St Mary's Island, is part of the Chatham Maritime development area in Medway, South East England.

They constructed a road through the marshy swamp criss-crossed by tidal channels land, and established a ferry route from the Island to the Hoo Peninsula.

The ferry was named 'Prince's Bridge' on early maps, it was used until the final years of the last century.

In 1585, a chain was placed across the River Medway, secured on the island and linked with a Wheelhouse at Upnor Castle.

During the Napoleonic Wars, St. Mary's Island was used as a burial ground for the French POW's who died on the prison hulks moored in the Medway.

[5] Sixty-foot timber piles were driven into the marsh ground, to form the stable foundations of the basins.

[5] In 1940, during the Second World War, the island was used as a training ground for mock battles, which were staged against the dockyards.

[5] In 1944, an abandoned German submarine was towed by Royal Navy vessels and repaired in No.3 Basin.

The next zone (including St Mary's Island, and No 1 and No 2 Basins) was to be re-developed as residential and commercial accommodation.

It includes Papersafe UK[8] and Nordic Recycling Ltd.[9] In the late 1990s, government agency English Partnerships and housing developer Countryside, came together to build homes on the island, under the development name Countryside Maritime.

[10] In due course, some parcels of land were allowed to be developed by other builders, including Redrow.

The first people to live on the Island following the redevelopment were Alan, Deborah and Michael Searles, who moved there in 1996.

There is extensive open space between housing parcels, as well as sports fields and play areas.

This includes a Co-Operative supermarket and The Ship and Trades public house (a Shepherd Neame outlet), while a short drive at Gillingham Pier is a large Asda.

There is a thriving and influential residents' association (SMIRA)[12] lobbying local authorities to ensure that the island remains an extraordinary place to live, work, study and play.

Recent developments include two large apartment blocks situated on the Marina.