Leysdown-on-Sea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Leysdown-on-Sea | |
  Leysdown-on-Sea shown within Kent |
|
| District | Swale |
|---|---|
| Shire county | Kent |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Sheerness |
| Dialling code | 01795 510 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| List of places: UK • England • Kent | |
Coordinates: Leysdown-on-Sea is a coastal village on the east side of the Isle of Sheppey in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England.
Contents |
[edit] History
It was noted in the Domesday book as being called Legesdun[1]and the name is thought to be derived from the Saxon words "Leswe"[2] (pasture) and "Dun" [3](hill).
A very small hamlet up to late Victorian times, it was developed a little after the arrival of the Sheppey Light Railway in 1903, though grand plans for the establishment of a large resort with hotels never materialised. The railway was closed in the 1950s.
[edit] Geography
Leysdown is located a mile to the SSE of Warden and three miles to the ESE of Eastchurch. To the SSE lies the hamlet of Shellness and to the southwest is an area of marshland known as the Leysdown marshes. To the northeast is the North Sea, with a shingle beach and mudflats extending out to sea.
[edit] Economy
The economy of Leysdown is primarily driven by tourism in the summer months, with a great deal of visitors coming from London. During the winter months the shops, clubs and pubs stay open, with the population of Leysdown, Warden and Bay View providing custom. In the past few years a boot fair has become a regular fixture on Sundays and there's also a market on Saturdays.[4] In addition, there are several large farms surrounding the village, with a mixture of pasture and arable land.
Briefly in the early 20th century a significant part of the economy came from the embryonic aviation industry, with the UK's first aircraft factory built in Leysdown in 1909 by the Short Brothers.[5] By the following year, however, operations had moved to nearby Eastchurch.
[edit] Landmarks
The Spinney is an area of open space in the middle of Leysdown, with a children's play area and benches. It takes its name from the woodland that was present there until the 1960s.[6]
[edit] Transport
The B2231 road provides the only transport link into Leysdown, with regular bus services from Arriva providing public transport links to the rest of the Isle and the mainland. There was formerly a bus station in Leysdown but it was demolished in the early 1990s; all that's left now is a large concrete area. The Sheppey Light Railway formerly provided a rail link to the rest of the Island but that was dismantled in the 1950s.
[edit] Education
There are no schools in Leysdown, with the nearest being Eastchurch Primary School. The nearest secondary school is Minster College.
[edit] Religious sites
On the outskirts of Leysdown is the church graveyard. It's all that remains of St Clements Church, which was demolished in the 1980s.
Sheppey Evangelical Church is the nearest active religious site, with All Saint's Church in Eastchurch being the nearest traditional church.
[edit] References
- ^ Rymill, John (2006). The Three Sheppey Islands in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Green Arrow Publishing. ISBN 0-9551431-5-2.
- ^ Rymill, John (2006). The Three Sheppey Islands in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Green Arrow Publishing. ISBN 0-9551431-5-2.
- ^ BBC - Kent Places - Place names - L (HTML). BBC Kent website. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
- ^ Holiday lettings on Sheppey. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
- ^ Kent Parish Councils. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
- ^ Photo of Leysdown in the 1960s. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
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