The island is really unique, and a charming place to visit. It has a history steeped in stories of piracy and smugglers.
The Vikings found the island literally a gateway to England and the Danes first gained a foothold here. French privateers pillaged the island and in 1667 the Dutch invaded and captured the whole of Sheppey before sailing up the Medway in an attempt to capture Chatham. The idea behind this was that if a firm grip could be applied to the south eastern tip then the Spanish Armada could invade the whole of England. But today peace and calm reigns over the Isle of Sheppey, nine miles long and five miles wide.
Our village Eastchurch is a pretty village six miles from the largest town Sheerness. In the days of the horse-bus it became the home of the pioneers of aviation and the holder of Pilots Licence No. 1 - Lord Brabazon of Tara - and Sir Winston Churchill, both flew on the old Eastchurch Aerodrome. The Short Brothers built a glider for C.S. Rolls; in 1909 he taught himself to fly in Eastchurch towing his glider back up to the top of Standford Hill each time with his Rolls Royce car. The first military pilots (four Naval Officers) were trained to fly at Eastchurch which became the founding station for the Royal Naval Air Service. It was through the Naval pilots, the Short Brothers and the splendid support of Winston Churchill that military aviation got started and flourished in Eastchurch.
The ruins of Shurland Hall where Henry the Eighth and the ill-fated Anne Boleyn spent their honeymoon in the 16th century is awaiting restoration. And from Eastchurch there is the only full view of the Swale - the waterway which separates Sheppey from the mainland and gives the island its romantic connotation. Eastchurch Parish Church, too, is steeped in history. In the churchyard stands the tomb of Gabriel Livesay, whose son Michael signed the death warrant of Charles 1st. And in the church a stained glass window commemorates C.S.Rolls and Cecil Grace, both of whom died in flying tragedies in 1910. Perhaps the most eye-catching site is the splendid stone memorial to the early aviators which stands imposingly opposite the church. Another claim to fame are our three Prisons Swaleside, Elmley and Stanford Hill totalling around 1500 inmates the highest amount in one place in the country. These prisons play an important part for business and employment on the island. We have two nice inns, hotel and B & B accommodation, the church normally opens during daylight hours. We won the BAA Gatwick Trophy for the best new entrant in the South East in Bloom Contest and came second in the village category. Our primary school was the first in Kent to obtain an ECO award.
SHURLAND HALL
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Please Email to mepordage@eastchurch.freeserve.co.uk