Isle of Sheppey

Isle of Sheppey
Sheppey as seen by the Operational Land Imager on the satellite Landsat 8
Isle of Sheppey Location within Kent
Area	93 km2 (36 sq mi)
Population	40,300 (2011 Census)
• Density	433/km2 (1,120/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TQ970695
District	Swale
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Sheerness
Postcode district	ME11/ME12
Dialling code	01795
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Sittingbourne and Sheppey
List of places UK England Kent 51°23′28″N 0°49′52″E / 51.391°N 0.831°E / 51.391; 0.831

The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England, neighbouring the Thames Estuary, centred 42 miles (68 km) from central London. It has an area of 36 square miles (93 km²). The island forms part of the local government district of Swale. Sheppey is derived from Old English Sceapig,^[1] meaning "Sheep Island".

Today's island was historically known as the "Isles of Sheppey" which were Sheppey itself, the Isle of Harty to the south east and the Isle of Elmley to the south west. Over time the channels between the islands have silted up to make one contiguous island, which is now linked by two bridges to the Kentish mainland. Sheppey, like much of north Kent, is largely formed from London Clay and is a plentiful source of fossils. The Mount near Minster rises to 250 feet (76 metres) above sea level and is the highest point on the island. The rest of Sheppey is low-lying and the southern part of the island is marshy land criss-crossed by inlets and drains, largely used for grazing. The economy is driven by a dockyard and port, the presence of three prisons, and various caravan sites.