10 Good Reasons To Visit Sheppey And Sittingbourne

Sheppey is one of Kent’s last wild landscapes, while Sittingbourne became a stop for pilgrims

- Caroline Read

1 WILD THING The Isle of Sheppey is one of the last truly wild places in the south east, with a unique, unspoilt landscape. Known for its marshlands, beaches, birdlife and open skies, visit some of its natural wonders and you’ll soon see that this tiny island is a place like no other. Elmley National Nature Reserve is the UK’s only independent National Nature Reserve. A family run farm, it’s home to all sorts of wildlife, from hares to curlews, and offers great views across the mudflats. Nearby Swale National Nature Reserve is equally wild, and so peaceful that harriers, avocets and short-eared owls breed there.

2 BRILLIANT BEACHES It is an island after all, so naturally Sheppey boasts several beaches, two with the prestigious Blue Flag Award for cleanliness, water quality and looks. Minster Leas Beach is a long sand and shingle beach backing onto a wide grassy promenade, perfect for coastal walking. Sheerness Beach is a firm family favourite too, with a sweeping bay set beside a grassy esplanade which leads to the promenade.

3 FLYING HIGH On the site of the former RAF Station Eastchurch, the Eastchurch Aviation Museum offers a glimpse into the area’s important aviation history. The airfield was originally established as a place for pioneer aviators to experiment in 1908. Together with Muswell Manor, the former Shellbeach site, this became the UK’s first aviation manufacturing facility. Known as the birthplace of the British aviation industry, it’s where the Wright Brothers from the US came to meet the British Short Brothers. You can also visit the memorial to British aviation at Eastchurch and have a drink at Muswell Manor Holiday Park.