The Harty Ferry, Sheppey

 

Being blessed with what can only be expressed as a wonderfully warm day, we took off towards the wetlands of Sheppey and the site of the old Harty Ferry with the express aim; to photograph the area and to learn some more about this wonderful camera I bought myself many years ago.

The tide on the Swale had almost peeked so I was blessed with the water lapping right up to the shoreline rather than out into its mud-lined trenches. The water bed is very chalky here and as a result, clear. I had to be careful though not to kick up the softness of that chalk and turn the water white. 

 

Where we were, there was the remnants of a jetty so there was a great deal of concrete sections, flints and other items, including a tyre. I suspect this section of jetty we were perched on is a much more recent evolution of the original as, by the look of the quality of the cement, it was poured somewhere around the 2WW. 

I had a look on Google maps and at low tide I could see what looked like a long 'road' of possibly more concrete going out into the mudflats on both sides thus reducing the distance by boat at low tide. I don't know, but I wouldn't imagine this was a fording point and if it was, the time window of opportunity would be a very short one and potentially precarious one too.

So, the Harty Ferry? It's no longer a ferry but there is a bit of a sloping concrete section one could call a 'jetty' if anyone would like to come to this part of the island by boat. I would suggest it would be fine for those who come by small boats and canoes and only need to beach their craft but larger ones would find it more of a challenge as there really isn't any depth of water there.

I must admit the pub which sits on the higher ground by the ferry point is a very nice one, and although they said their main income is from wedding parties, they do have a lovely area inside [when we are able to frequent it once more] and a lovely garden overlooking the Swale with Faversham on the other side of the estuary.

When we were there for a much needed cold drink, others had driven along the single track road to come for a meal, and it did look rather nice; most reviews on Trip Advisor came up positive with 4 or 5 stars.

Anyway, back to our day which, I must admit, stretched to a large Coke with ice and that was it, but we had a salad picnic to enjoy so I wasn't worried.

The Swale is a lovely stretch of water and watching YouTube videos about people sailing or canoeing this stretch, they tend to agree how lovely it is although canoeing against the tide race was not advised as it tended to be remarkably strong. 

The water was gin-clear so photography was a delight.

Depending upon which article you read, this crossing point used a rowing boat to get the vicar from the mainland to the island to carry out the church service each week [of which he never missed it appears] or it was one of the three main routes/crossings for farmers to move their sheep and grain from the island to the mainland for sale and operated using a rope pulley system. If I am to accept the latter then this tall piece of apparatus might indicate the concept of pulleys.

I was also intrigued to read even the Romans valued the island for its capacity to grow grain, so this island and this part of the island has been farmed for hundreds of years, the soil being replenished by the frequent flooding no doubt.

Clumps of sea purslane inhabit the shallows and become thicker mats as the marshes form and more mud is trapped.

I'm unsure if this is the type of grasswort, pictured here, that has the culinary name of samphire, but its growing well and I would suggest, has been spotted by others and picked in the recent past as there was evidence larger clusters of this vegetable were present and some has been removed. On the other hand it could be wading birds enjoying a graze as they pass by.

Where we were, there was an uninterrupted view over to Faversham and beyond.

It was lovely to see the red sails of a large sailing barge. I've seen few red sails like this since leaving London, where the sight of a full red rigging London barge sailing up the Thames was a weekly event.

 So, after a couple of hours enjoying the sights and sounds of the Swale we wandered back up the slope to the Ferry House Pub where we both enjoyed a cooling glass of Coke and reviewed our images.

Next, I was intrigued by the church which the vicar had used the ferry to get to each week, so we drove the short way, through the farmyard and out to the church.

 

https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/12139/

There's little information about it although there is info in the church itself which you can buy. 

All I have found is on Trip Advisor and they say, "St Thomas the Apostle Church is located in the small hamlet of Harty, in the east of the Isle of Sheppey. The quaint church is without electricity, giving the church its period feel! Harty church is a grade II listed building dating back to around the 11th or 12th Century."

So, from there we, sadly, headed back, we'd run out of time. Just enough time in fact to pick up some cheese from the B+M store and then enjoy our picnic on Minster beach.

 
 

From Maidstone to Loose stream and back

 Maidstone is a strange mix of very old and pretty modern with a great deal of grotesque in between. When I say grotesque I refer to the buildings created in the 70s which are now crumbling and laying empty for the most part.

The river, however is still a wonderful sanctuary and there are paddle boats which will take you to Allington Lock where a pub awaits the traveller with food and drink. There is also the park and walks as well as boats for hire. For further information, I found this link to be of great interest

https://www.picturesofengland.com/England/Kent/Allington

I decided to walk in the other direction and headed towards the footbridge on the town side of the river and start at the old church and its rectory. There is also a lovely little cafe there which hires small boats and has the paddle boat which will ferry you up to Allington.

I however, was after a cup of tea and then to proceed back over the river to the comparatively new buildings on the other side called the Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre. 

 Looking back across the bridge I could see the oldest part of Maidstone centred around the the Priory and the Church. Not far from here is the original fording point across the river now named Knightrider street.

Behind me, from where this picture is taken is the entertainment centre which houses an Odeon cinema, various places to eat and drink and a separate building called the Market Place which is where the public toilets are.

The toilets are remarkably well kept and although very dated, they are clean and functional [at least they were the day I used them]. There is parking at Lockmeadow and for Maidstone, the prices are reasonable. I don't drive into Maidstone but prefer to use the Park and Ride, which has two car parks, one on the London Road and the other somewhere in Bearstead.

 It was getting warm and the Odeon was preparing for a showing by the looks of the number of very excited children I came across skipping and screaming in anticipation, so I set off along the tow path, heading towards Tovil.

As I crossed the river I watched a couple paddle boarding up stream in the direction I was travelling

Looking back I could see the last part of the original Church buildings, the Arch Bishop's Palace, with the main bridge across in the distance. I couldn't hear the sound of the traffic any more, I was starting a trip along a river bank and the only sounds I heard were those of people living in the flats alongside the river and the swishing of the boats as they glided through the water.

How the other half live! Probably bought many years ago, these house are large and have gardens to match. each had their own mooring point and most had boats, jetties and open seating areas to enjoy the river. Looking on the map it is probably Waters Edge and College Avenue, Tovil.

 

As I walked along I saw the couple on their paddle boards coming back. Had I been that long being nosy and stopping to admire the view? In the background you can see the gardens as they came down to the waterfront. I noticed one man was renovating his jetty; moving barrows full of sand to do some work.

 

It is very beautiful along here and used by many people so walking along during the day on your own is OK.

Looking back, I could see one of the boats which had passed me earlier and that too was returning up river to town. Checking my watch it was only 14:25 so not that late, plenty of time to do the route I had mentally sketched out.

One of the reasons it is a safe area to walk is because of the housing all along the edge here. In the summer many have their doors open onto their balconies and quite a few of those have people sunning themselves so if anything were to happen, there would be a quick response. This set of flats is a really nice one. They have very large balconies and the lower floors have security doors which bolt shut so as to deter intruders should they climb up the railings.

 All too soon I reached the Tovil bridge across the river which takes me to Loose Stream and up the hill into Tovil. 

If you stay on the tow path, it will take you all the way along to East Farleigh where the train station is close by but that is for another day and I think I will do it the other way round; East Farleigh to Maidstone.

If you go up the slope, you can turn left and go over the river to Tovil or turn right and head back into Maidstone via a footpath over the railway line and then up a steep slope called Bower Lane. Sticking to Bower Lane it will eventually lead onto the Tonbridge Road and turning right, following the hill down, you end up back at the start, the main bridge back across the river into Maidstone itself.

I had already done that journey in the other direction and was keen to go to Tovil this time.

 

Climbing a more gentle slope than the one on Bower Lane,  I turned left along Church Road.

The further along I went, I hadn't noticed, but there must have been a steady inline because at one point I was able to take this photo. I could see all the way to the Downs on the far side of Maidstone and I recognised the rooves as those next to the river. Following Church road was somewhat of a let down as I had hoped I might end up in a small centre of some kind, but it was just a very busy thoroughfare.

As I got closer to Maidstone proper I came across this, the ruined entrance of some kind to an ecclesiastical building perhaps [knowing the area's past history]. It did have a sign to say private and Ministry of Defense but the place didn't look as if it was bristling with personnel checking name, rank etc.   

 Ever the cheeky person, I had a nose and went as far as the barrier allowed without me actually intruding on private property. The image was amazing and reminded me of an old farm house in the way it was laid out.

 

I walked round the corner and came across a frontice which is amazing. This is only the portico style entrance, but the building went out on both sides and it was pretty evident it was residential.

 

Looking across the road and attempting to take a photo in between traffic light changes, I noted a chapel which is again one of the old features of Maidstone. Its now a Montessori establishment but at one time was probably aligned with the teaching of the clergy which was a major feature of this area around the Bishop's Palace.

Coming back into town I passed the Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of carriages which is you haven't seen is well worth a look. I never appreciated just how heavy those coaches were until I saw them. The horses must have been quite something not only to get them going but to stop them!

 https://www.thecarriagefoundation.org.uk/museum/tyrwhitt-drake-museum-carriages-1