Isle of Thanet.

The Isle of Thanet lies at the most easterly point of Kent, England. While in the past it was separated from the mainland by the nearly 2,000 feet (610 m)-wide River Wantsum, it is no longer an island (see below).

Archaeological remains testify to the fact that ancient peoples lived here. Today, it is a tourist destination, but it also has a busy agricultural base. The Port of Ramsgate serves the Continent.

Etymology[link]

The name seems to be Celtic in origin, coming from the Brittonic *tanets (Welsh tân) meaning "fire", possibly a reference to a beacon on the island. Ptolemy calls it Tolianis, the Romans Tanatus and Bede referred to it as Tanatos insula. The name 'Tenet' was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, whereas an 18th century classical dictionary lists Tane'tus, a small island of Albion.^[1]

St. Isidore of Seville's etymology is, if doubtful, certainly colorful: "Thanet is an island in the Ocean in the Gallic channel (English channel), separated from Britannia by a narrow estuary, with fruitful fields and rich soil. It is name Thanet (tanatos) from the death of serpents. Although the island itself is unacquainted with serpents, if soil from it is carried away and brought to any other nation, it kills snakes there."^[2]

History[link]

A general map showing late Roman Kent. The Isle of Thanet was then known as Tanatus

A 15th century map of the Isle of Thanet, with north on the left: Thomas Elmham, Historia Monasterii S Augustini Cantuariensis

Archaeological evidence shows that the area now known as the Isle of Thanet was one of the major areas of Stone Age settlement. A large hoard of Bronze Age implements have been found at Minster-in-Thanet; and several Iron Age settlements have also come to light.^[3]

Like their predecessors, the Romans also crossed the sea to invade Britain. Julius Caesar came first, briefly, in both 55 and 54 BC; one hundred years later Claudius sent four legions to Britain, where the Romans were to remain for the next four hundred years. During that time the port of Richborough, on the opposite side of the Wantsum Channel (see Geography below), became one of the chief ports. After the breakup of the Roman Empire and their departure from Britain, other invaders soon followed.

Vortigern, King of the Britons, was under attack from other tribes and called for assistance. Among them were the Jutes Hengest and Horsa; he is said to have rewarded the Isle of Thanet in return for their services. As the following extract from the Historia Britonum (first written sometime shortly after AD 833) testifies:

Then came three keels, driven into exile from Germany. In them were the brothers Horsa and Hengest ... Vortigern welcomed them, and handed over to them the island that in their language is called Thanet, in British Ruoihm.

Throughout this time the Isle remained an island. The Wantsum Channel allowed ships to sail between the mainland and the island in calm waters. Gradually this silted up, and the last ship sailed through the Channel in 1672.^[4]

In 597 Augustine of Canterbury is said, by the Venerable Bede, to have landed with 40 men at Ebbsfleet, in the parish of Minster-in-Thanet, before founding Britain's second Christian monastery in Canterbury (the first was founded fifty years earlier by Saint Columba on Eilean na Naoimh, in the Hebrides): a cross marks the spot.^[5] In 851 and again in 854, the Vikings wintered on Thanet.^[6]

Minster's village website states "It is widely believed, around 670 AD, whether in truth or legend, that the Hind emblem owes its origin to Egbert, King of Kent and Princess Domneva. The King purportedly asked Domneva which piece of land she wished to take as compensation for the murder of her two brothers. Her answer was that she would take no more than her tame deer would run around. This the King granted her with pleasure, and the land became the new Minster."^[7] Domneva is a variant name for Domne Eafe.

By 1334–1335 Thanet had the highest population density in Kent according to Edward III's lay subsidy rolls. It acted as a granary for Calais and documents towards the end of that century refer to turreted walls beneath the cliffs needing maintenance. Coastal erosion has long since destroyed these structures.

Governance[link]

Margate was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1857 and Ramsgate in 1884. Broadstairs and St Peter's Urban District and Isle of Thanet Rural District covered the rest of the island from 1894. Since 1974, the Isle of Thanet forms the major part of the Thanet local government district of Kent.

Geography[link]

The Isle of Thanet first came into being when sea levels rose after the last Ice Age, around 5000 BC. The North Sea encroached on the land which is now the estuary of the River Thames, and southwards to reach the higher land of the North Downs, leaving behind an island composed of Upper Chalk in its wake. Eventually the sea broke through river valleys in the North Downs to the south (Middle Chalk) and finally today's English Channel was opened up.^[3] The Upper Chalk is a soft pure-white limestone with abundant flints.^[8] The proto-River Stour then formed part of the intervening water, with a new tributary, the River Wantsum, completing it; it became known as the Wantsum Channel.

The Wantsum Channel gradually narrowed as pebble beaches built up at the southern end of the strait, blocking silt coming down down the Stour. In the eighth century it was reported that the Channel was now three furlongs wide (660 yards (600 m)), and a map of 1414 showed a ferry crossing at Sarre. The first bridge over the channel was built there in 1485. Until the mid 18th century there was a ferry between Sandwich and the island; a wooden drawbridge was built, and the ferry was closed.^{[citation needed]}

Today the Isle is an island no longer and the erstwhile channel is now flat marshland criss-crossed by drainage ditches. Meanwhile the exposed chalk cliffs are gradually being worn down by the sea, particularly at the North Foreland. Much else of the coast is a built-up area. The Wantsum area is still liable to flooding: during the North Sea flood of 1953 Thanet was cut off for a few days, but the sea defences have been strengthened since then.

The soil and equable climate of the Isle have always encouraged arable farming.

"... a garden indeed, a county of corn but the labourers' houses all along, beggarly in the extreme. The people dirty, poor-looking, but particularly dirty."

—William Cobbett in 1823 when he rode to the Island^[9]

Today there are still farms inland, but the coast is nearly all covered in settlements, most of which have come into being in the 19th and 20th centuries.

As the popularity of the seaside resort grew, so did that of the Isle of Thanet. At first the holidaymakers came by boat from London; after the coming of the railways in the mid 1840s, that became the preferred mode of transport. The population grew, as the following population statistics show:

Landmarks[link]

The principal landmarks on the Isle are the North Foreland, and all the bays around the coastline, the principal ones of which are Minnis Bay, Palm Bay, Botany Bay, Joss Bay, and Pegwell Bay: the latter being part of the estuary of the River Stour. In 2007, seven of those beaches met stringent quality standards and were awarded a Blue flag: Minnis Bay, Botany Bay (Broadstairs), Margate Main Sands, St Mildreds Bay (Westgate), Stone Bay (Broadstairs), West Bay (Westgate), and Westbrook Bay.^[10] In 2008, this had risen to 10 beaches.

Transport[link]

The rail connections are via the Chatham Main Line through Margate to Ramsgate, and the Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line. New high speed rail links from London to Thanet began in December 2009, and form part of the UK's first true high-speed commuter service, according to the South Eastern Railway Company.^[11] Main road links are the A28 which brings traffic from Canterbury and Ashford; and the A299, north coast route. The Thanet Coastal Path skirts the coast.

There is an airport at Manston,^[12] formerly RAF Manston, but since renamed by its commercial operators as Kent International Airport. Because it was used as an U.S. airbase during the second world war, it has one of the longest runways in the UK, and is designated by the United Nations as an emergency landing site for aircraft in trouble.^{[citation needed]}

Ferry services (predominantly freight and car with passengers) are operated by Transeuropa ferries to the Continent from Port of Ramsgate.^[13]

References[link]

v t e Towns and villages in the Thanet district of Kent, England Unparished areas Margate Civil parishes Acol Birchington Broadstairs and St Peter's (town) Cliffsend Manston Minster Monkton Ramsgate (town) Sarre St Nicholas-at-Wade Other settlements Broadstairs Brooks End Cliftonville Ebbsfleet Flete Garlinge Newington Palm Bay Sevenscore St Peters Westbrook Westgate-on-Sea Westwood List of places in Kent

Coordinates: 51°21′N 1°23′E / 51.35°N 1.383°E / 51.35; 1.383

Thanet District
—  Non-metropolitan district  —
Thanet shown within Kent
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South East England
Non-metropolitan county	Kent
Status	Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ	Margate
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	Thanet District Council
• Leadership	Leader & Cabinet (Conservative (council NOC))
• MPs	Sir Roger Gale Laura Sandys
Area
• Total	39.88 sq mi (103.30 km2)
Area rank	217th (of 326)
Population (2010 est.)
• Total	132,200
• Rank	154th (of 326)
• Density	3,300/sq mi (1,300/km2)
• Ethnicity	95.4% White 1.5% S.Asian 1.1% Black 1.1% Mixed Race
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
• Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
ONS code	29UN
OS grid reference	TR355705
Website	www.thanet.gov.uk

It is hoped that the new Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate will encourage tourism to the area.

Thanet is a local government district of Kent, England^[1] which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974. The Isle of Thanet makes up the major part of the District.

The district, which is governed by Thanet District Council, is located on the north eastern tip of Kent, and is predominantly coastal, with north, east and southeast facing coastlines. It is bordered by the City of Canterbury district to the west, and the Dover district to the south. The main towns in the district are Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.

History[link]

The Isle of Thanet is the major part of the Thanet District. Formed over 7000 years ago and separated from the mainland by the Wantsum Channel, it has always borne the brunt of invasions from the Continent. An Isle of Thanet Rural District had existed from the Local Government Act 1894 until it was abolished in 1935 to form part of Eastry Rural District. The current District was formed in 1974, by the addition of the area over which was once the Wantsum Channel, including the settlement of Sarre.

Governance[link]

The current District is held by a Conservative majority, who hold 33 seats, compared to the 19 seats held by Labour, who are the second party.^[2]

There are two MPs for Thanet:

• Sir Roger Gale, Conservative MP for North Thanet,
• Laura Sandys, Conservative MP for South Thanet.

The names of the civil parishes located in the district are:

• Acol
• Birchington
• Cliffsend
• Manston
• Minster
• Monkton
• St Nicholas-at-Wade

Broadstairs and St Peter's form Broadstairs and St Peter's, served by a town council, which has no more than the powers of a parish council.^[3] A town council was created for Ramsgate in 2009.^[4]

The town of Margate is an unparished area: it has a charter maintained by charter trustees, having been a municipal borough before 1974.

Demography[link]

In 2005 the estimated population of the District stood at 128,100.^[5]

List of People from Thanet

Economy[link]

Dreamland in Margate was a major tourist attraction before it closed, but is now being redeveloped.

The whole district suffers from seasonal unemployment, in spite of its proximity to London, because of various factors, among them being inward migration; high numbers of old people; and low numbers of affluent people. It is not helped by poor overall indicators for Health.^[6] In a study of resilience to economic downturns, Thanet was poorly rated at 295th out of 324 districts.^[7] Unemployment levels are nearly twice the South East of England as a whole, and as a result a great deal of planning is being done to encourage more businesses to relocate to the District.^[8] The Thanet & East Kent Chamber produces a weekly business digest, the Thanet & East Kent Insider, which reports on economic activity in the private and public sectors.

New Projects underway include: A new community centre for Broadstairs. Redevelopment and renovations are to be undertaken at Margate's Dreamland (a Heritage Amusement Park); Cliftonville (Lido site); and a Holiday Inn (hotel) now open .A large retail and residential development on Ramsgate seafront is due to start construction in 2011. Royal sands as well and a multi million pound art gallery The Turner Contemporary (opened by Tracey Emin in April 2011) in Margate and massive investment and building works taking place in schools across the island.

In addition, the District Council has introduced an empty property initiative and has compulsory purchased empty and derelict buildings with the objective of bringing them back into use.

The Thanet Offshore Wind Project, near North Foreland, began operating in September 2010. The project is expected to have a total capacity of up to 300 MW which, on average, is sufficient to supply approximately 240,000 homes per year with green energy. The project will thus make a significant contribution to the Government’s national and regional renewable energy targets. Thanet Earth is the largest greenhouse development in the UK covering an area of 91 hectares with 7 greenhouses each the size of 10 football pitches producing cucumbers tomatoes and peppers all year.^[9]

Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs each have shopping centres with a mix of local and national retailers complemented by Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Westgate and Birchington. Westwood at the centre of Thanet has seen much major development in recent years with the building of Westwood Cross shopping centre which is the home of national retailers and several restaurant chains including a Travelodge hotel. Associated development has taken place around the shopping centre spawning other retail parks.

Transport[link]

Thanet is now linked to London by high-speed "Javelin" trains.

The rail connections are via the Chatham Main Line through Margate to Ramsgate, and the Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line. New high speed rail links from London to Thanet began in December 2009,and it is now possible to travel from Margate to St Pancras at an average speed of 60 miles per hour (about 96 km/h). This will form part of the UK's first true high-speed commuter service, according to the South Eastern Railway Company.^[10] Main road links are the A28 which brings traffic from Canterbury and Ashford; and the A299, north coast route. The Saxon Shore Way Long distance footpath skirts the coast.

There is an airport at Manston,^[11] formerly RAF Manston, but since renamed by its commercial operators as Kent International Airport. Because it was used as an U.S. airbase during the second world war, it has one of the longest runways in the UK, and is designated by the United Nations as an emergency landing site for aircraft in trouble.^{[citation needed]}

Ferry services (predominantly freight and car with passengers) are operated by Transeuropa ferries to the Continent from Port of Ramsgate.^[12]

Health[link]

Thanet has a large hospital: the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, known as the QEQM.^[13] Extension work which started in 2007 is still ongoing, as of 2010.

As of July 2010, overall indicators of health are poor for Thanet:^[14]

• Health is worse in Thanet than in England on average
• Life expectancy is lower than for England
• There are health in equalities: in deprived areas life expectancy is 5 years lower for women and 10 years lower for men
• Teenage pregnancies are high compared to the England average
• Estimated smoking rates are average but death rates from smoking are significantly higher
• Binge drinking is around the national average
• Children are significantly less active than average
• Significantly higher than average number of people admitted to hospital for alcohol-specific conditions
• Significantly higher than average rate of diabetes
• Significantly higher than average rate of mental health problems

Media[link]

Local newspapers are the Thanet Extra, part of the KM Group; Isle of Thanet Gazette and Thanet Times (merged with Adscene October 2009), all owned by Northcliffe Media; and the midweek Your Thanet published online by KOS Media. The county wide newspapers Kent on Saturday and Kent on Sunday also serve the district.

Local radio stations are

• KMFM Thanet (previously known as Thanet Local Radio) owned by the KM Group.(Most Programmes are networked with other KM Kent stations).
• Community non commercial station Academy FM Thanet on 107.8FM and online and via mobile app it broadcasts from within The Marlowe Academy Ramsgate .
• The county-wide Heart Kent,
• BBC Radio Kent.

National TV stations carry regional news: The ITV1 service is provided currently by Meridian Broadcasting; and the BBC South East Today.

Thanet also has a local online radio and podcasting service currently operating online only known as 'Thanet Community Radio' (TCR). The station works closely with Dover based 'Dover Community Radio' (DCR) which operates in a similar way.

Education[link]

Thanet College is a major provider of further education in East Kent and a Training Provider that works with local businesses to raise the level of education across the region.

Climate[link]

Thanet enjoys a Maritime climate being surrounded on 3 sides by sea, which generally results in mild winters and warm dry summers.

References[link]

1. ^ Thanet District website
2. ^ "2007 Election Results". Thanet District Council. http://www.thanet.gov.uk/news/latest_press_releases/election_results_04-05-07.aspx. Retrieved 2007-06-29. 
3. ^ Broadstairs and St Peter's Town Council website
4. ^ The District of Thanet (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2009 Retrieved 19 May 2010
5. ^ Introduction to Thanet: includes demographic notes
6. ^ Association of Public Health Observatories - Health Profiles APHO Health Profiles
7. ^ "Thanet least resilient to economic woe, research finds". BBC News. 9 September 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-11164337. 
8. ^ Thanet District Corporate Plan 2007
9. ^ Thanet Earth Project
10. ^ Southeastern 2009 - your journey starts here: Home
11. ^ Kent International Airport
12. ^ "TransEuropa Ferries". http://www.transeuropaferries.co.uk/. Retrieved 2007-06-29. 
13. ^ QEQM
14. ^ [Association of Public Health Observatories, Thanet Health Profile, July 2010

External links[link]

• Thanet Council YouTube channel
• Clubs and societies in Thanet
• Thanet College Website
• News, views and things to do in Thanet
• Academy FM Thanet
• Thanet Community Radio

v t e Towns and villages in the Thanet district of Kent, England Unparished areas Margate Civil parishes Acol Birchington Broadstairs and St Peter's (town) Cliffsend Manston Minster Monkton Ramsgate (town) Sarre St Nicholas-at-Wade Other settlements Broadstairs Brooks End Cliftonville Ebbsfleet Flete Garlinge Newington Palm Bay Sevenscore St Peters Westbrook Westgate-on-Sea Westwood List of places in Kent

v t e Districts of South East England Berkshire Bracknell Forest Reading Slough West Berkshire Windsor and Maidenhead Wokingham Buckinghamshire Aylesbury Vale Chiltern Milton Keynes South Bucks Wycombe East Sussex Brighton and Hove Eastbourne Hastings Lewes Rother Wealden Hampshire Basingstoke and Deane East Hampshire Eastleigh Fareham Gosport Hart Havant New Forest Portsmouth Rushmoor Southampton Test Valley Winchester Isle of Wight Isle of Wight Kent Ashford Canterbury Dartford Dover Gravesham Maidstone Medway Sevenoaks Shepway Swale Thanet Tonbridge and Malling Tunbridge Wells Oxfordshire Cherwell Oxford South Oxfordshire Vale of White Horse West Oxfordshire Surrey Elmbridge Epsom and Ewell Guildford Mole Valley Reigate and Banstead Runnymede Spelthorne Surrey Heath Tandridge Waverley Woking West Sussex Adur Arun Chichester Crawley Horsham Mid Sussex Worthing

Coordinates: 51°22′N 1°23′E / 51.367°N 1.383°E / 51.367; 1.383