Hoo Peninsula

The Hoo peninsula includes the northern most remaining wet marshlands, inhabitable in the English county of Kent, in Great Britain, which has gained the status of a site of special scientific interest, requiring protection on numerous geological and biological, botanical grounds. The area is also rich in industrial archaeology. It was once the point of departure across the ancient Saxon fording point over the river Thames to Essex.

The Hoo Peninsula is a small area of semi-arable marshland which separates the estuary of the rivers Thames from the Medway estuary. These two rivers were once joined by an ambitious project of construction in the form of a wide canal.

With basins providing port and access to the two rives at Gravesend and Strood, the canal passed through a long sectioned twin tunnel. The line of this old now silted canal is a convenient boundary marking the landward edge of the peninsular, and the route is now part of the British Rail - Southern Rail Network.

Tunnel closure: Engineers and surveyors both governmental and private undertook a consultation and subsequent construction of the recently introduced Medway Towns bypass, which drove a motorway style link route directly over the old tunnel, consequently causing geological instability.

Also housing built over the tunnel has further impacted on its stability, this strategy ultimately resulting in the closure of the tunnel for thee duration of the year 2004.

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Folowing the A228, from the old Roman 'London Road' (Watling Street) in Kent, at Strood, the Hoo Peninsula is reached via two main routes by road, east of Rochester.

The most significant road, being the "Ratcliffe Highway" is approached by way of the A2 Medway towns Northern bypass from the bottom of Four Elms hill, to the top of Chattenden hill (left before the Medway tunnel approach on the A2 Medway north bypass), passing out of Wainscott from the parishes of Frindsbury and Strood.

The road is extensily rurual in nature but several intersting old buildings can be seen along its route. Their remains a Grade II listed red brick farmhouse dating from the 17th century and its barn, 25 yards south of the farmhouse, also a Grade II building but timber framed and weather boarded. Another Grade II listed farmhouse is Fenn Street Farmhouse, the timber framed building is medieval in origin, with parts dated to the 15th century. It was sufficiently old that it had to be refaced in 1760. The highway extends the full length of the peninsula and is the main thorougfaire to the isle of Grain, at the further most eastern corner of the peninsula. (see below)

The other route onto the peninsula heads north by way of Cliffe-at-Hoo, (B2000). This is a dangerous winding arterial county road, much used in industrial transport like the Ratcliffe highway. The B2003 passes through Cliffe Woods, to Cliffe, where it becomes first Station Road, from the location of the now vanished station of the Hundred of Hoo railway, and finally enters Church Street, which leads onto the marshes themselves. Following the trackway beyond 'Pond hill' eventually one reaches the Thames 'Sea wall'.

Gads Hill:

Gads Hill is situated between Higham and Strood next to Rochester, and remains the only factual detail concerning the incident of the legend of the long ride north made by Dick Turpin, a highway man of some repute. The basic facts of the story are true, but they were told by Turpin to his admirers before he went to the gallows, and he was taking credit for the deed of one of his fellow highwaymen, and gang member, John Nevison. Charles Dickens lived and died at Gads Hill, where his house (now a private school) is passed on the main Gravesend - Rochester road.

Higham.

The priory dedicated to St Mary was built on land granted to Mary, daughter of King Stephen. In 1148, the nuns of St Sulphice-la-Foret, Brittany, moved to Higham. Higham priory was also known as Lillechurch. (Medieval Religious Houses, p. 259).

On the 6th of July 1227, King Henry III confirmed the royal grant to the abbey of St Mary and St Sulpice of Lillechurch. Their exists the remains of a Thameside fort on the Higham marshes.

See also Higham.

Hoo St. Werburgh.

Named after a Saxon princess born between 640-50 ad, the niece of Ethelrede, who succeeded her father as king of Mercia.

The first church built at Hoo dates from about 741, built by Ethlbald, a cousin of Werburgh, although a nunnery existed nearby at an earlier time.

A feature found in the church considered to be quite unique is found in the existence of two coats of royal arms belonging to James I (1603) and the arms of Elizabeth I, both recently restored and placed on view in the church.

The parish records of 1851 give the population as 1065.

High Halstow.

See: High-Halstow.

High Halstow has formed around a junction in the ancient farm roads from Hoo and Cliffe to the isle of Grain and is reached from Cliffe via Cooling several miles further along the winding road rising to the highest point on the peninsular, known now as Northwood hill protected by the RSPB which now manages an internationally significant nature reserve with Britain's largest heronry (160 pairs), also supporting little egrets, avocets and marsh harriers. This site was scheduled for demolition under government proposals for an international London airport. (See Thames Gateway).

High Halstow has become generally a farming area, but some of the local residents gained employment outside the village, at the Royal Navy Armament Depot at Lodge Hill, Chattenden, and the Medway Oil and Storage Co. at Grain. Chatham Dockyard and Shorts Brothers at Rochester were traditional employers for the whole area until they respectivly closed down, many years ago.

Buck Hole Farmhouse at High Halstow, is the farmhouse next to Northward Hill RSPB reserve, and another Grade II listed farmhouse from the early 18th century.

Rye Street, Cliffe.

The Grade II listed barn at Rye Farm, in Common Lane, Cliffe dates from the 1570's. It is described as a 16th century Grade II barn "with archaic details." Beneath its present asbestos roof is a timber framed three bay barn with weather boarded walls and a traditional hipped roof. It includes an ancient wagon porch.

PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED FOR DEMOLITION UNDER PROPOSALS FOR A LONDON ORBITAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

Cliffe.

The 'living' at Cliffe in the C17th was described as 'one of the prizes of the church'.

See: Cliffe-at-Hoo.

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Cliffe Woods.

Cliffe Woods was once just a small hamlet and is geographically situated next to Higham. The old woods rise to meet Chattenden and the Ratcliffe highway, just before Hoo, and still retains much of its rural character, but has of late been built upon. The modern estate now situated just back from the B2003 was built on a clay subsoil, and many of the houses had to be underpinned after having been sold, because they were noticed to have moved slightly, built on a hillside.

A petrol filling station was one of the few village shops here as early as 1925, and was rebuilt in the 1960s. Even then some of the properties in the woods did not have their own water supply, and had to visit the garage to collect their water. b2000

Cooling

Cooling is the location of an ancient castle built to defend the port of Cliffe. The village church of St James has long been classified 'redundant', and is therefore no longer used for worship, but is maintained by the Church Commission. The churchyard featured in the film of the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations.

The remote and isolated hamlet has been described as 'the capital of English Lollardry' because of its association with sir John Oldcastle.

Sir John de Cobham, third Baron Cobham inherited an 700 acre estate at Cobham from his father Henry in 1335, originally acquired by the de Cobhams in 1241. John lord Cobham later built the castle in 1381, as he was in charge of the defence of Kent but a successful raid by the Spanish and French up to Gravesend spurred the king to realize the defence was needed. For in 1379 French vessels appeared in the Thames, with a body of French and Spanish soldiers who 'ravaged all this part of Kent', so that every town and village near the river fell to them.

The castle described as 'startling white-stone, drum-towered gatehouse and moated ruins of Cooling Castle' (Arnold), is now not much more than a ruin but has too excellent and well proportioned towers and entrance built by Thomas Crump of Maidstone.

Constructed by the stonemason Henry Yeverle, who also worked extensively on the Palace of Westminster and the Tower of London. 1381, the castle began to take shape, obtaining license from king Richard to 'crenellate and fortify it'.

Nevertheless Cooling castle was stormed by sir Thomas Wyatt in 1554 during the Kentish uprising against queen Mary I and after the failure of lord John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland to install lady Jane Grey on the throne.

During the 1990's the property was owned by the Rochester bridge wardens, but is now a private retreat of Jules Holland.

St Mary Hoo.

The first appearance of the name is in 1240.

St Mary's Church at St Mary Hoo was the former parish church and gave its name to the village, and although it remains a grade II building, dating from the 14th century it has been reconstructed as a private house. Formally rebuilt in about 1881 of local rag stone, it has an un restored 15th century south west window that is noteworthy.

Newlands Farmhouse Nearby along the ridge track to Northward Hill is a Grade II farmhouse which was built in 1746.

The Old Rectory at St Mary Hoo A grade II house built in the late 1700s. It has a special place in scandals involving the royalty. The rectors from 1788 to 1875 were a father and son, both named R. Burt. The senior of the two, the Rev. Robert Burt, performed the illegal marriage ceremony between George IV and Mrs Fitzherbert in 1785. A plaque commemorating this event remains hidden in the old church of St Mary.

St Mary's Hall, also at St Mary Hoo, is a house built in the 1600s, but which was added to in 1830. It was the home of the Victorian farm innovator, Henry Pye, between 1845 and 1909.

Hoo St-Mary.

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Stoke.

Stoke is divided into Upper Stoke and Lower Stoke.

The Rose and Crown The pub in Stoke Road is another Grade II building. It started life as a Georgian house in the late 18th century but has 20th century additions and alterations.

In the late C20th the Ramsgate Flat Earth Society held council at Stoke and formed the North Kent Parochial Anarchists. This was announced on the parish and village notice board, opposite what now represents the village centre, and by public proclamation on the village green in 1984.

Stoke Church Stoke Church .

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Allhallows.

Allhallows-on-Sea.

Previously known as Omnium Sanctorum in honour of the church.

PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED FOR DEMOLITION UNDER PROPOSALS FOR A LONDON ORBITAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

Further along, past Stoke is Allhallows-on-Sea, something of a resort with a wide grass expanse beside its locally popular shingle foreshore. All Saints' Church The parish church dates from the 12th century. It is the only grade I listed building on the Hoo Peninsula and has been at risk of destruction. The church was built of flint and stone, and has a lead roof, west tower, nave with north and south porch, and chancel. The oldest part is the west end of the nave and arcade. The north arcade dates from the early 13th century, while the chancel arch is 14th century, parts of the nave date from the Wars of the Roses.

All Saints' was restored between 1886 - 91 by Ewan Christian. The name first appeared in 1285 (as Ho All Hallows)

Grain.

Grain, otherwise called the Isle of Grain, this village is the uttermost remote and eastern corner of the Hoo peninsula and was once a small island in its own right. (see also Isle of Sheppey). The isle of Grain is situated immediately adjacent to the old Fort at Sheerness in Sheppy, on the further bank of the Medway estuary.

From about 1912 a sea plane station was positioned at Grain, by the Admiralty. From the beginning of the Great War in 1914 regular patrols were made along the Thames estuary from this station, as part of English channel defences. Port Victoria was established in 1914 as an RN (Royal Navy) air plane repair depot, adjacent to the station. Activities at these bases declined after 1918, until in 1924 defence cuts saw the closure of these bases.

The area is now largely occupied by the Isle of Grain Coal and Oil reserve Power station, the construction of which was begun in 1948 with a completion and start up date scheduled for 1952, however the site was flooded in its first week when the sea wall was breached. A State of the arts Gas import depot has of late secured a station at the site.

The Hundred of Hoo Railway.

In 1878, Henry Pye with a deputation of other local farmers met with the South Eastern Railway Company with a request for a new railway to be built in the area. From this meeting a new was company established, and became known as the Hundred of Hoo Railway Company.

The first part of the line to be opened was in March 1882, from Cliffe to Sharnal Street. This was later to be extended east to the Isle of Grain. Sharnal Street was the larger of the two original twin stations and was provided with good sidings, where the local farmers were able to load their produce, to be that much more easily transported directly to the London market. It was also at Sharnal Street that telegram and mail collections were effected.

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