Jane’s Walk 2025 – Day 6

Today, we are joined by our host from last night, Robert. He has lived in the area most of his life, having been born in the house he is now living in. He has riveting memories of hearing the German bombers flying up the Thames during the Battle of Britain and being shown inside an aircraft after it had crash landed nearby, one soldier having been killed. He knows the area well and was interested in the changed use of many of the industrial units we pass during the first half of our walk along the Swale River that divides Sheppey Island and the mainland.

Paper was the main industry in this area for many years.  Wood was imported from the Scandinavian countries to be turned into paper here. Many of the paper companies have now gone, as paper is less in demand, but D S Smith, the largest,  is still here, mainly producing cardboard, which has had a huge surge in demand due to its sustainability. They also produce many recycled products , as do other factories around this area, which is interesting, as so often when one industry dies, another takes its place. Most of today is spent walking up one side of Milton Creek and then coming down the other side. One can imagine what a bustling place it must have been in the old days, with Thames Barges transporting their goods to and from London.

We have done many walks now over the years, many of which latterly have been in the South of England. Sadly, we have found this part of Kent to be the worst for litter and fly tipping. As well as a number of places that were strewn with litter today, at the end of the walk we found piles of builders’ rubbish tipped at the end of the road and a large rat dead beside it!