Minster-in-Sheppey

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Minster-in-Sheppey
Image:dot4gb.svg
Statistics
Population:
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference: TQ952729
Administration
District: Swale
Shire county: Kent
Region: South East England
Constituent country: England
Sovereign state: United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county: Kent
Historic county: Kent
Services
Police force: {{{Police}}}
Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}}
Ambulance: South East Coast
Post office and telephone
Post town: SHEERNESS
Postal district: ME12
Dialling code: 01795
Politics
UK Parliament: Sittingbourne and Sheppey
European Parliament: South East England

Minster is a small town on the north coast of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England, east of Sheerness.

The name comes from the Latin monasterium and denotes the site of an abbey, an abbey church, a monastery et al..

[edit] Religious life

Minster, Isle of Sheppy, an 1830 engraving that appeared in Ireland's History of Kent.
Enlarge
Minster, Isle of Sheppy, an 1830 engraving that appeared in Ireland's History of Kent.

In about AD 670 the widowed Kentish queen, Sexburga, built the monastery here - one of the first in Kent. In AD 835 the Danes overran Sheppey and made it their base camp. They remained there until the Norman conquest. In AD 670 another monarch - King Egbert gave land for his mother to establish a Benedictine nunnery at Minster. At the Reformation Sir Thomas Cheyney was given possession of the site.

Today the remains of the old Abbey gatehouse is a museum and the remaining tower is being restored.

Minster has a fine parish church, which includes Norman work with Roman tiles, and 15th Century choir stalls.

[edit] Other notes

The coast here consists of London Clay. and many fossil remains can be found along the beach after the waves have brought down the cliffs.

In the early 20th century the island was hit by speculative builders and Minster suffered equally with Sheerness. After World War II the population of the village had swollen "from about 250 people in 100 homes to 5500 people in 1800 homes". (taken from the external link)

[edit] External links

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The Borough of Swale in Kent, South East England
with its suburbs, villages, towns and parishes:

BapchildBadlesmereBobbingBordenBoughton under Blean • Bredgar • BrogdaleBuckland • Chestnut Street • Conyer • DoddingtonDunkirkEastchurchEastling • Elmley • Faversham • Faversham Without • Goodnestone • Graveney • HartlipHarty • Hearts Delight • Hernhill • Isle of SheppeyIwade • Kemsley • Leaveland • Leysdown • Leysdown on Sea • Lower HalstowLynsted • Milstead • Milton RegisMinster-in-Sheppey • Murston • NewingtonNewnham • Norton • Oad Street • Oare • OspringeQueenboroughQueenborough-in-Sheppey • Rodmersham • Rushenden • Selling • Sheldwich • SheernessSittingbourneSittingbourne and Milton • Stalisfield • Stone • Teynham • Throwley • Tonge • Tunstall • Warden

The Borough of Swale
List of places in Kent