STRANGE LANDSCAPES

DEADMAN’S ISLAND

haunting wilderness on the north coast of Kent would be a fascinating if grisly destination for a day trip – but visitors are banned due to its being a recognised bird breeding and nesting site, designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by its owner, Natural England. Deadman’s Island, just off the river Medway and opposite Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, is littered with human remains, having been used as a burial (1861) features an escapee from one such boat, Abel Magwitch.