Burntwick Island

Until the 18th century, the island was part of the mainland and formed the northernmost area of the parish of Upchurch. A track that ran from Shoregate Lane at Ham Green can still be traced. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries it was used as a quarantine base for disease-infected ships, with the bodies of those who died usually buried on Deadman's Island 3 km to the east. The island was also used for smuggling, particularly after rising customs duties in the late 18th century, with tea and spirits the most commonly smuggled items. In the first years of the 19th century, Burntwick became a hideout of the North Kent Gang, a notorious group of smugglers. In 1820 they were confronted by…