LOCAL HISTORY

Home Page 13th May 1999

Aviation
Cliff Erosion
Co-operative and Economical Society
Preface
History
Buildings
Domesday Book
Harty Church
Island Pubs
Kingsferry Bridge
Malaria
Minster Hospital Nore Mutiny
Royal Navy Dockyard
History
Naval Hospital
Ships Figureheads
Sea Defences and Drainage
Shipwrecks
HMS Bulwark
HMS Princess Irene
HMS Truculent
USS Richard Montgomery
Sir Thomas Cheyne
Warden Manor

Aviation

Among it's other claims to fame, Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey can consider itself the birthplace of British aviation. The Short brothers opened the first factory there and many pioneering flights took off from there.

The Memorial
to
Early British Aviation

The memorial can be found in Eastchurch opposite the church.

This photo is probably a fake but somebody thought the subject important.

If anyone has any genuine pictures I would be pleased to add them to this page.

Top of Page Home Page Eastchurch Leysdown

Cliff Erosion

So far as I can make out, the cliffs on the island formed a clay bed which stretched out in the general direction of the blue arc on my map (right). If the rate of erosion has been constant then over 10 miles of island has been lost since Roman times.

The site of St. James church now lies a few hundred yards out to sea though contractors were hired to remove the remains since they were hazardous to smallboats. There are records to indicate that St. James replaced an even earlier church built about a mile 'down the road' which disappeared in Tudor times. Before that I have no idea, though I can see why the Romans would have had a large garrison helping to defend the approaches to the River Swale and the Isle of Thanet.

Other communities have been lost but at least they leave behind ruins to excavate. All that could possibly be detected now is a ribbon of debris stretching towards the North Sea along the route of the roads which must have also existed.

Would anyone keep titles of land that no longer existed. Maybe the descendants of the Goodwins could answer that.

Additional Information

Warden Manor

Top of Page Home Page Warden

Minster Hospital

1636. The land and the money for Minster's first poorhouse was apparently donated to the people of Minster in a charitable trust by Sir John Hayward.

1789. The thatch of Minster Workhouse caught fire and the whole building was burnt down.

1834. Following the Poor Law Act, a Board of Guardians was set up to run a union of parish workhouses. It was known as the Union, and is situated in Union Road.

1889. A fire damaged Minster Workhouse,

1938. The Workhouse Union buildings were re-opened as Minster Hospital.