Isle of Oxney

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Aged unknown

Isle of Oxney is an area in Kent, England, close to the boundary with East Sussex. Up to the 13th century, the island was part of the coastline bordering what is now the Romney Marsh. As that silted up, and until the later 17th century, the River Rother which enters the sea beyond Rye and flowed across Kent in a west–east direction, was in a channel to the north of the island. By the late 17th century, the river had changed its course to the south. The construction of the Royal Military Canal helped drain the remaining land connecting Oxney to the rest of Kent. Today the former sea and river channels are low-lying land, leaving the erstwhile island as high ground, but still retaining its name. Places on the Isle of Oxney include Wittersham, Stone in Oxney and Stone-cum-Ebony.

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Commemorated on 1 plaque

During the 14th to 16th centuries, the River Rother flowed past this point and Smallhythe was a thriving inland port and one of the premier shipbuilding centres in England, supplying warships to several Tudor monarchs. A ferry connected Smallhythe to the Isle of Oxney opposite. On 31st July 1515 most of the village and shipbuilding facilities were consumed by fire. However the inhabitants quickly re-established the village and resumed the building of ships. Ironically, by the middle of the 16th century silting of the river heralded the demise of shipbuilding and the port. The ferry was eventually replaced by a toll bridge which continued to operate until 1932. This plaque was installed in 2015 to mark the 500th Anniversary of the Great Fire of Smallhythe and to record the national importance of the medieval village and its inhabitants.

Peening Quarter Road, Smallhythe, United Kingdom where it was