The keep at Rochester Castle is the tallest in England. Medway combines architecture and religious tradition with dockyard work, museums and landscapes. This offers several ways to explore, from historic buildings to routes along the river and through marshland.
Rochester: Architecture and Collections
Christian worship has been held at Rochester Cathedral since 604 AD; the present building dates back to Bishop Gundulf’s work in 1083. Eastgate House, meanwhile, is a Grade I-listed town house dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. These buildings offer a chance to consider religious architecture alongside the history of a historic town house.
The museums also cover a range of topics: the Guildhall Museum’s collections tell the story of Medway from its Roman origins to the present day. The Huguenot Museum in Rochester is the UK’s first museum dedicated to Huguenot history. Its programme includes craft workshops, discussions, talks and film screenings. Specific programme items may change; if you are interested in a particular event, it is best to check the dates in advance. The Royal Engineers Museum is the largest military museum in Kent and houses one of the most significant military history collections in the United Kingdom.
Chatham: Dockyard Heritage and Defence
The Historic Dockyard Chatham offers visitors three historic ships and interactive museum galleries. The Ropery is one of the immersive exhibition galleries that tells the story of the dockyard and the people who worked there. Rope-making is also part of the dockyard’s long heritage: rope has been produced there for more than 400 years, and traditional methods are still used today. If this current operation is important to your travel plans, check in advance whether production is still taking place.
Fort Amherst was built in 1756 to defend the naval port against attacks from the land. The site has a history of more than 300 years as one of the most important defensive installations in Britain and Medway. It includes more than 20 acres of green space, including Medway’s highest point. On a tour, visitors can explore the extensive complex of underground tunnels and chambers; check before travelling whether tours are available.
The Medway Aircraft Preservation Society restores and preserves historic aircraft and artefacts for public display. The MAPSL Workshop Visitor Centre and Gift Shop are open to the public. Visiting hours may change, so check them before travelling.
Marshland and Parks
At Northward Hill Nature Reserve, many miles of paths lead through marshland, hay meadows and a wood known for its bluebells. Almost 250 pairs of grey herons and little egrets nest in the trees. The landscape and wildlife together shape the experience of this nature reserve.
Riverside Country Park covers 100 hectares on the Medway Estuary. The estuary within the park is specially protected as part of the Medway Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest. This also offers a way to appreciate the riverside landscape in terms of its protected status.
On the North Downs, Capstone Farm Country Park covers 114 hectares of former farmland. Ancient woodland and old orchards, a freshwater lake, meadows and hedgerows shape the landscape. The park offers opportunities for walking, running and cycling, making its scenery quite different from the marshland around the estuary.
Routes, Water and Getting Around
The River Medway connects Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. It is also a popular waterway for boat trips, watersports and sightseeing. Those exploring Medway’s different towns and landscapes will find the river a common thread, although experiences on land and on the water are not the same.
For a comparison of distances: the Rochester Trail is six miles long and marked with green waymarkers. The Saxon Shore Way runs for 26 miles across the Hoo Peninsula and along Medway’s northern coast. For cycling, Medway has a network of more than 70 miles, or 110 kilometres, of cycle routes—on and off road, including national and green routes.
Five important railway stations in Medway are Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. All have frequent services to London Victoria and Charing Cross; services may change, so it is worth checking the timetable before travelling. For a sense of distance, Medway is about 30 miles from London and 40 miles from the Channel ports and the Eurotunnel.
Discover more destinations: Gillingham, Chatham, Strood, Allhallows, Rochester, High Halstow, Chattenden, Isle of Grain
For the broader travel overview: South East England.
