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A Brief History of the Isle of Thanet
250,000 BC: At this time Britain was joined to Europe by a strip of marshy land about 50 miles wide which covered the Straits of Dover. As far as is known, the early people settled near the shores of Thanet and on the downland slopes above Minster, Monkton and Cliffsend. These early people seem to have existed in small, probably tribal groups
6000 BC: The sea broke through and separated Kent from France, and it was about this time that Thanet became an island.
3000-2000 BC: There is evidence of human activity in Thanet during the later part of the Neolithic period. Flint tools can be found in fields throughout the island. As yet only two settlement sites have been found, but it is likely that there are many more yet to be uncovered.
In the early Bronze Age Thanet seems to have been a populous and perhaps important place. Although Thanet represents just 7.25 per cent of the land area of Kent, it contains nearly half the county's ancient sites. In 55 BC came the Invasion of Caesar's Legions.
Richborough became the gateway to Roman Britain, the remains of the Roman fort can still be visited. Over the intervening years there was the establishment of the Cinque Ports – many of which are now small inland villages – and of course wartime involvement. It was thought that Broadstairs was a prime site for a German invasion because of its gently sloping beach.
Over the centuries the Isle of Thanet has been home to a number of famous people from royalty to the downright notorious. Authors, artists, scientists, actors, entertainers, philosophers, inventors and many well-known historical characters have lived here. The island has also been a favourite holiday destination for numerous notable visitors - many of them returning year after year.
