{"product_id":"sittingbourne-a-history","title":"Sittingbourne: A History","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSittingbourne\u003c\/em\u003e grew from a small fishing settlement on the bank of the Milton Creek into one of the country’s most important and well-known overnight stopping places on the main road between London and Dover.\u003c\/strong\u003e For many centuries this was the most important road in Kent and it determined Sittingbourne’s growth and development right up to the mid-19th century. After the death of Thomas Becket in 1170 a steady stream of pilgrims started passing through on their journey from London to Canterbury and back. The townspeople realised there was a profitable living to be made from these travellers and slowly the town migrated from its original creek-side location to the main road, Watling Street, where inns and hostelries developed. Over a period of almost a thousand years the focus of the town has moved from being a medieval centre of hospitality to a 19th century industrial centre famous for brick-making to what it is today, a prominent and famous town in the County of Kent.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The History Press Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54252238504280,"sku":"9781860774621","price":19.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781860774621_d8074349-4f9d-4565-ba80-0fc0b46e7164.jpg?v=1765272639","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/sittingbourne-a-history","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}