Under the Peace of Wedmore in 878, all land north of the old Roman Watling Street, which ran from London to Chester, was given to the Viking leader, Guthrum.

As they returned homeward with their booty, they met a large fleet of pirates and fought with them the same day, but the Danes had the victory.It is possible that Bloody Point at Shotley took its name from this incident, however at that time the river entered the sea north of Felixstowe and so the area would not have been seen as the mouth of the Stour.

King Edward III camped here early in the Hundred Years War, before the great sea Battle of Sluys.

A large proportion of the naval ratings of the 20th century, boy entrants in peacetime and men during both World Wars, trained there.

[5] The HMS Ganges Museum (open Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays between Easter and the end of October 1100 to 1700hrs) houses artefacts and memorabilia from the old shore establishment including a large collection of photographs and original documents.