Reading Street is not a street; it's a small village in Kent. Chapel Bank, formerly known as the Isle of Ebony, is located between Reading Street, north of Ebony, and the Isle of Oxney.
The Isle of Oxney is surrounded by low-lying land due to the Rother river changing its course. Although the water around Oxney is gone, the "island" name is retained. The same goes for the Isle of Ebony. Ebony was an island surrounded by the Rother during medieval times, until around the 1600s. A ferry would provide transportation to the Isle of Ebony and the Isle of Oxney from Reading Street. There was a significant sea trade at Ebony because of the river. When the river changed its course and the water surrounded the Isle of Ebony disappeared, Ebony was left as a hill.
On the top of the hill of Ebony, there was once a church, built in the 12th century, called St. Mary the Virgin. The church suffered a fire and fell into disrepair. Eventually it was abandoned, and residents worshiped in Reading Street. However, in 1858, the church was relocated from the Isle of Ebony to Reading Street. The church was slowly moved, stone by stone, and today it is a major tourist attraction for Reading Street.
Today, the only residents of the Isle of Ebony are the sheep that graze on the hill. Reading Street remains small, quiet and peaceful with lovely old homes, the church, a garden center and a public house.
