It became a graveyard for prisoners
Islands and prisoners are a timeless classic that go hand in hand with many iconic locations such as Alcatraz over in The States, Spike Island in Ireland and of course, historically, the whole of Australia.
However, as it happens, the UK has its very own prisoner island too, which is now a graveyard for the convicts aboard ‘prison ships’ where their now decomposing bodies are beginning to see the light of day again.
Obviously you might think that such a creepy location that is banned from the public would be situated far away from the general population for its own good, however, that is not at all the case with Deadman’s Island.
The small islet is situated just off the coast of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent making it about 90km away from the centre of London.
It sits at a confluence between the River Swale and the River Medway leading out into the North Sea.
This graveyard island hides the remains of reportedly 200 men and boys whose fate ended with a diseased death on the island with their remains beginning to resurface from the mud in recent years.
You might think that this would be the reason as to why today the public are banned from setting foot on the island, however, it is in fact for a completely different reason.
Like in many places in the UK, Deadman’s Island is a nature reserve, specifically for birds, with the island being owned by Natural England and leased to two private individuals, according to BBC reports.
The island is noted as a Site of Special Scientific Interest while equally being recognised under the Ramsar convention.
Back in 2017 a BBC Inside Out crew was given special access to visit the damned marshland with presenter Natalie Graham noting that “what I saw there will stay with me forever” when describing the place.
She added: “This is a really strange sight. I would imagine there can’t be anywhere on earth like this.”
Related links:
Meanwhile the director Sam Supple described the island like a “set of a horror film”.
“It looks so surreal, it’s like an art department has designed it,” he said, “There are open coffins and bones everywhere.”
If Deadman’s Island wasn’t morbid enough for a name, the area around it has been aptly dubbed “Coffin Bay” due to its banks being littered with coffins and human remains.
It’s only right that such a place should have some ghoulish folklore to further heighten its chilling reputation, with local tales speaking of red-eyed hounds that devour the heads of the buried while howls are said to be heard at night.
Despite the ghost stories, the real tale behind the island and its permanent population of skeletons is rather more tragic, entailing ships rammed with prisoners during with the 18th and 19th centuries.
These floating prisons were known as ‘prison hulks’ and were kept just off the coast of Deadman’s island.
Some of the convicts aboard these ships were as young as ten and often locked up for minor crimes such as pick-pocketing and were destined for Australia.
However, those too ill for the trip down under were kept aboard these ships and would eventually end up dying onboard.
Obviously, disease and close quarters living is an absolute hotbed for the spread of disease, making survival on these ships very unlikely.
The deceased and diseased bodies of the seabound inmates were eventually transported onto the island to be laid to rest in unmarked graves.
Now, during low tide, the island’s grisly past is revealed, although the identities of the people buried there will remain forever unknown.
Experts are attempting to preserve the remains at Deadman’s Island, however are fighting against the continual ebb and flow of the sea’s tides on his banks eroding this historic site away.
