The Nore was the major anchorage of the North Sea Fleet located near a sandbank in the Thames Estuary where it merges with the River Medway. There were two parts to the anchorage. Great Nore, about half a mile wide and 4.5 miles long, was located the main stream of the Thames. Little Nore, a much smaller anchorage, was just off Sheerness.
It was used by ships heading to and from Chatham, Woolwich, and Deptford and was the main anchorage for those ships involved in blockading Dutch ports.
The photo above shows the Great Nore anchorage from the view of Isle of Sheppey, in the foreground, towards Southend-on-Sea.