Where England’s Greatest Story Began

Long before England was a nation, Kent stood as its own kingdom. In 597 AD—Anno Domini, “the year of our Lord”—a trailblazer stepped ashore near the River Wantsum, the ancient waterway dividing mainland Kent from the Isle of Thanet.

His name was Saint Augustine.

Here, at the memorial of this cross, Augustine preached to King Ethelbert of Kent. His message was so powerful that the pagan king became the first Anglo-Saxon ruler to accept Christianity—sparking a movement that would spread across the seven kingdoms of the isle… and eventually, to the ends of the earth.

England’s greatest export? You could argue it’s Christianity itself.

Augustine’s journey wasn’t one of comfort—it was one of courage. It’s easy to go where you’re welcomed. It’s history-changing to step into the unknown, with faith as your only guide, to bring the Good News:

“That whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Today, the world is full of competing voices, ideologies, and doubts. But here, on these shores, a message once rang out that still has the power to set people free.

Be encouraged. These shores will forever be England’s first frontier of faith—and the place where hope took root for generations to come.