Leysdown-on-Sea
Encyclopedia
Leysdown-on-Sea is a coastal village on the east side of the Isle of Sheppey
in the Borough
of Swale
in Kent
, England
.
A very small hamlet up to late Victorian times, it was developed a little after the arrival of the Sheppey Light Railway
in 1903, though grand plans for the establishment of a large resort with hotels never materialised. The railway was closed in the 1950s.
On 2 May 1909, John Moore-Brabazon
became the first resident British citizen to make a recognised powered heavier-than-air flight in the UK flying from The Aero Club
's ground at Leysdown in his Voisin
biplane
Bird of Passage.
and three miles to the ESE of Eastchurch
. To the SSE lies the hamlet of Shellness
and to the southwest is an area of marshland known as the Leysdown marshes. To the northeast is the North Sea, with a shingle beach and mudflats extending out to sea. It is recommended in the 2009 Good Beach Guide.
providing custom. In the past few years a boot fair
has become a regular fixture on Sundays and there is also a market on Saturdays.
Briefly, in the early 20th century a significant part of the economy came from the embryonic aviation industry, with the UK's first aircraft factory built in Leysdown in 1909 by the Short Brothers
. By the following year, however, operations had moved to nearby Eastchurch.
There are 6 arcades, each with its own 18-only section with high jackpots.
Some arcades give tickets from their many machines which can be exchanged for small trinkets, toys and other prizes.
Leysdown is also known for one of the UK's few official naturist beaches, sited beyond the town along the un-made road.
providing public transport links to the rest of the Island and the mainland. There was formerly a bus station in Leysdown but it was demolished in the early 1990s.
The Sheppey Light Railway
formerly provided a rail link to the rest of the Island but was dismantled in the 1950s.
Sheppey Evangelical Church is the nearest active religious site, with All Saints Church in Eastchurch being the nearest traditional church.
Isle of Sheppey
The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
in the Borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Swale
Swale
Swale is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its council is based in Sittingbourne. The borough is named after the narrow channel called The Swale, a channel that separates the mainland of Kent from the Isle of Sheppey, and which occupies the central part of the...
in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
It was noted in the Domesday book as being called Legesdun and the name is thought to be derived from the Saxon words "Leswe" (pasture) and "Dun" (hill).A very small hamlet up to late Victorian times, it was developed a little after the arrival of the Sheppey Light Railway
Sheppey Light Railway
The Sheppey Light Railway was a railway on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England which ran from Leysdown to Queenborough, where it connected with the South Eastern and Chatham Railway's Sheerness Line. It was engineered by Holman Fred Stephens and opened in 1901 and closed on December 4, 1950...
in 1903, though grand plans for the establishment of a large resort with hotels never materialised. The railway was closed in the 1950s.
On 2 May 1909, John Moore-Brabazon
John Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara
John Theodore Cuthbert Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara, GBE, MC, PC was an English aviation pioneer and Conservative politician...
became the first resident British citizen to make a recognised powered heavier-than-air flight in the UK flying from The Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
's ground at Leysdown in his Voisin
Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin was an aviation pioneer and the creator of Europe's first manned, engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft capable of a sustained , circular, controlled flight, including take-off and landing. It was flown by Henry Farman on January 13, 1908 near Paris, France...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
Bird of Passage.
Geography
Leysdown is located a mile to the SSE of WardenWarden, Kent
Warden is a small holiday village located on the northeast coast of the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, United Kingdom. The largest residential part of Warden is generally called Warden Bay. Where the beach becomes inaccessible and the cliffs become prominent, the area is generally referred to as Warden...
and three miles to the ESE of Eastchurch
Eastchurch
Eastchurch is a village on the Isle of Sheppey, in the English county of Kent, two miles east of Minster.The village website claims "... it has a history steeped in stories of piracy and smugglers".- Aviation history :...
. To the SSE lies the hamlet of Shellness
Shellness
The Hamlet of Shellness is a small coastal settlement on the most easterly point of the Isle of Sheppey in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England, north-east of Harty and south-east of Leysdown-on-Sea....
and to the southwest is an area of marshland known as the Leysdown marshes. To the northeast is the North Sea, with a shingle beach and mudflats extending out to sea. It is recommended in the 2009 Good Beach Guide.
Economy
There are several large farms surrounding the village, with a mixture of pasture and arable land, but the local economy is primarily driven by tourism in the summer months, with many visitors coming from London. Leysdown has one of the largest concentrations of holiday parks in Kent, with many caravan and chalet parks. During the winter months the shops, clubs and pubs stay open, with the population of Leysdown, Warden and Bay ViewBay View, Kent
Bay View is a hamlet on the east side of the Isle of Sheppey in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England.-History:Bay View is a development of houses started in the 1940s and since then has grown to 248 dwellings-Geography:...
providing custom. In the past few years a boot fair
Car boot sale
Car boot/trunk sales or boot/trunk fairs are a mainly British form of market in which private individuals come together to sell household and garden goods.The term refers to the selling of items from a car's boot or trunk...
has become a regular fixture on Sundays and there is also a market on Saturdays.
Briefly, in the early 20th century a significant part of the economy came from the embryonic aviation industry, with the UK's first aircraft factory built in Leysdown in 1909 by the Short Brothers
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
. By the following year, however, operations had moved to nearby Eastchurch.
Amusements
Leysdown is well known for its family amusement arcades adjacent to the sea.There are 6 arcades, each with its own 18-only section with high jackpots.
Some arcades give tickets from their many machines which can be exchanged for small trinkets, toys and other prizes.
Landmarks
The Spinney is an area of open space in the middle of Leysdown, with children's play area and benches. It takes its name from the woodland that was present there until the 1960s.Leysdown is also known for one of the UK's few official naturist beaches, sited beyond the town along the un-made road.
Transport
The B2231 is the only road into Leysdown, with regular bus services from ArrivaArriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
providing public transport links to the rest of the Island and the mainland. There was formerly a bus station in Leysdown but it was demolished in the early 1990s.
The Sheppey Light Railway
Sheppey Light Railway
The Sheppey Light Railway was a railway on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England which ran from Leysdown to Queenborough, where it connected with the South Eastern and Chatham Railway's Sheerness Line. It was engineered by Holman Fred Stephens and opened in 1901 and closed on December 4, 1950...
formerly provided a rail link to the rest of the Island but was dismantled in the 1950s.
Education
There are no schools in Leysdown. The nearest primary school is Eastchurch Primary School, while the nearest secondary school is Minster College.Religious sites
On the outskirts of Leysdown is the church graveyard. It is all that remains of St Clements Church, which was demolished in the 1980s.Sheppey Evangelical Church is the nearest active religious site, with All Saints Church in Eastchurch being the nearest traditional church.