Culture and history on the Isle of Sheppey

According to some, who should know better, the Isle of Sheppey is a "cultural desert".

Well, we have news for them!

Despite being a tiny Island on the north Kent coast, Sheppey somehow manages to maintain not one but TWO community theatres.

The Sheppey Little Theatre in Meyrick Road, Sheerness

There is the aptly-named Sheppey Little Theatre nestled in the backstreets of Sheerness. In 2025 it celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Then there is the Criterion Theatre, a stunningly revamped music hall in Blue Town which presents variety shows and shares its premises with a three-storey museum.

Criterion Blue Town - theatre, cinema, music hall and museum

In fact, that's something else Sheppey isn't short of.

The Island boats FIVE museums all slightly quirky and all covering a different aspect of the Island's rich heritage ranging from Britain's first flying pioneers in Eastchurch to dastardly Dutch invaders in Queenborough, visits of Charles Dickens to Minster and not forgetting the nautical heroes of Sheerness Dockyard including Lord Nelson.

And, of course, there are its awaard-winning beaches and the nationally acclaimed Elmley Nature Reserve with its shepherds' huts and luxury manor house where guests can stay or even hire for weddings.

Not for nothing is Sheppey called Kent's hidden gem.

This treasure trove of cultural highlights is just waiting to be discovered. Whether you're a resident looking to delve deeper into the island's offerings or a visitor eager to explore its charm, there's something for everyone to enjoy.