Eastchurch
| Eastchurch | |
|---|---|
| Administration | |
| District: | Swale |
| County: | Kent |
| Region: | South East England |
| Nation: | England |
| Other | |
| Ceremonial County: | Kent |
| Traditional County: | Kent |
| Postal County: | Kent |
Eastchurch is a village on the Isle of Sheppey a mile south of Minster. As the village website says "... it has a history steeped in stories of piracy and smugglers."; but it is much more.
The gatehouse is now all that remains of Shurland Hall, connected with many families including the Cheneys who were here in 1274; and Sir John Stanley, who was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in the 15th century. The gatehouse is now in the care of the National Trust.
In Hidden Kent by Alan Major (Countryside Books, 1994) there is a note from the 1847 gazeteer which comments on the scarcity of fresh water which " makes the inhabitants very careful to preserve such falls from the clouds ..." and tells of spouts from the church designed to fill large tubs around it in the churchyard.
Jozef_Zajac.jpg
The village is also linked to the early days of aviation, and in July of 1911 was the site of the Gordon Bennett Trophy air race: see the notes in the Isle of Sheppey article. During the Battle of Britain it was one of notable bases of the Polish Air Forces.