Title	The Last Place God Made: Lives and landscape in the north Kent marshland (Medway)
Date	Sat 01 Jul
Event	Day School Summer
Time	10:30am - 4:30pm
Venue	Medway
Contact	artsandculture@canterbury.ac.uk or Tel: 01227 922994
Price	Standard Adult - £36.00

Saturday 1 July 2017 | 10.30am-4.30pm Tutor: Gillian Draper | Medway campus | £36 The marshes of north Kent set the scene for Great Expectations and they are – or were- the anticipated location of ‘Boris Island’. We shall explore the origins of the extraordinary remoteness of the Hoo Peninsula, Grain and the Isle of Sheppey from the Roman and medieval periods. The north Kent marshes were part of the Original Lands of Kentish settlement 1300 years ago, and we will investigate why this was so. From new historical and archaeological research, we will consider the notable medieval chapels, churches and priories and the early reclamation which allowed the area’s valuable resources to be exploited. We will explore the role of the marshlands and the bordering rivers, the Thames, Medway and Swale, in defence from the Middle Ages, through the Dutch raids, and up to World War Two. Lastly we will investigate the contrast between the profoundly localized way of life of local people and the rich, influential outsiders, including Londoners, who were connected to this important area for wealth and security.

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