Isle of Sheppey
| Isle of Sheppey | ||
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| Waters | Thames | |
| Geographical location | 51 ° 24 ′ N , 0 ° 50 ′ E | |
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| length | 16.6 km | |
| width | 7.3 km | |
| surface | 94 km² | |
| Highest elevation | Furze Hill 42 m |
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| Residents | approx. 38,000 (2001) 404 inhabitants / km² |
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| main place | Sheerness | |
The Isle of Sheppey is an English island in the estuary ( estuary ) of the Thames .
The overall flat and swampy island lies with an area of approx. 94 km² off the north coast of the county of Kent , approx. 40 km east of Greater London and in 2001 had approx. 38,000 inhabitants.
It is separated from the mainland by the narrow river "The Swale". Originally only accessible by two ferries, the island has been connected to the mainland since 1860 by a railway bridge at Queenborough , which has been a combined railway and road bridge since 1959.
On the island there are large open spaces and port facilities, which are used, among other things, for import and export as well as the storage of non-salable vehicles.
To the south of the village of Eastchurch are the HMP Elmley, HMP Standford Hill and HMP Swaleside prisons for approximately 2,800 inmates.
The German writer Uwe Johnson lived in Sheerness on Sea on the Isle of Sheppey from 1974 until his death in 1984 .
See also
Web links
An eroding headland on the Isle of Sheppey
The railway bridge "Kingsferry Bridge" connecting the mainland with the island
Minster Abbey
