Minster-in-Sheppey
Encyclopedia
Minster is a small town on the north coast of the Isle of Sheppey
and in the Swale
district of Kent
, England.
, also in the county of Kent. Both places are listed in the Ordnance Survey
gazeteer is Minster. Royal Mail identifies a locality of Minster On Sea in the ME12 postcode district. Minster-on-Sea is a location mentioned in Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop
.
In about AD 670 the widowed Kentish queen, Seaxburh of Ely
, 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 Ecgberht of Kent
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.
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)
The new Thames Estuary airport, if built, will be built on a manmade island just north of the village.
Isle of Sheppey
The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
and in the Swale
Swale
Swale is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its council is based in Sittingbourne. The borough is named after the narrow channel called The Swale, a channel that separates the mainland of Kent from the Isle of Sheppey, and which occupies the central part of the...
district of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England.
Toponymy
The name of the town derives from the monastery founded in the area. There is some variation in the use of the name, with the local parish council being named Minster-on-Sea, while other sources, such as the local primary school, use Minster-in-Sheppey, in order to distinguish it from Minster-in-ThanetMinster-in-Thanet
Minster-in-Thanet, also known as Minster, is a village and civil parish in the Thanet District of Kent, England. The village is situated to the west of Ramsgate and to the north east of Canterbury; it lies just south west of Kent International Airport and just north of the River Stour...
, also in the county of Kent. Both places are listed in the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
gazeteer is Minster. Royal Mail identifies a locality of Minster On Sea in the ME12 postcode district. Minster-on-Sea is a location mentioned in Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop is a novel by Charles Dickens. The plot follows the life of Nell Trent and her grandfather, both residents of The Old Curiosity Shop in London....
.
Religious life
Seaxburh of Ely
Seaxburh ; also Saint Sexburga of Ely, was the queen of King Eorcenberht of Kent, as well as an abbess and a saint of the Christian Church....
, 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 Ecgberht of Kent
Ecgberht of Kent
Ecgberht was a King of Kent who ruled from 664 to 673, succeeding his father Eorcenberht s:Ecclesiastical History of the English People/Book 4#1....
gave land for his mother to establish a Benedictine nunnery at Minster. At the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
Sir Thomas Cheyney was given possession of the site.
Minster has a fine parish church, which includes Norman work with Roman tiles, and 15th Century choir stalls.
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
Sheerness
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....
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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)
The new Thames Estuary airport, if built, will be built on a manmade island just north of the village.
External links
- Notes on Minster Selection box for notes
- Abbey notes
- 12 May 2009 Minster College school incident
- For more information on local cricket go to Minster Cricket Club