Leysdown-on-Sea, at the eastern end of the Isle of Sheppey, has the faded cheerfulness of a traditional English seaside resort: caravan parks, amusement arcades, chip shops and a long shingle beach looking out over the Thames estuary towards the open sea. It is not glamorous, but it has a certain charm, and the sense of being at the edge of things is strong.
What most visitors do not know is that this flat, windswept corner of Kent is one of the birthplaces of British aviation. In 1909, the Short Brothers set up a factory at Shellbeach, near Leysdown, to build aircraft under licence from the Wright brothers, and the Wrights themselves visited. The Royal Aero Club had its flying ground here, and some of the first flights in Britain took off from these marshes. Muswell Manor, the clubhouse, still stands.
Beyond Leysdown, the road ends at Shellness, a remote spit of shell and shingle with a nature reserve. The marshes of the Swale, between Sheppey and the mainland, are home to huge numbers of birds, especially in winter, when geese, ducks and waders arrive from the north. The Elmley reserve, on the island, is one of the best places in Kent to see them.
For riders, Sheppey is reached by the Sheppey Crossing, a high bridge over the Swale, and the roads across the island are flat and straight, with wide views over the marshes. Wind is a constant companion. Fuel and food are available on the island, especially in Sheerness and Minster. As a photo stop, the beach and the marshes at sunset are memorable.