Abbey Church and Gatehouse Museum, Sheppey
Situated on the highest point of Minster Hill on Sheppey are the Abbey Church and the Gatehouse. These remain from Queen Sexburga's nunnery. The Gatehouse is now a local history museum.
Sadly, archaeological excavation in the area has not shown much. It would have been interesting to know the extent of the nunnery when it was dissolved in 1536. The earliest buildings succumbed to the Danes. Remains of the second phase are to be found in one corner of the church which, like the Gatehouse, is post-conquest.
The Gatehouse was built in about 1130 but the foundation of the Benedictine Convent was in 674. The widowed Queen chose royal land on the Island for its seclusion. No doubt the feeling of closeness to the wide Sheppey skies seemed appropriate. Once the nuns had left the Gatehouse was privately inhabited, being altered and extended at intervals. Even the great arch was filled in. By 1934 it served as a church hall. During the Second World War, it was used as a lookout. Today's visitors enjoy the views from the roof; picking out the wreck of the Riclinrd Montgomery in the Estuary, landmarks on the Essex shore and the great view up the Medway and as far as the North Downs.
Just before the War, a proposal was made for it to be turned into a museum. This remained the dream of Sheppey Local History Society's Secretary (now President) Mrs Lisa Tyler, who eventually persuaded the Swale Borough Council to lease the building to the Society as a museum. Hard labor, largely from the Society's members and friends, has produced the varied display. The Council helps by maintaining the fabric of the building and with small financial support. It is through the small entry fee that the museum remains open.
The display varies from time to time but most items have a strong connection with Sheppey, having been used or found there, or are to do with Sheppey people. Few are of great value but they are of interest because of their local connection. The oldest objects are fossil fish from the nearby London Clay cliffs. A selection of small fossils commonly found on the beach is usually displayed to enable visitors to identify their own finds. The ground floor has one of the three late medieval fireplaces. The visitor will see the first of a series of oil paintings by local artist Harold Batzer, based on 18th and early 19th-century local views.
Mounting by the original spiral stairs or by modern oak staircase the visitor will find two floors crammed with Sheppey-related items. The middle floor has coins found on Sheppey. Some are Roman, found in Minster gardens. This floor also displays the official Queenborough weights and measures and models and items related to Queenborough Castle, demolished in 1650. The great chest of the castle is on the upper floor. The sharp-eyed visitor will see several pilgrim crosses in mounting to the main floor whose cases hold displays of the Island in war, educational items, costumes, early telephones, and radios. Many small items can be handled and used by younger visitors.
Hopefully, these notes will attract K.A.S. members to cross the Swale and discover the Island. The gatehouse is open at Bank Holiday weekends; Saturdays and Sundays in June - and daily (except Thursdays) in the Summer holiday period until mid-September from 2 pm to 5 pm. There is a small charge for entry. Groups large and small can be admitted at most times by arrangement with the Society's Secretary (Mrs Wood, Minster 873720). For a pleasant afternoon combine your visit with one to the neighboring church and a walk along the nearby cliffs. Being near the center of the village the Gatehouse is easily accessible, with a regular daily bus service from Sheerness station.
Jonathan Fryer,
Sheppey Local History Society.