Explore the savage beauty of the North Kent marshes

The North Kent Marshes can be a cold, damp, lonely place or a bright, warm refuge from the urban hurly-burly. In times past few would venture into their disease ridden swamps.

Local naturalists Ian Jackson and Keith Robinson explore the history of the marshes, their exploitation by man and its people which has rarely been told like this before.

Their new book entitled ‘of the North Kent Marshes’ which runs to 205 pages is large-format book is fully illustrated throughout with photos, sketches, paintings and maps, and is thoroughly indexed.

Essentially the book is a collection of essays and papers covering different aspects of living in the marsh from prehistoric times to the modern day, each one written by local people like Ian and Keith, with contributions from the more well known like Daniel Defoe, Denham Jordan, et al.

In delineating the extent of the North Kent Marshes, Ian and Keith suggest it includes the waters of the Thames on the north and, on the south, the railway line from Gravesend to Rochester bridge, then the main A2 road as far as Brenley Corner where the coastal road takes travellers into Whitstable.

'of the North Kent Marshes’ costs £25 and from 1st March 2016 and will be available at the Heritage Hub in the Forum and the Fleur de Lis in Preston Street, Faversham.