From Edward Halsted, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume III, “Northfleet”, 1797
“THE PARISH of Northfleet contains about three thousand acres, of which one hundred are wood; its situation, from its neighbourhood to the marshes, is accounted unhealthy, and was it not for the burning of such quantities of lime so close to it, it would be much more so (Note 1).”
“. . . the high road (which crosses the northern part of this parish the whole length of it) ascends the hill eastward to the uplands; at about three quarters of a mile distance is the village of Northfleet, below the entrance of which northward, on the bank of the Thames, is a hamlet called Northfleet Hythe, and between it and the road the seat called The Hive (Note 2), now Mr. Wadman's. A little distance from hence the high road, leaves its ancient course (which continued formerly strait on nearer the Thames, through the town of Gravesend to Rochester, till by the encroachment of the chalk pits it became dangerous, and was afterwards entirely dug away) and now turning more to the right, passes through the village of Northfleet . . . (Note 3)”
“The chalk pits above mentioned, which have already been slightly noticed in the description of Swanscombe, extend here close to the northern side of the village, about a quarter of a mile in width, to the shore of the Thames; the digging, making, and exporting the chalk and lime from them is of the greatest advantage to this county, and employs a great number of labouring people, for from hence and this neighbourhood not only London and the adjacent country, but even Holland and Flanders (Note 4), are supplied either with lime, or with chalk to make it; besides which, the rubbish of the chalk is bought, and fetched away by lighters and hoys, and carried to all the ports and creeks in the opposite county of Essex, and even to Suffolk and Norfolk, and sold there for the manure of the lands; thus this barren chalky soil contributes to make the strong clay lands of those counties rich and fertile, and this mixture of earth forms a composition, which out of two, otherwise barren extremes, make one prolific medium (Note 5).”
“The water mill, situated near the mouth of the fleet, close to the river Thames, was part of the ancient possessions of the see of Canterbury, and as part of them in Northfleet, were included in that great deed of exchange, made between archbishop Cranmer and king Henry VIII in the 29th of that prince's reign, by which they were granted to the king, his heirs, and successors for ever. It is now used for the making of a composition of stucco for buildings (Note 6).”