This guide covers five places on the northern edge of the Isle of Sheppey: a volunteer-run heritage centre in Blue Town, a coastal park and a beach in Sheerness, and a harbour and a castle site in Queenborough. It sorts them by what you want to do, with the practical details each owner publishes. The cards below link to each place’s InKent page.
Blue Town Heritage Centre
Blue Town Heritage Centre is at 69 High Street, Blue Town, and is part of The Criterion Blue Town. The centre is a volunteer-run museum telling the story of the Sheerness dockyard. The Criterion also has a music hall, a community cinema with films on Fridays, and a tea room. Heritage centre entry is listed as free, and donations to the heritage collection are welcome.
- Opening: the Criterion’s own site lists Tuesday to Friday 10am to 3pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm. Visit Swale lists Wednesday to Friday 10am to 3pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm, so Tuesday is the day in doubt. Check the Criterion’s site or ring the centre on 01795 662981 before you go.
- Access: Visit Swale lists guide dogs, hearing dogs and registered assistance dogs as welcome. We have no step-free access details, so ring the centre on 01795 662981.
- Suits: anyone interested in the dockyard and the town’s history.
Barton’s Point Coastal Park
Barton’s Point Coastal Park is on Marine Parade, Sheerness. Visit Swale describes it as a forty-acre park with a salt-water lake for crabbing, an adventure playground and a cycle route. It also holds the Queenborough Lines monument. The Lines are fortifications built between 1863 and 1868 to protect Sheerness dockyard from land attack, and they are a scheduled monument, according to the Kent Historic Environment Record.
- Cost: Visit Swale lists free entry and says pets are welcome.
- Rules: crab lines must not be left unattended because of the swans. Camping is not permitted.
- Suits: families and anyone who wants to try crabbing.
Sheerness Beach
Sheerness Beach is a shingle beach in the centre of Sheerness, facing the Thames Estuary, with a wide promenade and green open space behind it. Visit Swale lists it as a Blue Flag bathing beach, and Kent Online (17 May 2026) lists Sheerness Beach among Kent’s six Blue Flag beaches for 2026. The award is made each season, so check the current list before you rely on it. Swale Borough Council manages the seafront. The main car park is in Beach Street behind the promenade, and Sheerness-on-Sea station is about 260 metres away. RNLI lifeguards cover the beach in summer only.
- Access: seven sets of steps with handrails lead from the promenade to the beach, with no level access. Wheelchair access is best by the two ramps. There are Blue Badge spaces in the car park.
- Suits: a seaside visit by train or car.
Queenborough Harbour
Queenborough Harbour is on the North Kent shore where the Thames, Medway and Swale meet, and the Queenborough Harbour Trust runs it. The Harbour Office is on South Street. The harbour lists itself as open to visitors seven days a week, all year round. The All Tide Landing at Crundalls Wharf is used by Jetstream Tours and X-Pilot boat trips, so check the operators for current sailings. Jetstream says its public cruises operate predominantly between April and October, and X-Pilot lists prices for every month.
- Cost: Visit Swale lists free entry, accessible parking and accessible toilets.
- Suits: anyone who wants to watch boats or join a seasonal trip.
Castle Green
Castle Green is a public green in Queenborough on the site of Edward III’s 14th-century castle. The Kent Historic Environment Record says construction started in 1361 and continued until 1369, with the outer gates finished between 1373 and 1375, and that the castle was declared obsolete in 1650 and demolished soon after. The site is a scheduled monument. The Kent Historic Environment Record describes a low circular earthwork mound about 100 metres across and 1.5 metres high, with the moat visible as an earthwork to the north and south, but the stonework is gone. Expect an open space with history rather than a ruin to walk around. We have no opening hours, price or access details for it, so look for signs on site.
Choosing between them
- History: Blue Town Heritage Centre for the dockyard, the Queenborough Lines at Barton’s Point for the defences, and Castle Green for the medieval castle site.
- Crabbing and play: Barton’s Point.
- A seafront: Sheerness Beach, with lifeguards in summer only.
- Boats: Queenborough Harbour.
- Winter: the heritage centre has set days and hours, the beach has no lifeguards outside the summer season, and Jetstream says its public cruises run mainly between April and October, so confirm each before you travel.
Planning the day
Blue Town Heritage Centre and the beach are both in Sheerness, and Barton’s Point is on Marine Parade. The harbour and Castle Green are both in Queenborough. We have no distances between the places, so check a map before you decide whether to walk, cycle or drive. Visit Swale lists a cycle route at Barton’s Point.
To follow the dockyard story in order, begin at Blue Town Heritage Centre, then look at the Queenborough Lines at Barton’s Point, which were built to protect the dockyard, and finish at Castle Green for the medieval castle site. Check the heritage centre’s days first, because the Criterion’s own site and Visit Swale disagree about Tuesday.
Getting there
Sheerness-on-Sea station is about 260 metres from the beach, and the main car park is in Beach Street. Use the train operator’s journey planner for current services. For the harbour, check the Queenborough Harbour Trust’s website.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sheerness Beach a Blue Flag beach?
Yes for the 2026 season: Visit Swale lists it as a Blue Flag beach, and Kent Online (17 May 2026) names it among Kent’s six Blue Flag beaches. Awards are made each season, so check the current list.
Can I take a dog to Barton’s Point?
Visit Swale says pets are welcome. Keep crab lines attended because of the swans.
Is there anything left of Queenborough Castle?
Only low earthworks are visible, because the stonework was demolished after 1650. The site is a scheduled monument.
Is Blue Town Heritage Centre free?
Its entry is listed as free, and donations are welcome.