Did you know that...
Ebbsfleet Valley is named after the Ebbsfleet River that passes through the area. The name Ebbsfleet is believed to be inspired by the hamlet named Ebbsfleet in Thanet. The name is in use starting with the 17th century. Before then, it was known as the River Fleet. This DA10 area is part of the Thames Gateway. Evidence of human occupation dating more than 100,000 years ago was found in Ebbsfleet Valley. There’s evidence of flint knapping practice in the area. Remains of an elephant species that went extinct about 50,000 years ago were also found in this part of South East London.
Pots from the Neolithic age have been unearthed here. There are also remains of the Belgic Briton culture. This tribe lived here in the Iron Age. The ruins of an Anglo-Saxon mill were also found in Ebbsfleet Valley. Celtic tribes came here in 100 BC. Ebbsfleet River held a special significance for them as it was considered sacred. The chalk quarries in the area were established by the Romans. Sawyer’s Lake was formed when one of the former quarries was flooded. Remains of a Roman villa were excavated. The local railway station was established in 2007. It is on the route of the Olympic Javelin train which operated during the 2012 Summer Olympics. Ebbsfleet Valley railway station is among the few stations in the UK that have bilingual French and English signage. The station links the UK to Continental Europe via High Speed 1. Buses 484 and 485 serve this area as well.
Ebbsfleet United Football Club was founded in 1946 as Gravesend & Northfleet. It was renamed in 2007. The plan to build an Ebbsfleet Valley landmark was postponed in 2012 because of a lack of funding. The landmark is supposed to be 50 meters tall. The Ebbsfleet Academy is a local education facility. It was previously known as Swan Valley Community School. The name changed in 2013.
