The River Medway

Steeped in history, rich in wildlife and full of contrasts, the River Medway shares its name with a
region that incorporates the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham, plus the villages of the Hoo Peninsula. Once a creative inspiration to Dickens and Turner, the river is home to a range of watersports clubs, while for leisure sailors it’s popular as a gateway to the capital as well as the continent. But explore its surrounds and you’ll find world-famous landmarks, old-fashioned charm, a thriving cultural scene and some ambitious regeneration programmes – all of which mean this mighty river merits so much more than a passing glance.
Arrive by boat and you’ll have an unrivalled vantage point, experiencing a unique view of some of the Medway’s most iconic locations. Historic forts, busy ports and power stations are contrasted by peaceful creeks and riverside parks as you head upstream towards St Mary’s Island, where this watery highway passes Chatham Maritime Marina and The Historic Dockyard Chatham to port, and Upnor Castle to starboard. Rochester’s magnificent castle and imposing cathedral dominate the skyline as the river snakes further onwards, before this reach ends where Medway Bridge Marina nestles in peaceful juxtaposition with the busy M2 viaduct ahead.
It’s within close quarters of this short stretch of water that you’ll find some of Medway’s key visitor attractions, many of them linked to the region’s maritime heritage. For more than 400 years Chatham Dockyard built, repaired and maintained Britain’s warships. Admiral Lord Nelson had strong links with Chatham and learned much of his seamanship on the Medway, so it was only fitting that his flagship HMS Victory was built here, and a number of seamen who sailed into battle with him came from the area.
Many of the defences seen from the river were important to the dockyard – Upnor Castle was built on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I to protect the naval warships at Chatham, while Napoleonic Fort Amherst afforded protection from landward attack from the 1700s until the end of WWII. One of Britain’s leading heritage destinations, the 80-acre Historic Dockyard Chatham (www.thedockyard.co.uk) is run by an independent charity, Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Expectations – tells the story of Medway from its Roman origins to the modern day. It’s mid-way along the High Street, however, that you’ll find one of the city’s best-known attractions. Rochester Cathedral (above), built in 604 and England’s second-oldest, features glorious Norman architecture as well as one of the country’s finest Romanesque facades and some excellent examples of later Gothic styles as well as a magnificent 14th-century Chapter Library door. Tours can be booked via the website (www.rochestercathedral.org), but visit any time and you’ll find knowledgeable guides happy to explain the many wonders here; the cathedral gardens are well worth a wander, too.
Within a stone’s throw of the cathedral, the towering keep of Rochester Castle (top right) is one of the tallest in the country. Built to guard an important crossing of the River Medway, the imposing fortress remained viable until the 16th century. Today its grounds host a number of events ranging from music festivals to festive markets – see www.visitmedway.org for more.
Just off the high street, Restoration House (right) has further links with Dickens. The amalgamation of two medieval buildings, it was here that Charles II stayed on the eve of his Restoration, and the building inspired Satis House – the home of Miss Havisham – in Great Expectations. Today it’s home to a wonderful collection of English furniture and paintings plus an unusually-large walled garden.
Across the road from Restoration House, The Vines is a Grade II-listed park with an impressive avenue of mature London Plane trees bordering a central path. Used by medieval monks to cultivate vines, the gardens were referenced in Dickens’ novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood and offer a calm place to sit within view of the cathedral spire. Eight miles from Sheerness, Gillingham Marina has berths for up to 500 boats across two basins – one tidal, and the other a locked basin with extended access over most tides. Off the water, the marina has a members’ bar and restaurant, showers, toilets, and a laundry room, plus a children’s playground. Within its expansive boat repair workshops, the marina (www.gillingham-marina.co.uk) has hoists with 65-ton and 20-ton capacities to cradle vessels up to 26m.
Upriver, Chatham Maritime Marina (top left, see www.mdlmarinas.co.uk) is at the heart of a striking multi-million-pound leisure and retail development. Close to a factory outlet shopping complex, multi-screen cinema and numerous restaurants and bars, the marina – part of the MDL Marinas group – offers boatyard and pump-out facilities, fuel and a purpose-built lifting dock accessible at all states of tide.
It’s just a short walk from here to The Historic Dockyard Chatham (www.thedockyard.co.uk); en route between the two, the Copper Rivet Distillery (www.copperrivetdistillery.com) produces artistan spirits in a historic Victorian Pump House. Book a tour and you’ll learn about the entire process of making vodka, gin and whisky from grain to glass. Tours end with a complimentary tipple in The Pumproom cocktail bar and restaurant; for the full experience follow with a meal in the distillery’s fine dining restaurant and bar.
An esplanade edges the river as it flows upstream from Rochester and it’s here – just below the walls of the castle and a short walk from the high street – that you’ll find Rochester Cruising Club (www.rochestercc.co.uk). With around 100 pontoon berths – most accessible at all states of the tide – plus a fuel pontoon and clubhouse, the club can accommodate visitor berthing when booked in advance. A riverside path replaces the esplanade at Baty’s Marsh Nature Reserve; beyond, Medway Bridge Marina (below left) covers 7.5 acres at the foot of the M2 bridge, offering a range of finger and alongside berths on floating pontoons, plus a pontoon with further berths accessible for half the tide – usually four hours either side of high water. With storage ashore, CCTV and security-gate access to the pontoons, this family-owned marina (www.medwaybridgemarina.co.uk) also has toilet and shower facilities, a 25-ton boat hoist and on-site engineers and electricians.
The Medway and Swale Boating Association is made up of more than 30 clubs and other organisations whose 4,000 members regularly use the waters of the two rivers for recreational purposes ranging from water-skiing, dinghy racing, canoeing and rowing to motor cruising, yachting and dinghy racing. For navigational updates, news of events and links to tidetables and webcams, see www.msba.org.uk.