Southfleet takes its name from the River Fleet, a minor tributary of the River Thames. The water that supplied the river came from a place called Springhead, where there were watercress and oyster beds; the river then flowed through Southfleet, Ebbsfleet and Northfleet.
Notable buildings
The village is grouped around a crossroads and many of its buildings, including the Ship Inn, are extremely old. The parish church of St Nicholas has 14th-century origins, although pre-Roman Christian remains have been found in the area. The church has memorials of the Sedley, Swan, and Peyton families. [1]