Minster, Swale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minster |
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 Minster Leas |
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 Minster
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| Area | 5.28 km2 (2.04 sq mi) |
| Population | 17,389 (2021 census) |
| • Density | 3,293/km2 (8,530/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ952729 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SHEERNESS |
| Postcode district | ME12 |
| Dialling code | 01795 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Minster is a town located on the northern coast of the Isle of Sheppey. This island is part of Kent, a county in south-east England. Minster is found within the Swale area. It is also part of the Minster-on-Sea parish. In 2021, about 17,389 people lived in Minster.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Story of Minster
The name "Minster" comes from the word "monastery." A monastery is a place where monks or nuns live and worship. There are a few different ways people use the town's name. For example, the local council is called Minster-on-Sea. However, the local primary school uses Minster-in-Sheppey. This helps people tell it apart from another town called Minster-in-Thanet, which is also in Kent. Both towns are simply listed as Minster on official maps. The postal service calls the area Minster on Sea.
Minster's Coastal Location
The coast around Minster is made of a type of soil called London Clay. Because of this, you can often find many fossils on the beach. These fossils appear after waves break down parts of the cliffs.
Religious Buildings: Minster Abbey
Around the year 670 AD, King Ecgberht of Kent gave land in Minster to his mother, Seaxburh of Ely. She used this land to start a Benedictine nunnery. A nunnery is a place where nuns live. Sadly, this building was burned down by the Danes in 855.
Before the Norman invasion, the church was rebuilt. It became a Benedictine nunnery again. Parts of the original building were used in the new construction. Later, between 1123 and 1139, Archbishop Corbeil rebuilt it as an Augustinian nunnery.
Archbishop Corbeil is thought to have created a unique setup. He built two churches right next to each other. One was the Saxon church for the nuns. The other was a parish church for the local villagers. They share a wall and are now used as one large building. The abbey was closed in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It then became the property of Sir Thomas Cheney, who was a friend of Anne Boleyn.
Today, the old abbey gatehouse is home to a museum. The Sheppey Local History Society runs this museum.
Famous People Buried at the Abbey
Some notable people were buried at Minster Abbey:
- Roger Northwode (died 1286)
- Sir Robert de Shurland (died 1324)
- Thomas Cheney (died 1558)
Sir Robert de Shurland's monument has a carved horse head. This carving is linked to a local legend about him. The story says Sir Robert killed a priest. He then rode his horse into the sea to ask the king for forgiveness. The king was on a ship nearby. When Sir Robert returned, he killed his horse because an old woman said it would cause his death. Later, he kicked the horse's bones, and a piece pierced his foot. He got an infection and died. This tale is similar to old stories from other countries. It became very popular after it was published in 1837 by Richard Barham.
Minster's Growth and Changes
In the early 1900s, many new houses were built on the island. Minster grew a lot, just like Sheerness. After the Second World War, the number of people living in Minster increased greatly. It went from about 250 people in 100 homes to 5,500 people in 1,800 homes.
During the Second World War, a special barrier called the Shoeburyness Boom was built. It stretched across the Thames Estuary. This boom helped protect ships from enemy submarines. It ran from Royal Oak Point near Minster to Shoeburyness in Essex. A similar barrier was built in the 1950s to protect against Soviet submarines. The part of the boom near Royal Oak Point was removed in the 1960s.
In 1961, the parish of "Minster in Sheppey" had a population of 7,860. On April 1, 1968, this parish was joined with others to form Queenborough in Sheppey.
Education in Minster
Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey is the only secondary school on the Isle of Sheppey. It is located across two sites in the area. In 2009, a heating duct fell during an exam at its previous school, Minster College. Eleven students were hurt.
Local News and Media
Local news and TV shows for Minster come from BBC South East and ITV Meridian. Television signals are received from the Bluebell Hill TV transmitter.
You can listen to county-wide radio stations like BBC Radio Kent and Heart South. There are also local community radio stations. These include BRFM 95.6 FM, Sheppey FM 92.2, and Hospital Radio Swale. Hospital Radio Swale broadcasts from the Sheppey Community Hospital in town.
The Sheerness Times Guardian is the local weekly newspaper for Minster.
Minster Cricket Club
Minster Cricket Club plays its games at Gilbert Hall. This is near St. George's Primary School. The club started in 1931. It is the biggest cricket club on the Isle of Sheppey. They have four senior teams that play in Saturday league games. The club also has teams for younger players, including Under 16, Under 14, and Under 12 teams. They also have soft ball teams for Under 10 and Under 8 players. In addition, they have two midweek teams and a Sunday team. You can find more information at www.minstercricket.co.uk.
See also
In Spanish: Minster-on-Sea para niños
