, Wigeon, Curlew and many more. The bird sanctuaries of Elmley and Fowley Island are both close by. The village lies on the famous Saxon Shore Way, a walk which stretches from Gravesend to the West and Hastings to the East if you continue around the Kent coast to the South. When travelling North from the pub, the path follows the creek and then the Swale passing through Harty Ferry and Oare, another inlet from the Swale. When travelling South from the pub the path runs around the Marina before continuing West. Breathtaking views can be experienced along the Swale both during the day and at night when the sun sets over the Isle of Sheppey.

The National Cycle route 1 is only yards from the pub as it arrives by road at Conyer and continues around the Marina and off on the Swale Heritage Trail to the West. The land around the marshes here is quite flat and a cycle route in the area would be regarded as relatively easy. Swale MARINA Swale marina (the new owner of the pub), is located at the head of the creek and is home to 220 boats and offers a safe haven to visitors making passage along the Swale. The marina is open to visitors and offers another interesting element when visiting the Ship Inn and Conyer. The Quay Conyer Sittingbourne Kent ME9 9HR for bookings Indicator Loop Stations and Harbour Defences, Shellness, Royal Navy Shellness and Sheerness are at the ends of the Isle of Sheppey. NAVAL HISTORY Ships can enter the Thames River by two routes: directly from the Thames estuary past Sheerness, or indirectly past Shellness into the East Swale and Medway Rivers and thence to the Thames. Both approaches have been used throughout history but by different enemies and for different reasons.

Shellness: When the Roman army under the command of Claudius landed in Britain, the troops were stationed at the Isle of Sheppey but the "cold, crude, turbid, and unwholesome water and moist, thick air" of the marshes was blamed for them developing the mysterious disease scurvy. However, the plant Herba Britannica growing at Shellness was given to the soldiers by the natives and their lot improved. The strategic importance of Sheppey was apparent to the Romans and was thus fortified to become an important military station. The Thames was one of the major strategic objectives of the Vikings in the 800s. In 835 Sheppey was ravaged by Vikings during one of their hit-and-run raids on England and they began to moor their fleet there. In 857 the Viking army overwintered on Sheppey and then in 893, the Viking Hastings invaded England in an attempt to dethrone the monarch and directed his fleet to Kent where under his own command he took eighty ships of his fleet of 250 into East Swale past Shellness and made an intrenchment near Milton.

Sheppey was once a much bigger island yielding an abundance of corn and feeding vast flocks of sheep and of great strategic importance. It was at Elmley, on the East Swale, in 1688 that the oppressive and misguided monarch King James II, while trying to embark in a smack (fishing boat) for his escape into France, ran ashore and was boarded by the local fishermen who took his money, watch and coronation ring and took him as a prisoner to Faversham. The King's supporters never forgave the Shellness fishermen who treated the king, even after they were told who he was, with the utmost indecency. Sheerness: is a commercial port and main town of the Isle of Sheppey and owes much to its origins as a Royal Naval dockyard town. The Royal Navy Dockyard was established in the 17th century by Henry VIII, who required the River Medway as an anchorage for his navy and so ordered that the mouth of the river should be protected by a small fort. Garrison Fort was built in 1545. Sheerness was attacked by the Dutch navy in June 1667, when seventy hostile ships captured the fort and occupied the town.

In the years leading up to 1780, the waves reached the site of the Roman camp and undermined them for several years until they fell into the sea in 1780. In 1804 the waves reached the churchyard (which was once one mile from the shore) and several houses were carried away. The church was to be dismantled but an artificial barrier of stone and wood was raised for its protection. Mariners used the twin spires as a well-known landmark. In the early 1800s the island was losing about 25 acres per year due to erosion and it was predicted that within 50 years the island would be annihilated. But it is still there! The Garrison Point Fort is the most well known of Sheppey defences. It was constructed in 1872, on the site of earlier block houses, on the peninsular at Sheerness. The land at Shellness has been owned by the Ministry of Defence since before WW2 and has been used for training purposes and as a firing range. There is still quite a lot of unexploded ordnance in the area.

It also incorporated a coastal Battery consisting of 2 x 6" BL MK II, 2 x DELs, 1 x 20mm, 2 x MGs and a small Barracks. In WW2 it was an Emergency Coastal Defence Battery of which Observation Post, Pillboxes and Gun Emplacement survive. The Barracks was used for officers accommodation for the local Airbase. There is also an XDO (Extended Defence officers) post which is in very good condition (see photos below). It is rumored that it was also used as a "Z" rocket testing station but there is no evidence for this. It is also part of a large nature reserve that includes Harty and Elmley. A map of the various military installations has been prepared. Click this link Sheppey Military to see the map. ROYAL NAVY ANTISUBMARINE DEFENCES ON SHEPPEY The Royal Navy had four defensive installations on the Isle of Sheppey: 1. Sheerness Boom: a small antisubmarine boom on the northern end at Garrison Point, Sheerness stretching across the Medway to Grain Tower Battery on Grain Island. 2.

Minster Boom: a large boom at Royal Oak Point, Minster stretching across the Thames estuary to Shoeburyness on the Essex coast. 3. Sheerness Extended Defence Officer's Post: on the northern end of Sheppey Island at Sheerness; responsible for the Sheerness and Minster antisubmarine booms and Medway minefield. 4. Shellness Extended Defence Officer's Post: on the southern end of Sheppey at Shellness; responsible for the East Swale minefield . 1. The Boom defences at Sheerness The Medway Boom was built at the beginning of WW1 (about 1914) and consisted of a vast chain attached at one end to Grain Tower Fort (Martello Battery) on Grain Island across to the southern side at Garrison Point Fort at Sheerness. It was raised and lowered by a winch on the wharf at the Sheerness dockyards. See the map below. The chain was removed at the end of WW1 and the Grain Tower Fort placed into 'care and maintenance'. In WW2 twin 6pdr QF guns were installed as defence against the fast and very manoeuverable German E-Boat. Grain Tower Fort from satellite.

Boom net chain at bottom is clearly visible. The boom attached by chain to Grain Tower Fort on Grain Island across the Medway from Sheerness. Thanks Kyn for the photo. 2. The Boom defences at Minster The second, and much larger boom, was installed across the Thames estuary between Royal Oak Point at Minster and Shoeburyness on the Essex coast. The boom consisted of a row of pylons stretching out into the sea with nets in between and supported by large barges called lighters weighing some 200 tons. The nets were opened and closed by three ships; one in the middle, one to its left and one to its right. Incoming ships sailed between the left and middle ships, outgoing ships sailed between the right and middle ships. The right hand side ship was HMS Pallisade which was stationed five miles out of Sheerness and, like the other boom vessels, was fitted with Horlicken guns; every 5th shell was a tracer - they lit up the area.

The Boom vessels were also fitted with ASDIC (now known as sonar) and if a German U-Boat was detected within half a mile of the Boom Defence a signal was sent to Garrison Point (Sheerness XDO), for a destroyer to be sent out to sink the submarine. You can visit the Shoebury boom at the far end of the Ministry of Defence controlled East Beach between Shoebury Garrison and Pig's Bay. The beach is owned by the MOD, who once a year, close off public access and fire a shot out onto the Maplin Sands to retain their firing rights. Boom pylons at Royal Oak Point, Minster. The original hulk mooring poles are to the right. Many of the pylons were removed in the 1960s as they were a danger to shipping. [PP]. Boom at the Essex side - at Shoeburyness. It was built in 1944 to replace one built in 1940, 100 m to the east. It was upgraded with concrete in 1954. Photo courtesy of Julieanne Savage . Operation of the Shoebury-Minster Boom.

Referring to the figure below right, there are three anchored ships in the shipping channel, designated as Left, Mid and Right. There is a single cable that runs from the "Left" ship around a pulley on the fixed pylon "C" and to the "Mid" ship. The boom net is attached to the cable at point "B". When the incoming ship has been cleared for entry the "Left" moored ship would winch in cable "A" around the pylon "C" and at the same time "Mid" ship would let the cable run out. This would draw the boom net end (point "B") towards the pylon "C" and they would then allow the cable to slacken and fall to the seabed. Thus the boom gate would be open for the incoming ship. To close the gate, the reverse is done with Mid ship winching in the cable as Left ship allows it to run out. The end of the boom net "B" is drawn right up to the side of the Mid ship and the gate is thus closed. A similar operation is done for outgoing ships. For smaller booms or where shipping is less frequent, a single boom gate is used.

Probable arrangement for Shoeburyness-Minster Boom Schematic for operation of the boom nets 3. Sheerness Extended Defence Officer's Post and Controlled Mining defences On 27th July 1939, the Admiralty finalised its minelaying program for ports at home and abroad for the early stages of the war should it occur. The Admiralty policy was that minefields should only be laid at the outbreak of hostilities and not before as the cost of maintaining the mines and the minefield was prohibitively expensive. Minefields were planned for Hong Kong, Singapore, Alexandria, Malta, Tynemouth and sites around the UK. Upon outbreak of the war with Germany in September (1939) the minelaying program began in earnest, including those at Sheerness (medway) and Shellness (East Swale). Personnel were trained at the Controlled Mining School at HMS Vernon (Portsmouth, England). The Sheerness XDO Post and mine watch station is located on the northern end of Sheppey Island at Sheerness. The XDO was responsible for the Sheerness and Minster antisubmarine booms and Medway controlled minefields.

As stated before, the Thames naval defences go back two hundred years. But the army defences go back further; the fortification of Sheerness began in the 1670s. Originally, many Martello towers were built to defend the Kent coast against a French invasion between 1805 and 1808 and are a familiar sight to visitors to the south coast around Folkestone, Shorncliffe and Dymchurch. However, less well known are the three other Martello towers in Kent built between 1850 and 1915 as part of the Medway defences at Sheerness. They were designated the 'Centre Bastion Battery' and were several hundred yards from the bigger guns at the Garrison Point Battery at Sheerness. In 1937, it was proposed to transfer the heavier 6" guns from Garrison Point Fort on the towers in place of the 4.7-inch guns, but this proposal was never implemented. Instead the guns were removed at the beginning of WW2, and the three buildings taken over by the Royal Navy for Thames and Medway defences (see photo below).

Both towers (far left and far right) had additional concrete structures built on the old gun platforms, one of which was a standard pattern square shaped Observation Post probably for control of nearby searchlights. The other structure on the tower (rightmost) nearest Garrison Point Fort was an hexagonal Observation Post with a raised dome-shaped top and was built for use by the Extended Defences Officer (XDO) who supervised the firing of the controlled minefield laid at the entrance to the Medway. This type of OP was known as 'Observation Minefield Control Tower-Type E' and on the lower floor of the OP were the mine firing panel, electric batteries, charging panel and tail resistance balancer together with a 4 feet 6 inch (1.38 metre) Barr & Stroud rangefinder and telephone connected to XDO above. The upper observation dome contained an open sight bearing indicator. Between the two towers was the battery command post (BCP) which was square in shape with a domestic-style hipped roof and chimney stack with three chimney pots, all helping to disguise its military role. The command post was approximately 14 m high with two doors and two windows at the first floor level at the front of the building.

All three buildings were camouflaged during WW2. By 1946, the towers had finally been abandoned and today they sit in all their loneliness like Easter Island warriors thinking of times passed. They are now flanked by a new promenade on the seaside while at the rear Sheerness commercial docks encroach more and more. Bill Clements' Medway Martellos webpage has more details on the history and structure of the Centre Bastion Battery. In Bill Clements words "Little has been done to protect these structures and it can only be a matter of conjecture as to how long it will be before further expansion of the docks brings about their demolition". Sheerness XDO Post. Photographer Paul Prior was kind enough to reshoot the XDO Post (on the very top) in April 2009. Thanks Paul, we owe you a beer. Sheerness XDO Post (left) from road side. You can see how the road corridor is encroaching on this heritage site. Thanks Kyn for the photo. Close-up of Sheerness XDO Post (top) and mine control room (bottom).

Photographer Paul Prior thought it looked more arty to crop the top heavily but we think he should change to Foster's Light (or get his eyebrows trimmed). Satellite photo of XDO Post and Battery Command Post (BCP). The old 4.7" gun emplacement is on the right. The promenade and roadway are clearly visible. Possible layout of Medway Boom Net and Guard & Mine Loops between Grain Fort Island and Sheerness. Further information is required. 4. The Shellness XDO Post and Controlled Mining defences - consisted of a Extended Defence Officer's Post which doubled as a Mine Watch Station, square in construction and made from reinforced concrete about 8 ft. high. It has an entrance door in the east corner, which is angled slightly - presumably for blast protection. It has two rooms: a large observation room (9' x 9') and a smaller generator room. In the generator room, the concrete mounting pad is still there with a door leading to the observation room and exhaust vents to the outside. The observation room has holes in the wall for equipment and a ladder (now gone) reaching up to the observation turret (cupola) measuring about 3 ft. by 3 ft., and about 3 ft.

higher than the roof of the building; a cube, effectively. There is a small loop-hole in each of the four faces. To reach this turret from inside, a short iron ladder was fixed to the floor directly beneath it, high enough (four or five rungs) to enable observers to peer through the turret loop-holes with ease. There may have been a small platform attached to this at some time. The observation window (shown below) allowed direct observation and use of a Barr & Stroud telescope. Russell Barnes' website " XDO Posts " is a useful comparison on XDO Posts at Workington Dock and Kingswear Castle (Devon). View North East through the Shellness XDO Post and Mine Watch Station observation window overlooking the Thames Estuary [PP]. The layout of the Shellness minefield is shown below. Please note: the layout is only indicative of the position; and the number and arrangement of loops is an estimate. Typically, a mine loop was 640 yds long by 25 yds wide with four to six buoyant mines moored in the centre and attached to a firing cable. A guard loop is usually 2000 yds x 25 yds wide.

The Guard Loop was usually positioned about 1000 yds on the seaward side of the minefield. Tail cables (4 core) ran from each loop to the shore and thence underground to the XDO Mine Watch Station on the beachfront. The "L" Mark 2 mine units were the most common being used at that time. They consisted of two 40" diameter mild steel hemispherical pressings 3/16" thick joined with 1/4" thick bolts. The charge was 500 lb of amatol with an electric detonator (No. 28, Mark 2) inserted into a 1 lb charge of primer. The complete mine and charge weighed 3151 lb (1430 kg) and could disable a submarine within a radius of 40 feet. They had a positive buoyancy of 468 lb meaning they would float. To keep them moored, a sinker ("L" Mark 2) consisting of a cast iron base with a drum in the centre housing a cable that could moor mines in water up to 25 fathoms deep.

Cables used for controlled mining were Admiralty Pattern 660, Pattern 7048 and Pattern 9610 and for tail cables the four-core Pattern 2865/4 was used. Details of the cable types can be found on my Cablemakers website. It is interesting to compare this XDO Post with that of the Royal Navy's Cromarty (Scotland) Mine Watch Station. Possible orientation of the Guard and Mine Loops showing how the controlled mines may have been positioned. It seems likely that there would have been two overlapping Guard Loops and four Mine Loops arranged in an echelon pattern. The Coastal Battery is also shown (but there's not much left today); and the Coastal Artillery Search Light (CASL) emplacement is also marked. The XDO Post at Shellness. The front face (on right) faces north-east. See floor plan at end. [PP]. Looking through the viewing slot south east over The Swale to Whitstable. [PP]. Rear entrance. Wall of generator room. [PP]. The entrance. The white things to the left are just old fence posts. Nothing important. [PP]. Hatch up to turret. Ladder bolts can be seen.

The ladder was quite short with four or five rungs to enable a watchkeeper to peer through the slots in the top. [PP]. Generator slab and usual graffiti. [PP]. Observation window facing SE. The brackets supported a steel hatch that could be closed in the event of attack. [PP]. The structure in 1980. It was being used as a marker for a motor boat race. Note the steel hatch on the front. [PP]. Note the holes in the wall where electrical equipment was mounted. Four galvanometers are likely to have been used. [PP]. Holes in the entrance wall for tail and power cables. [PP]. Pit near the XDO MWS hut. Dave Wood has informed me that this is a small magazine for two inch rockets. It was part of a system named 'Radiator'. There are a number of these in Suffolk and there should be a large block of concrete nearby which the rocket firing rig/weapon was situated. [Photo by PP]. Armoured tail cable emerging from the "shelly" beach. [PP]. Two projectiles found at Shellness by Paul Prior. He says that the bad stuff is taken away or blown up by the Royal Engineers.

Averages about 2 unexploded AA shells,1 mortar shell a week and 1 UXB and or 1 Mine a month. [PP]. Floor Plan of Shellness XDO Post. OPERATION OF The Extended Defence Officer's POST & Mine watching STATION. The XDO was the naval officer responsible for all naval activity in a given area. He had the responsibility for the minefield, boom nets and signals and was the liaison between the RN and army at the Garrison Point Fort at Sheerness. If the XDO's visual sightings and communication with the army revealed the likely presence of an enemy U-Boat, the XDO would give orders to the mine watch officer on duty. The orders and firing sequence were the same throughout all CM stations around the world. The men in the MWS had to perform daily and weekly tests on the equipment to make sure it was in good working order and had to record perturbations ("perts" - the swings of the galvanometer spot due to the tides) every 5 minutes to the hour. These had to be recorded in the log book.

At the end of each watch, the Handbook of Controlled Mining Confidential Book (CB) had to be mustered and had to be locked in a CB chest and then placed in a locked cupboard. The guard loops were 1000 yds to the seaward side of the mine loop so that if a submarine entered the bay it would cross the guard loop first and alert the CM operators. If a swing was detected on the guard loop, the operator in the MWS would close the control switch to start the 300V generator and then ring one long bell to the power hut. The operator would then advise the XDO "Mines to Active" and would say the number of the guard loop (if more than one) giving the swing. He would then check to see if the correct voltage was showing on the voltmeter. Then they had to wait. If a swing was detected on the mine loop after a swing on a guard loop it meant that a submarine had passed over the loops. The operator would then report to the XDO "Mines to Active" again, shift the selector switch to the number of the mine loop involved and fire the mines as the galvanometer spot crossed it's zero after it's first displacement.

He would then say to the XDO "Mines to Active, mine number XX fired". After 5 seconds, the firing release lever would be released and the selector switch replaced. If there was just a swing on the guard loop they took no chances. The operator would fire anyway. After a firing took place, the fuses in the mine cable would be replaced. Of course, if a boat was sweeping for mines in the area, they should have told the XDO of the fact. If you have any further details of Shellness harbour defences or antisubmarine harbour defences in general (Indicator Loops and Harbour Defence Asdic) that may help with this research project please email me at the address at the top of the page. The Isle of Sheppey: What lies ahead for the holiday haven? - BBC News BBC News The Isle of Sheppey: What lies ahead for the holiday haven?

By Sue Nicholson BBC News, Isle of Sheppey 28 September 2012 Close share panel Image caption Leysdown is a traditional seaside resort with plenty of amusement arcades The land that time forgot, a giant caravan park or a safe haven for Londoners looking for a holiday retreat - all have been used to describe an island which is about nine miles long and five miles wide off the north Kent coast. The Isle of Sheppey can be like stepping back in time, with some areas barely changed since the 1950s. As a result, it has often suffered from negative press, not least because it has several holiday parks, many of them in Leysdown, housing about 7,000 caravans and chalets. That is more "bedstock" of its type than any other district in Kent, and when full doubles the island's population to about 80,000, according to Swale Borough Council.

FACTS ABOUT THE ISLE OF SHEPPEY The Isle of Sheppey was originally known as Sheep Isle It is connected to the mainland by two bridges over the River Swale The Sheppey Crossing opened in 2006 and is the island's first fixed link to the mainland The older Kingsferry Bridge is a combined road and railway vertical-lift bridge Sheppey's main seaside towns are Leysdown and Sheerness The island's railway line only goes as far as Sittingbourne There are three prisons - Elmley, Standford Hill and Swaleside The first aeroplane in the UK took off from an airstrip in Leysdown in 1909 and flew just one mile The Short Brothers built the first British aircraft factory on the island Earlier this year, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson suggested Sheppey was one big caravan site, prompting an offer from local MP Gordon Henderson to personally show him the other sights the island had to offer. "If the island was as bad as some people make out then you wouldn't have all 7,000 of the holiday homes occupied and owned," said John Sissons, the sales and service manager at Priory Hill Holiday Park, in Leysdown.

The family-run business was founded in 1951 when holidaymakers used to come down to the island from London, Essex, and the rest of Kent by the coach-load, but had nowhere to stay. Image caption Ron Wood has run his fish and chip shop in Leysdown for seven years The 54-year-old has lived on the island all his life and has seen generations of families coming on holiday together. Many have an emotional attachment to the area and some even settle permanently on the island. Mr Sissons said Sheppey had a "lot to offer" and they loved "the lure of the coast" and the "traditional seaside entertainment" at Leysdown, which is renowned for its family amusement arcades. Ron Wood, who has owned a fish and chip shop in the town for seven years, said Leysdown was "what it's always been". "It's the back end of the island, it's cheap and cheerful... it's old-fashioned." Jobs boost But in stark contrast, the island suffers from a high level of unemployment with Sheerness, the island's largest town, hit particularly hard.

Many people had their hopes dashed in June when the Danish wind turbine firm Vestas scrapped its plan to set up a manufacturing plant at Sheerness Dock, and with it about 1,600 jobs. It came just six months after Thamesteel announced it was going into administration with the loss of more than 350 jobs. Hopes were then raised when the steel plant was bought back by the old owners, but the Conservative MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey says there is still "a great deal of uncertainty" due to a dispute about the ownership of the fixed assets. However, Mr Henderson added that about 75% of the Thamesteel workers had managed to find other employment, and he was hopeful that another renewable energy company could be attracted to the island in place of Vestas. Image caption The Thamesteel plant has largely stood empty since it went into administration in January There has been a fall in unemployment across his constituency over the last five months and a new retail park, to include a Morrisons supermarket, opening in Queenborough next spring will bring up to 500 jobs to the island, along with another 500 jobs on offer at a local jobs fair this week.

"I'm quite bullish about the future of the Isle of Sheppey as long as we as islanders stop running ourselves down and actually start saying this is a fantastic place to come to," Mr Henderson said. Mr Wood, who also used to run a haulage company on the island, added that sometimes islanders were "their own worst enemies", and although money had been tight this year, he was hopeful too. "If there was no future... I wouldn't be here," he said. BBC - Nature's Calendar Over there on the other side of the estuary is the Isle of Sheppey. This provides a very different habitat - it's much more of a wilderness area. As a result it's is one of the best places to see a large variety of birds of prey in winter. Although it's harder to get close to the birds on Sheppey, the island's mixture of arable farmland, grazing land and reed beds makes it a mecca for birds of prey. Amongst the birds to look out for are Marsh Harriers, Hen Harriers, Short Eared Owls, Merlins, Kestrels and Peregrines. A good place to see them is Capel Fleet viewing point owned by the RSPB.

Look out for March Harriers flying low and slowly over the reeds looking for prey. This enigmatic bird is recovering from near extinction due to the draining of their wetland homes. Their numbers dropped to just one pair in 1971, but the population is now rising again with about 200 nationwide. Some of the Marsh Harriers breed at Sheppey, but are also joined by harriers form Scandinavia and eastern Europe. Also look out for Peregrines which like to take advantage of the wintering wildfowl and waders. Small mammals and predators The grass in the fields around the RSPB reserve is kept long because this provides small mammals such as Field Voles with cover as they move about. The Field Voles are a popular source of food for birds of prey such as Short Eared Owls, Kestrels and Harriers. Birds of prey have claws which are different from other birds - they are designed to pluck and pull prey to pieces. The inside front claws are used as a fork, with the beak acting as a knife. There is a notch on their beaks to break through bones, and they usually carry food in their feet.

Owls catch prey in their feet and carry it in mouth - they have big throats so they can swallow prey whole.

Question: The Swale is an inlet of sea that separates which island from Kent?
Answer: SHEPPEY