Ebbsfleet, Thanet
Encyclopedia
Ebbsfleet is a hamlet near Ramsgate
, Kent
, at the head of Pegwell Bay
. Historically it was a peninsula on the south coast of the Isle of Thanet
, marking the eastern end of the Wantsum Channel
that separated Thanet from the rest of Kent.
As Pegwell Bay was a natural harbour on the English coast nearest continental Europe, Ebbsfleet has traditionally been linked to arrivals from Europe. It is associated with the landings of the Saxons/Jutes Hengist and Horsa in 449, the Battle of Wippedesfleot
between the Britons and "Saxons" in 465, and the reintroduction of Christianity with Augustine of Canterbury
in 597.
In modern times the Richborough power station
was built just to the south. This has now been closed down, but the power lines are being reused for the Thanet wind farm in the sea off Broadstairs
. Major works are underway in 2010 to lay cables and construct a substation for the windfarm.
, which enters the sea by Richborough power station
. There are a couple of houses and Ebbsfleet House at Stonelees, where Ebbsfleet Lane meets the Sandwich road, and Ebbsfleet Farm on the hill behind.
from Thanet. Claudius landed his army at Richborough on the other side of the channel, to start his invasion of 43AD, and it became a major port of Roman Britain.
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
it is also the site of the landings made by the "Saxons" in the fifth century AD; an entry states that Hengist and Horsa, on the invitation of Vortigern
, King of the Britons, landed in 449 at Ypwines fleot, usually assumed to be Ebbsfleet. Their arrival is commemorated by a monument and replica longship up the coast at Cliffsend. The Battle of Wippedesfleot
between the Britons and "Saxons" in 465 is thought to have taken place at Ebbsfleet.
Bede
wrote in his History "Over against the eastern districts of Kent there is a large island called Thanet which, in English reckoning, is 600 hides "or families" in extent. It is divided from the mainland by the river Wantsum, which is about three furlongs wide, can be crossed in two places only, and joins the sea at either end. Here Augustine
, the servant of the Lord, landed with his companions, who are said to have been nearly forty in number. They had acquired interpreters from the Frankish race according to the command of Pope St Gregory."
This has been interpreted to mean Ebbsfleet was where Augustine landed to convert the Kingdom of Kent
to Christianity
. In 1884 a Celtic cross was erected on the lane between Cliffsend and Sevenscore
to commemorate his first sermon in Kent.
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, 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...
, at the head of Pegwell Bay
Pegwell Bay
Pegwell Bay is a shallow inlet in the English Channel coast at the estuary of the River Stour between Ramsgate and Sandwich in Kent. Situated in the bay is a large nature reserve, known for its migrating waders and wildfowl, with a complete series of seashore habitats including extensive mudflats...
. Historically it was a peninsula on the south coast of the Isle of Thanet
Isle of Thanet
The Isle of Thanet lies at the most easterly point of Kent, England. While in the past it was separated from the mainland by the nearly -wide River Wantsum, it is no longer an island ....
, marking the eastern end of the Wantsum Channel
Wantsum Channel
The Wantsum Channel is the name given to a now silted-up watercourse separating the Isle of Thanet and what was the mainland of the English county of Kent...
that separated Thanet from the rest of Kent.
As Pegwell Bay was a natural harbour on the English coast nearest continental Europe, Ebbsfleet has traditionally been linked to arrivals from Europe. It is associated with the landings of the Saxons/Jutes Hengist and Horsa in 449, the Battle of Wippedesfleot
Battle of Wippedesfleot
The Battle of Wippedesfleot in c. 466 was a battle between the Saxons led by Hengest and the post-Roman Britons. It is described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle thus:-...
between the Britons and "Saxons" in 465, and the reintroduction of Christianity with Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597...
in 597.
In modern times the Richborough power station
Richborough Power Station
Richborough Power Station is a former power station close to the mouth of the River Stour near Sandwich, on the east coast of Kent. It was built on land within the Port of Richborough but being on the northern edge is mostly within the neighbouring parish of Minster, Kent.The power station can be...
was built just to the south. This has now been closed down, but the power lines are being reused for the Thanet wind farm in the sea off Broadstairs
Broadstairs
Broadstairs is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent, England, about south-east of London. It is part of the civil parish of Broadstairs and St Peter's, which includes St. Peter's and had a population in 2001 of about 24,000. Situated between Margate and...
. Major works are underway in 2010 to lay cables and construct a substation for the windfarm.
Geography
Ebbsfleet Lane marks the line of the peninsula today. The Wantsum Channel silted up and was reclaimed in the 15th century; all that remains of it is the channel of the River StourRiver Stour, Kent
The River Stour is the river in Kent, England that flows into the English Channel at Pegwell Bay. Above Plucks Gutter, where the Little Stour joins it, the river is normally known as the Great Stour. The upper section of the river, above its confluence with the East Stour at Ashford is sometimes...
, which enters the sea by Richborough power station
Richborough Power Station
Richborough Power Station is a former power station close to the mouth of the River Stour near Sandwich, on the east coast of Kent. It was built on land within the Port of Richborough but being on the northern edge is mostly within the neighbouring parish of Minster, Kent.The power station can be...
. There are a couple of houses and Ebbsfleet House at Stonelees, where Ebbsfleet Lane meets the Sandwich road, and Ebbsfleet Farm on the hill behind.
History
There are prehistoric, Iron Age, Roman and Saxon settlement remains on the peninsula around Ebbsfleet Farm, which may have also been the landing stage for the Roman ferry across the channel to RichboroughRichborough
Richborough is a settlement north of Sandwich on the east coast of the county of Kent, England. Richborough lies close to the Isle of Thanet....
from Thanet. Claudius landed his army at Richborough on the other side of the channel, to start his invasion of 43AD, and it became a major port of Roman Britain.
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
it is also the site of the landings made by the "Saxons" in the fifth century AD; an entry states that Hengist and Horsa, on the invitation of Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
, King of the Britons, landed in 449 at Ypwines fleot, usually assumed to be Ebbsfleet. Their arrival is commemorated by a monument and replica longship up the coast at Cliffsend. The Battle of Wippedesfleot
Battle of Wippedesfleot
The Battle of Wippedesfleot in c. 466 was a battle between the Saxons led by Hengest and the post-Roman Britons. It is described in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle thus:-...
between the Britons and "Saxons" in 465 is thought to have taken place at Ebbsfleet.
Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
wrote in his History "Over against the eastern districts of Kent there is a large island called Thanet which, in English reckoning, is 600 hides "or families" in extent. It is divided from the mainland by the river Wantsum, which is about three furlongs wide, can be crossed in two places only, and joins the sea at either end. Here Augustine
Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597...
, the servant of the Lord, landed with his companions, who are said to have been nearly forty in number. They had acquired interpreters from the Frankish race according to the command of Pope St Gregory."
This has been interpreted to mean Ebbsfleet was where Augustine landed to convert the Kingdom of Kent
Kingdom of Kent
The Kingdom of Kent was a Jutish colony and later independent kingdom in what is now south east England. It was founded at an unknown date in the 5th century by Jutes, members of a Germanic people from continental Europe, some of whom settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans...
to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. In 1884 a Celtic cross was erected on the lane between Cliffsend and Sevenscore
Sevenscore
Sevenscore is a hamlet on the B2048 secondary road about one mile east of Minster-in-Thanet in Kent, England.It is among, and associated with the other hamlet settlements in west Thanet....
to commemorate his first sermon in Kent.