[CDP]

Most of these  wooden houses were built with planks of wood approximately 6 feet long.
When a ship was built there were many scrap pieces of wood left over and the men were allowed to take these home for firewood. These were called "chips ". After a short while these " chips " became larger and larger and so the men were then allowed a maximum length of 6 feet only, and these were then used to build these houses.

[BygoneMedway]

Many thanks Davpott.

[davpott]

Forgive me if the answer has already been posted on the forum. I have always wondered why it was named "Blue Town". 

I think the accepted origin is it was the colour used to paint the original timber dwellings that were built just outside the dockyard using materials purloined from the yard.

[BygoneMedway]

Forgive me if the answer has already been posted on the forum. I have always wondered why it was named "Blue Town". 

[The Sheppey Kingmaker]

Just looking at that the photo of the 'Criterion' and reading what Herb Collector said in Reply #19. From the documents which I have looked at, the building behind 'The Criterion Hotel' to me seems more likely to be 'The Good Intent' Beer-House which stood between 'The New Variety Theatre' and Criterion Passage.

Also the aforesaid passage was later moved to its present orientation, which goes over the site of 'The Good Intent'. The original orientation can still be seen due to the surviving parts of the wall which goes off on an acute angle to the rest of the passage. This wall seems to have been originally part of the wall which separated the passage from the land that surrounded The Lock Up (which I think was locally called The Black Hole). 

Hope this explains this building behind the Criterion Hotel in the photo in question and why it seems to be in the middle of the passage.

[HERB COLLECTOR]

The Criterion is listed as a hotel in Parsons guide, 1902. Interestingly the building seems to be wedge shape in plan. Note also the curved roof of the New Variety Theatre. I would love to see a photo taken from the opposite side.
The Bluetown Police Station was closed in 1961, when the current Police Station in Sheerness opened.

[HERB COLLECTOR]

Nice photos, Conan.
I am fairly sure the first photo is of the Police station.

It is definitely the old Police station, the photo taken from the southern end of Kings Street during the 1960's.

[HERB COLLECTOR]

Nice photos, Conan.
I am fairly sure the first photo is of the Police station.
2nd photo, West street opposite pier.
3rd photo, The Criterion pub, High St, Bluetown. To the left is the entrance to the New Palace Variety Theatre. The theatre could seat around 200 with more standing at the back. Marie Lloyd once appeared there. Prior to the First World War, the proprietor and impresario of both the pub and theatre was Philip Reymond.
Early in the war it changed proprietorship and lost its drinking licence.
Gieves, the naval outfitters moved into the pub. It was destroyed by German bombs on the 5th June 1917 with 2 deaths.
The Bluetown Heritage Centre and cinema is now on the site.
Phil Reymonds, daughter 'Topsy' Rose Reymond (later Mrs Stevens), wrote the novelette 'Barbed Wire Island' under the pen name Rosa St Maur. If one ignores the female German spy, it is a good account of Bluetown and Sheerness during 1914-18.
The book was republished by Tams publishing in 2009.

[sheppey_bottles]

I just love the picture that shows Millers and part of The Crown and the Pier. To me it says it all about Bluetown.

[The Sheppey Kingmaker]

what area of Bluetown is the first picture of?

Is it the old police Station?

[conan]

A few general shots of old Bluetown.

[seafordpete]

At least one of the slaughter houses was still going in the 1920s as my mother used to talk of it.

[The Sheppey Kingmaker]

Just to Tell you Edward Street still exists its the Alleyway next to Kent House. As well as the things you mentioned not being on the map there is no school in Chapel Street (which I think was built in the 1870's)  and A lost street next to the school site that was later called School Lane which is called Bull Lane (more likely named after the fact that there were 2 slaughter Houses in this road) in this period. Also it shows no sign of the Crystal Palace Beerhouse which was at the junction of West Lane, Union Street and King Street.

[derrydale]

The map at the top labelled 1860's must be about that as you point out Kyn. No St. Paul's Church ................!  also East Lane doesn't look right and Edward Street disappeared with the redevelopment of East Lane.

[Alan]