NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Sheerness

Coordinates: 51°26′28″N 0°45′38″E / 51.441, 0.7605 Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A modern compass card. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... For other meanings of swale see Swale (disambiguation). ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of English administrative division used for the purposes of local government. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... South East England is one of the nine official regions of England. ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping; thus the OECD has used the phrase in reference to the former Yugoslavia[1], the Soviet Union and European institutions such as the Council of... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England â€” the United Kingdom anthem is God Save the Queen. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The ME postcode area, also known as the Rochester postcode area[1], is a group of twenty postal districts around Medway in Kent, England. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... Kent Police is the police force covering Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Kent covering a geographical area south of London, to the coast and including major shipping routes via the Thames and Medway rivers. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... As of 1st July the NHS Ambulance Services Trusts of Kent, Surrey and Sussex are being joined together to form a new South East Coast Ambulance Service . ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... Sittingbourne and Sheppey is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... South East England is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000, it is the largest town on the island. Rivers in Kent, showing the Medway. ... View towards Minster from Elmley Marshes The Isle of Sheppey is a small (36 square miles, 94 kmÂ²) island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some 38 miles (62km) to the east of central London. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England â€” the United Kingdom anthem is God Save the Queen. ...

Sheerness began as a fort built in the 16th century to protect the River Medway from naval invasion. After a Dutch attack in 1692, Samuel Pepys, the Secretary to the Admiralty, established a Royal Navy dockyard in the town, where warships were built and repaired until its closure in 1960. Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 â€“ 26 May 1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. ... The office of Secretary to the Admiralty or (from the mid-18th century) First Secretary to the Admiralty was formerly an important position within the Admiralty of the United Kingdom, which was responsible for the government of the Royal Navy. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... Small shipyard in Klaksvík (Faroe Islands), reparing fishing vessels Dockyards and shipyards are places which repair and build ships. ...

In the 19th century, Sheerness also became a seaside resort, when a pier and promenade were constructed. Industry remains an important part of the town, and the port of Sheerness is one of the United Kingdom's leading car and fresh produce importers. The town is the site of one of the UK's first co-operative societies and the world's first multi-storey building with a rigid metal frame. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... For the type of foundation, see Deep foundation. ... A Promenade is a seaside walkway constructed so that people can enjoy walking near the sea without getting their clothes wet and dirty. ... A cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) comprises a legal entity owned and democratically controlled by its members, with no passive shareholders. ...

History

The first structure in what is now Sheerness was a fort built by order of Henry VIII to prevent enemy ships from entering the River Medway and attacking the naval dockyard at Chatham. In 1666, work began to replace it with a stronger fort. However, before its completion, this second fort was destroyed during the 1667 Dutch raid on the Medway.^[1] The Secretary of the Admiralty, Samuel Pepys, subsequently ordered the construction of a naval dockyard at Sheerness as an extension to that at Chatham,^[2] where naval ships would be built, maintained, and repaired. Low quality housing and the poor water supply near the dockyard led to a lack of workers and caused construction delays; the first dry-dock was not completed until 1708. Using materials they were allowed to take from the yard, dockyard construction workers built the first houses in Sheerness. The grey-blue naval paint they used on the exteriors led to their homes becoming known as the Blue Houses. This was eventually corrupted to Bluetown, the modern name of northwest Sheerness.^[1] Henry VIII (28 June 1491 â€“ 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland, from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Rivers in Kent, showing the Medway. ... Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway in Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, and thus requiring added defences. ... , Chatham is a large English town that developed around an important naval dockyard on the east bank of the River Medway to the south-east of London in the county of Kent. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 â€“ 26 May 1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. ... U.S. Navy submarine USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision with a fishing boat. ...

From the completion of the dockyard until 1960, Sheerness was one of the bases of the Nore Command of the Royal Navy, which was responsible for protecting British waters in the North Sea. The command was named after the Nore sandbank in the Thames Estuary, about 3 miles (5 km) east of Sheerness.^[3] In 1797, discontented sailors in the Royal Navy mutinied just off the coast of Sheerness.^[4] The Nore Command was one of several Royal Navy Commands that existed in prior to the last 20th Century, at its height was commanded by an officer in the rank of Admiral The Nore is the anchorage at the mouth of the River Medway, and became an important place of... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... A sandbank is a patch of sand in water, which creates a shallow area which may pose a hazard to boats. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. ...

By 1801 the population of the Minster-in-Sheppey parish, which included both Sheerness and the neighbouring town of Minster, reached 5,561.^[5] In 1816, one of the UK's first co-operative societies was started in Sheerness, chiefly to serve the dockyard workers and their families. The Sheerness Economical Society began as a co-operative bakery but expanded to produce and sell a range of goods.^[6] By the middle of the 20th century, the society had spread across the Isle of Sheppey and had been renamed the Sheerness and District Cooperative Society.^[7] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Grain church The Isle of Grain, (OE Greon meaning gravel) is in north Kent, England at the eastern end of the Hoo peninsula. ... Map sources for Minster-in-Sheppey at grid reference TQ952729 Minster is a small town on the north coast of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England, east of Sheerness. ... A cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) comprises a legal entity owned and democratically controlled by its members, with no passive shareholders. ...

In the early 1820s, a fire destroyed many buildings at the dockyard, including all the Blue Houses. New houses and a major redevelopment of the dockyard followed. On 5 September 1823, the rebuilt dockyard was formally opened by the Duke of Clarence (later William IV). A high brick wall and a moat were constructed around the yard to serve as a defence measure and remained in place until the end of the 19th century. As the settlement expanded eastwards, away from the dockyard and the Blue Houses, the wider area became known as Sheerness,^[1] taking its new name from the brightness or clearness of the water at the mouth of the River Medway.^[8] Completed in 1860 and still standing today, the Sheerness Boat Store was the world's first multi-storey building with a rigid metal frame.^[1] In 1863, mains water was installed in the town, and the Isle of Sheppey's first railway station opened at the dockyard. Towards the end of the 19th century, Sheerness achieved official town status and formed its own civil parish, separate from Minster-in-Sheppey.^[1] The 1901 Census recorded the Sheerness parish as having 18,179 residents and 2,999 houses.^[9] is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 â€“ 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. ... A water supply network is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components, including: the watershed or geographic area that collects the water, see water purification - sources of drinking water; a raw (untreated) water reservoir (above or below ground) where the water gathers, such as a lake, a river, or...

The town's low rainfall and ample sunshine made it popular as a seaside resort, with tourists arriving by steamboat and train.^[8] The Sheppey Light Railway opened in 1901, connecting the new Sheerness East station with the rest of the island. However, by 1950, lack of demand led to the railway's closure.^[10] The Sheerness tramway, which opened in 1903, only lasted until 1917.^[11] The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... A railway on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England which ran from Leysdown to Queenborough, where it connected with the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

In 1944, the United States cargo ship SS Richard Montgomery ran aground and sank 1 mile (1.6 km) off the coast of Sheerness, with 3,172 tonnes of explosives on board. Due to the inherent danger and projected expense, the ship and its cargo have never been salvaged; if the wreck were to explode, it would be one of the largest non-nuclear explosions of all time. A 2004 report published in New Scientist warned that an explosion could occur if sea water penetrated the bombs.^[12] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The SS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship built during World War II, one of the 2,710 used to carry cargo during the war. ... New Scientist is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. ...

In March 1960, the Royal Navy ceased operating the Sheerness dockyard and the Medway Port Authority took over the site for commercial use. The dockyard closure led to thousands of job losses, and most of the nearby houses and shops in the Bluetown area were eventually abandoned and demolished.^[2] By the 1961 census, the population of Sheerness had fallen to 13,691.^[9] The dockyard closure also led to the decline of the Sheerness and District Cooperative Society, as many of its members were dockyard workers. At the time, the society was the island's main retailer, but it has since been reduced to a few shops and been merged with a larger society.^[7] As of 2007, Bluetown is an industrial area, and Sheerness has become the largest port in the UK for motor imports.^[1]

Governance

Sheerness is in the parliamentary constituency of Sittingbourne and Sheppey. Since the constituency's creation in 1997, its Member of Parliament has been Derek Wyatt of the Labour Party.^[13] Before 1997, Sheppey and Sittingbourne were part of the constituency of Faversham. Sheerness is in the local government district of Swale. The town is split between the two local government wards of Sheerness East and Sheerness West, which have four of the forty-seven seats on the Swale Borough Council. As of the 2007 local elections, three of those seats were held by the Labour Party and one by the Sheppey First party.^[14] Swale Borough Council is responsible for running local services, such as recreation, refuse collection and council housing;^[15] Kent County Council is responsible for education, social services and trading standards.^[16] Both councils are involved in town planning and road maintenance. From 1894 to 1968, Sheerness formed its own local government district, 'Sheerness Urban District', and lay within the administrative county of Kent.^[17] Over much of the past century, the Labour Party has received the most support in Sheerness, mainly due to the town's industrial nature. As early as 1919, the town had four Labour councillors; Faversham elected its first only in 1948.^[18]^[19] A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... Sittingbourne and Sheppey is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Derek Murray Wyatt (born 4 December 1949) is a British politician, and Labour Member of Parliament for Sittingbourne and Sheppey in Kent, first elected in 1997, having previously been a councillor in the London Borough of Haringey. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Faversham was a parliamentary constituency in Kent which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... For other meanings of swale see Swale (disambiguation). ... A ward is an electoral district used in local politics, most notably in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and many cities in the United States and the federal district of Washington, DC. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods... Entrance to a polling station in the market town of Haverhill, Suffolk on 3 May 2007. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Kent County Council is the local authority for the county of Kent in south-east England, United Kingdom. ... The division into counties is one of the larger divisions of England. ...

Geography

Sheerness is located at 51°26′28″N, 0°45′39″E (51.441, 0.7605), in the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in North Kent. To the north, sandy beaches run along the coast of the Thames Estuary. To the west, the outlet of the River Medway flows into the Estuary. An area of wetlands known as The Lappel lies between the river and the southwestern part of town. Marshland lies to the south and the east. The main rock type of the Isle of Sheppey is London Clay, which covers most of North Kent.^[20] Along with most of the Kent coast, the uninhabited coastal areas of the island have been designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest, due to their wildlife and geological features.^[21] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The Thames Estuary is a large estuary where the River Thames flows into the North Sea. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... The London Clay is a marine deposit which is well known for the fossils it contains. ... A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. ...

The nearest towns to Sheerness are Minster, 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east, and Queenborough, 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south. The villages of Minster-on-Sea and Halfway Houses are 1 mile (1.6 km) to the southeast, and the village of Grain is 2 miles (3.2 km) to the west, across the River Medway. Map sources for Minster-in-Sheppey at grid reference TQ952729 Minster is a small town on the north coast of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England, east of Sheerness. ... Map sources for Queenborough at grid reference TQ908724 Queenborough is a small town on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in South East England. ... Minster-on-Sea is a village on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in England. ... Halfway Houses is a village on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in England. ... Grain church The Isle of Grain, (OE Greon meaning gravel) is in north Kent, England at the eastern end of the Hoo peninsula. ...

The main commercial and leisure areas of the town are located around the north coast, where there is easy access to the pleasure beach. The industrial areas are in the west, beside the wetlands and the River Medway. The Bluetown industrial area and the Port of Sheerness are in the northwestern part of the town. The residential districts of Mile Town and Marine Town are in the central and the eastern areas respectively.

In Sheerness, the mean annual temperature is around 10 °C (50 °F). The average annual maximum temperature is approximately 14 °C (57 °F), and the average annual minimum temperature is around 6 °C (43 °F). The warmest time of the year is July and August, when maximum temperatures average 21 °C (70 °F). The coolest time of the year is January and February, when minimum temperatures average around 2 °C (36 °F).^[22]

Sheerness' average annual rainfall is 28 inches (711 mm). The average annual duration of sunshine is 1,700 hours; the months May to August have the most hours of sunshine. On average, there are fewer than six days of lying snow per year, and 16 days with thunder per year.^[22]

Demography

As of the 2001 UK census,^[23]^[24] Sheerness had a population of 11,654. The Office for National Statistics estimated the population in mid-2005 to be 11,000, a decrease of 5.6% since the 2001 Census.^[25] UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ... UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ... Office for National Statistics logo The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the United Kingdom government executive agency charged with the collection and publication of statistics related to the economy, population and society of the United Kingdom at national and local levels. ...

The population density as of the 2001 Census was 9.8 persons per acre (24.2 persons per hectare) and for every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. Residents of Sheerness had an average age of 34.7 years, younger than the 38.2 Swale average. Of all residents, 51% were single (never married) and 24% married; in Swale, 42% were single and 35% were married. Of the 4,870 households, 34% were one-person households, 15% were married couples with dependent children, and 11% were lone parents with dependent children. Of those aged 16–74 in Sheerness, 44% had no academic qualifications, higher than the 34% in all of Swale. An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... A hectare (symbol ha) is a unit of area, equal to 10 000 square metres, commonly used for measuring land area. ... Education in England is the responsibility of Department for Education and Skills at national level and, in the case of publicly funded compulsory education, of Local Education Authorities. ...

Sheerness has a low proportion of foreign-born residents, only 3%. Ninety-eight percent of residents were recorded as white; the largest minority group was recorded as Asian at 1.1% of the population.

Economy

The Port of Sheerness is a significant feature of the Isle of Sheppey's economy. Covering more than 1.5 million square meters,^[26] it is one of the largest foreign car importers in the UK, and it handles thousands of tonnes of fruits and meat products from all over the world. Inexpensive land and good infrastructure, including a rail network that branches off the main passenger line, have attracted industries to the port area, including producers of pharmaceuticals, steel, sausages and garden gnomes.^[27] The major employers are HBC Engineering Solutions, ASW Sheerness Steel, Regis Furniture and The Bond Group.^[28] The seafront is popular with tourists, and as of 2007 Sheerness' recently refurbished town centre had more than 200 shops.^[29] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the mythical creatures. ...

As of the 2001 UK census, 35.8% of residents aged 16–74 were employed full-time, 11.6% part-time, 5.8% self-employed and 6.2% unemployed, while 1.5% were students with jobs, 3.4% students without jobs, 11.9% retired, 10.6% looking after home or family, 8.5% permanently sick or disabled and 4.8% economically inactive for other reasons. The unemployment rate of 6.2% was high compared to the national rate of 3.4% and was the highest rate throughout the Swale district. Five percent of Sheerness residents aged 16–74 had a higher education qualification compared to 20% nationally.^[30] The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ...

Employment by industry was 22% manufacturing; 18% retail; 10% construction; 10% transport and communications; 9% real estate; 8% health and social work; 6% public administration; 5% education; 5% hotels and restaurants; 1% finance; 1% agriculture; 1% energy and water supply; and 4% other community, social or personal services. Compared to national figures, Sheerness had a relatively high percentage of workers in manufacturing, transport and communications, and a relatively low percentage in agriculture, hotels, restaurants, education, health, social work and finance.^[30] The term communications is used in a number of disciplines: Communications, also known as communication studies is the academic discipline which studies communication, generally seen as a mixture between media studies and linguistics. ... Professional social workers are concerned with social problems, their causes, their solutions and their human impacts. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box: Public administration can be broadly described as the study and implementation of policy. ...

As of the 2001 UK census, 4,292 of the town's residents were employed and there were 5,532 jobs within the town.^[30] According to Office for National Statistics estimates, the average gross weekly income of households in Sheerness from April 2001 to March 2002 was £385 (£20,075 per year).^[30] Office for National Statistics logo The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the United Kingdom government executive agency charged with the collection and publication of statistics related to the economy, population and society of the United Kingdom at national and local levels. ... â€œGBPâ€ redirects here. ...

Culture

Sheerness' sand and shingle beach was awarded a European Blue Flag for cleanliness and safety. Flower gardens decorate the seafront, and a sea wall forms a promenade along the coast. The Sheppey Leisure Complex located near the beach contains a swimming pool and badminton, squash and tennis courts.^[31] Other sports clubs include Sheerness Town Bowls Club, Sheerness East Cricket Club, Isle Of Sheppey Sailing Club, Beachfields Skatepark, Sheerness East Table Tennis Club, Catamaran Yacht Club, and Sheerness Swimming Club and Lifeguard Corps.^[32] Sheerness Golf Club was founded in 1906, and has an 18-hole course just to the southeast of town.^[33] Sheerness East Football Club, established in 1932, play in the Kent County League Premier Division. Sports can be played for free at the town's recreation grounds at Beachfields Park, Festival Playing Field, and Seager Road Sports Ground.^[34] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... A Blue Flag beach is a maritime or freshwater recreational beach that has met stringent quality standards during the whole of the previous bathing season. ... Sheerness East F.C. is a football club based in Sheerness, Kent, England. ... The Kent County League Premier Division is a football competition based in England. ...

Sheerness has a library and clubs for photography, music, singing, dancing and writing.^[35] There are two local newspapers: the Sheerness Times Guardian, which provides news related only to the town, and the Sheppey Gazette, which provides news on the wider Sheppey area. Kent Messenger Group owns the Sheerness Times Guardian and Trinity Mirror owns the Sheppey Gazette. BRFM 95.6 FM provides radio coverage for the island.^[36] Trinity Mirror is a large United Kingdom newspaper and magazine publisher. ...

Sheerness' town centre is home to the largest freestanding cast iron clock tower in Kent. It is 36 feet (11 m) tall and was built in 1902 at a cost of around £360 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. In 2002, the clock tower was restored to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.^[37]^[38] Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 â€“ 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of the Commonwealth Realms, and the Emperor of India. ... A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary of a monarchs reign. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

Transport

Sheerness-on-Sea railway station is on the Sheerness Line, run by the Southeastern rail company. The line connects Sheerness with the town of Sittingbourne, 6 miles (10 km) south on the mainland of Kent. Sittingbourne is on the Chatham Main Line, which connects London with Ramsgate and Dover in East Kent. Train journeys from Sheerness-on-Sea to London Victoria take 1 hour 45 minutes.^[39] Sheerness-on-Sea railway station is on the Sheerness Line in north Kent, and serves the town of Sheerness. ... The Sheerness Line connects Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent with Sittingbourne on the mainland, and with the Chatham Main Line for trains to London and elsewhere in Kent. ... Southeastern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. ... Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles (12. ... The Chatham Main Line is the British railway line that runs from London Victoria to Dover Priory or Ramsgate via the Medway Towns (of which Chatham is one, hence the name) and Bromley). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Ramsgate is an English seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. ... , Dover is a major channel port in the English county of Kent. ... East Kent and West Kent are one-time traditional subdivisions of the English county of Kent, kept alive by the Association of the Men of Kent and Kentish Men: an organisation formed in 1913. ... Victoria Station concourse Victoria station is a London Underground and railway station in London, in the City of Westminster. ...

The Arriva transport company operates bus routes reaching most of the island, as well as Sittingbourne, Maidstone and Chatham.^[40] The A249 road terminates at Sheerness, running from Maidstone via Sittingbourne. The road crosses the M2 motorway near Sittingbourne, and the M20 motorway near Maidstone.^[41] No passenger ferry services operate from Sheerness. An Arriva train in Denmark Arriva plc is a UK-based international public transport operator and vehicle rental company, headquartered in Sunderland. ... Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, halfway (30 miles) between the City of London and the English Channel. ... The A249 at Danaway. ... There are also M2 motorways in Northern Ireland and Australia The M2 motorway is a motorway in England. ... The M20 motorway is a major road in England. ...

Education

The Isle of Sheppey is the only area in Kent to still have a middle school system.^[42] On the island, primary schools teach pupils from ages 4–9, middle schools from ages 9–13 and secondary schools from ages 11–18. Minster College in the neighbouring town of Minster is the only secondary school on the island. Sheerness has one middle school, Cheyne Middle School, with 800 pupils. In 2006, the school's Key Stage 2 performance ranked 322nd out of Kent's 386 primary and middle schools.^[43] The town's primary schools are Richmond First School, Rose Street Primary School, St Edward's Roman Catholic Primary School and West Minster Primary School.^[44] Sheppey College, in Sheerness, is a branch of Canterbury College that provides a range of further education courses.^[45] List of primary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, special schools, further education colleges and universities in Kent, England. ... Middle school (also known as intermediate school or junior high school) covers a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education, serving as a bridge between the two. ... Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... The term, secondary school, refers to an institution where the third stage of schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. ... Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when pupils are aged between 7 and 11. ... Canterbury College is an associate college of the University of Kent, England. ... Further education (often abbreviated FE) is post-secondary, post-compulsory education (in addition to that received at secondary school). ...

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