Isle of Sheppey

When I was a teenager living  in Hackney, lots of friends went to the Isle of Sheppey for  riotous weekends of caravanning. These were the days before package holidays and clubbing in Ibiza. I was not allowed to go to Leysdown and my impression  of the Isle of Sheppey as a run down , shabby seaside resort has stayed with me.

Today we visited this island that is crossed by a bridge which reaches a height of 35m, and links the Isle with the mainland of Northern Kent.

I had a very pleasant surprise. It is a beautiful place with wide open spaces of marshland, wetlands and mud flats. There are far reaching views to the other side of the estuary and it is  remote and peaceful with an abundance of wildlife and grazing sheep, cattle and ponies.

We visited Elmley Nature Reserve and looked at the Shepherds Huts that can be booked for stays.
We didnt go as far as the Swale so missed out on seeing the many birds that inhabit this,area.   In the distance could be seen the bridge and the oil refineries but this did not deter from its peacefulness and remoteness.

Lunchtime was spent in the secluded hamlet of Harty, in a great 16th century pub which has recently  undergone a very sensitive refurbishment maintaining the original beams. The pub overlooks the Swale Estuary and is only reached by a long lane known as Harty Ferry Road which is 4 miles long. The pub- The Ferry House Inn - is well worth the trip. My main blip is a view from the pub garden. The food was excellent. Everything is sourced locally and all the vegetables and herbs, and fruit in season, are from their own kitchen garden.

The little church in the Isle of Harty - St Thomas the Apostle - dates back to the 11th century. The church has no electricity or running water.  It is lit by paraffin lamps and at Christmas wax candles are lit during the carol service. The rear of the church looks onto the estuary.

My original thoughts of what the Isle of Sheppey is like were totally unfounded, although some parts do have large sprawling caravan sites for holidaymakers.  I loved the isolation and remoteness, and the birds we saw on the Isle of Harty, and we will definitely return.