The gunpowder works at Faversham Lakes was part of a thriving local industry that supported England’s military and engineering prowess across the world.
A network of waterways ran across the site, then known as Marsh Works, connecting the buildings that housed each stage of the gunpowder production process.
Today some of those buildings have been restored and form a heritage hub that serves as a reminder to the location’s explosive past, along with a blast wall and two original cannon.
Gunpowder from the town was not just used in warfare. It played a key part in the industrial revolution, by enabling routes to be blasted for canals and railways.
After over 150 years of manufacturing gunpowder in Faversham, in the 1920 & 1930’s the bulk of production moved to Scotland.
Faversham’s history is not limited to gunpowder, with evidence of occupation stretching back beyond Roman times. The town established itself as an important seaport and a centre for brewing. In 1698 Shephard Neame established its brewery in the town which remains a major part of the town’s economy today
FAVERSHAM; A FAIR AND FLOURISHING SEA-PORT TOWN, GIVING TITLE TO AN EXTENSIVE HUNDRED IN THE LATHE OF SCRAY, IN THE COUNTY OF KENT, IS SITUATED ON A NAVIGABLE ARM OF THE SWALE, IN A FRUITFULL PART OF THE COUNTY, NINE MILES FROM CANTERBURY, AND FORTY-SEVEN FROM LONDON
EDWARD JACOB, 1774
Faversham Lakes, Ham Road, Faversham, ME13 7TW
