6 INTRODUCTION. 



i^e, ,t>f/fvfppey, Queenborough, Sheerness and the 

 Nbrd'"' *. 



V*lf,6ol$ri|r ncirth-east you will behold the mouth of 

 the Medway,' the isle of Grain, and on a clear day 

 Southend in Essex. Turning to the north you will 

 observe more diversified scenery, the busy haunts of 

 man directly in front of you in the London Chatham 

 and Dover railway, a mile of modern brick-built 

 houses, the railway-station leading the way, a little 

 further on you will perceive some ploughed fields, 

 brick fields, a cement factory, orchards and marsh ; 

 lying between two creeks in the distance is a high 

 bank of fine sand which must have been thrown up 

 by the water at the last formation of the earth's 

 surface ; again extending your view, is the river 

 Medway with its numerous craft, the land further 

 beyond is the hundred of Hoo. 



Again looking in the direction of north-west you 

 will see in the distance the beacon-tower of Gilling- 

 ham Church ; beyond, on the opposite side of the 

 Medway, are the hills of Upnor, adjacent to the city 

 of Rochester and the dock-yard of Chatham ; turning' 

 round to the west and south there is no view beyond 

 the woods, and the orchards three parts encircle the 

 foot of the church. 



The soil of Rainham is a good loam resting upon 

 chalk, more or less deep where the chalk does not 

 approach the surface, more or less thin near the 

 woods where the soil is flinty. Brick-making has 

 been carried on for some few years, there are three 

 wharves at the terminus of two creeks which extend 

 one mile from the Medway. Clay-digging upon the 



