Editing Sheerness (section)

{{Short description|Town in Kent, England}}
{{redirect|Sheerness-on-Sea|the station|Sheerness-on-Sea railway station||Sheerness (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country = England
|official_name= Sheerness
|static_image_name= Sheerness Clock Tower.jpg
|static_image_caption= Sheerness clock tower
|coordinates = {{coord|51.441|0.760|display=inline,title}}
| population = 13,249
| population_ref = ([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]])<ref>{{cite web |publisher=citypopulation.de |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southeastengland/kent/E63005028__sheerness/ |title=Sheerness |access-date=1 August 2024}}</ref>
 |shire_district= [[Borough of Swale|Swale]]
|shire_county = [[Kent]]
|region= South East England
|constituency_westminster= [[Sittingbourne and Sheppey (UK Parliament constituency)|Sittingbourne and Sheppey]]
|post_town= SHEERNESS
|postcode_district = ME12
|postcode_area= ME
|dial_code= 01795
|os_grid_reference= TQ919749
|london_distance={{convert|37|mi|km|0}} [[Boxing the compass|W]]
}}

'''Sheerness''' ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|ɪər|ˈ|n|ɛ|s}}) is a port town and [[civil parish]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/153847.html|title=Sheerness|publisher=Mapit|access-date=19 December 2019|archive-date=19 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219194110/https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/153847.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://services.swale.gov.uk/meetings/documents/s11115/Report%20to%20Council%20on%20Sheerness%20Parish%2014%20November%202018%20v7.pdf|title=Sheerness Town Council Precept|publisher=Swale Borough Council|access-date=19 December 2019|archive-date=23 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323163159/https://services.swale.gov.uk/meetings/documents/s11115/Report%20to%20Council%20on%20Sheerness%20Parish%2014%20November%202018%20v7.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> beside the mouth of the [[River Medway]] on the north-west corner of the [[Isle of Sheppey]] in north [[Kent]], England. With a population of 13,249, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby town of [[Minster, Swale|Minster]] which has a population of 16,738.

Sheerness began as a fort built in the 16th century to protect the River Medway from naval invasion. In 1665 plans were first laid by the [[Navy Board]] for [[Sheerness Dockyard]], a facility where warships might be provisioned and repaired. The site was favoured by [[Samuel Pepys]], then Clerk of the Acts of the navy, for [[shipbuilding]] over [[Chatham, Medway|Chatham]] inland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1665/08/18/|title=Friday 18 August 1665|work=The Diary of Samuel Pepys|access-date=19 August 2008|archive-date=19 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819210434/http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1665/08/18/|url-status=live}}</ref> After the [[raid on the Medway]] in 1667, the older fortification was strengthened; in 1669 a [[Royal Navy]] [[dockyard]] was established in the town, where warships were stocked and repaired until its closure in 1960.

Beginning with the construction of a [[pier]] and a [[promenade]] in the 19th century, Sheerness acquired the added attractions of a [[seaside resort]]. Industry retains its important place in the town and the '''Port of Sheerness''' is one of the [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom's]] leading car and fresh produce importers. The town is the site of one of the UK's first [[co-operative]] societies and also of the world's first multi-storey buildings with a rigid metal frame.