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Rochester Attractions
Listed below are attractions in Rochester:
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The small 11th Century All Saints Church in the village of Wouldham has an unusual connection to the Napoleonic naval Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The grave of Walter Burke, a sailor onboard the HMS Victory at the Battle of...
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The Medway Towns in Kent have a history of heavy industry and shipping but there is a quiet piece of nature that has been preserved for all to enjoy called Baty’s Marsh. The marsh is one of the last remaining...
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Latest Rochester Review
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Not every town with a Cathedral is automatically a city as I discovered when visiting Rochester Cathedral. Somehow it lost its city status but even without it Rochester has so much to offer visitors. Castles, Cathedrals, museums, restaurants, antique shops and an ever present presence of Charles Dickens. The author it seems is somehow woven into the tapestry of Rochester and it feels right. Car parking can sometimes be hard work but do persist and enjoy one of the best tourist towns in Kent. 
- Mustang P50
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[ Click here for more reviews of Rochester ]
[ Click here to add your own review ]
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Borstal Cricket and Bowls Club was founded in 1988 and the following year land was acquired in Borstal for the clubhouse and neat lawns to be laid. The clubhouse has quite extensive facilities for both cricket and bowls matches and...
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Chertsey's Gate was once part of the wall that separated Rochester Cathedral from the rest of the City. Made from patterned stone and flint, it dates from the early 15th century. The picturesque timber house on top of the gate...
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Cloister Garth is one of the prettiest places in Rochester. Once the centre of a monastic community, it's now a peaceful garden enclosed by monastic ruins and the Cathedral. Look out for the Chapter House, now roofless, and the beautiful...
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The small Cockham Wood Fort was built in the late 16th Century following the successful Dutch Navy raid on the naval dockyard at Chatham in 1667. Forty eight gun emplacements were originally built within the fort but within a century...
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The game of Bowls has been popular in England for many centuries and particularly with sailors and in many south east ports land was set aside to play the game. Cranbourne Bowls Club in Rochester is the modern day counterpart...
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Kent is often known as the garden of England, and it is a county that as well as having natural beauty has a long and rich tradition of manmade ingenuity and practice. This museum is dedicated to a long...
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Fans of Charles Dickens will recognise this building as both Miss Twinkerton’s school for young ladies in The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Westgate House Seminary for young ladies in The Pickwick Papers. Built in 1590 for the...
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Jackson Field Recreation Grounds in Rochester in Kent is a large area of open space within the Medway Towns. The grounds occupy a piece of high ground that was in Napoleonic Times part of the defences of nearby Chatham Royal...
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Described as the ultimate world of adventure for children Kidz Zone in Rochester is an ideal place for youngsters to play and have fun particularly on rainy days. Kidz Zone boasts a softplay jungle area for children aged between between...
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Britain's first collection of horse-drawn carriages is now considered to be the finest in Europe. Highlights include governess carts, gigs and royal and estate carriages. Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake, 12-time Mayor of Maidstone, opened the museum in 1946 anticipating that many...
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Often described as a ‘Jewel of a Theatre’, Medway Little Theatre was first founded in 1958 when a disused warehouse on the High Street in Rochester was transformed by a group of actors into a unique venue. The small band...
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With the River Medway coursing through the Medway Towns it is no surprise that the area has a strong tradition of rowing continued today by the Medway Towns Rowing Club. The club was formed in 1958 by the coming together...
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The playing of Rugby is alive and well in Rochester in Kent, home to Medway Rugby Football Club. The club was founded in 1947 with many members coming from the nearby Army barracks and the Royal Navy at Chatham. The...
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Behind this neoclassical façade is an award-winning visitor centre. Here visitors can find out all about the historic city of Rochester, from its magnificent cathedral to its starring role in the works of Charles Dickens. Visitors can also pick up...
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Medway Yacht Club at Upnor just outside of Rochester has some of the best facilities for yachtsmen and women in Kent. The club was established in 1880 by members of the Royal Engineers Yacht Club on land overlooking the former...
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Charles Dickens described Minor Canon Row in "Seven Poor Travellers" as “a quiet place in the shadow of the cathedral”, and so it still is. The terrace of houses was built in 1723 to house Cathedral workers and clergy. The...
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Another of Rochester's buildings that has featured in the works of Charles Dickens, the Old Corn Exchange has an enormous "moon-faced" clock - as Dickens called it. The clock reaches out well into the street, drawing attention to the Corn...
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Many of Rochester’s backstreets are lined with fine period houses. This one is part of the King's School, the second oldest school and the oldest choir school in the world. It was re-founded in 1542 by Henry VIII, but Oriel...
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Restoration House is so called because Charles II stayed here in 1660 on the eve of his coronation. It's perhaps more famous though as the home of the fictional Miss Havisham, perhaps Dickens' most memorable character. It has been described...
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Located at the very heart of the beautiful community in Rochester, this gallery provides an important cultural exchange for the people of the town and the many visitors who come here. It hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions on...
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Rochester Bandstand can be found on Jackson Recreation Ground and only a short distance away from the town’s War Memorial. The Bandstand was erected by the Victorian’s in the 1800’s and in its heyday saw hundreds of local bands play...
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The Protestant Martyrs of Rochester were burnt at the stake in 1955 and 1956 on the orders of Queen Mary I, otherwise known as Bloody Mary. Among them was Nicholas Ridley, who until 1950 had been Bishop of Rochester. This...
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The Romans were the first to bridge the Medway at Rochester. One of the Roman piers of this first bridge was discovered when the cast iron bridge seen today was built in 1856. At that time, Royal Engineers blew up...
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This castle’s origins date back to the 11th Century when the Bishop of Rochester, Gundolf, undertook to build one of the first stone castles in England. The Kentish ragstone square keep, which dominates Rochester’s skyline, was added in 1127...
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This striking building is England’s second oldest cathedral. It was founded in 604AD by Bishop Justus, although today’s structure only dates from 1080. The Cathedral is renowned for its Norman nave and crypt, its Romanesque façade, its gothic...
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Owners of motor boats and motor cruisers in the Medway Town have had their own association for almost one hundred years in the Rochester Cruising Club. The club has two main facilities one at Gillingham Marina and the second at...
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Rochester and Cobham Park Golf Club is a relatively new course in North Kent that is both challenging and welcoming. The 18-hole course has been professional designed to take account of the pleasant countryside whilst still requiring a good level...
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Rochester Health Club is a private club and is proud not to be part of a major fitness chain. This they claim allows them to focus on the individual member’s needs and requirements throughout their specially designed fitness or weight...
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Visit Rochester High Street during the first week in June and you'll be joined by Ebenezer Scrooge, Oliver Twist, Magwitch and other Dickens' characters. They are part of the Dickens Festival, the town's big bash in the name of England's...
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Rochester Library is to be found just off the towns High Street and near to the historic Eastgate House. Inside the library visitors can find thousands of fiction and non-fiction titles together with a wide variety of music compact discs...
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Throughout the Medway Towns there are a large number of war memorials which reflect the great loss that the industrial towns of Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester suffered throughout two global conflicts. Rochester’s War Memorial can be found on Jackson Field...
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The intriguingly named Shoulder of Mutton Wood, near the Kent village of Wouldham offers visitors a great deal including some panoramic views of the River Medway valley from the ridge of the North Downs. This ancient woodland was once used...
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This is a fascinating place. Between Elizabethan times and World War II, it offered board and lodging to six travellers for one night - as set out in the terms of Richard Watts will of 1579. It's now fully restored...
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The red brick facade of St John Fisher Catholic Church in Borstal near Rochester in Kent looks older than it is. The church has an air of permanence but in fact has only been in existence since 1953. Thirty years...
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St Justus Church in Rochester is a modern church that was built to replace a Second World War vintage church on the same site. The church was originally created to serve the area’s spiritual and religious needs with the church...
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St Margaret’s Church in Rochester in Kent is another of the many churches in the Medway Towns that claims a link to the region’s most famous son Charles Dickens. The church dates from the 15th Century but was rebuilt during...
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St Matthew’s Church in Borstal is a Victorian Church that was started in the late 1870’s. The site for the church was chosen with great care as it had a vista overlooking the River Medway from a steep hillside. The...
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The village of Upnor is located on the River Medway in Kent and located just outside the village on the highest point is St Philip and St James Church. This beautiful and picturesque church was first built by the Victorians...
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The Medway Towns in Kent have a number of excellent sports halls and leisure centres and amongst these is the Stirling Centre. The centre has a large central hall that is compatible with a variety of ball games such as...
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In Britain, The French Hospital dates from 1718. It was founded with a bequest from Jacques de Gastigny, for the care of French Huguenots, French protestant refuges who had fled religious persecution in France. In the 1960s, this square of...
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Inside Rochester Guildhall there’s a fine Victorian interior and a fascinating museum. Museum highlights include a full-size replica of a Medway prison hulk, a 200,000 year-old axe, Roman artefacts from Darenth Roman Villa, a model of the siege of Rochester...
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This is where monks from Rochester's Priory grew grapes for their wine, and this statue of a monk is a reminder of that time. It was carved from the stump of a Plane Tree, one of many in an avenue...
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Located in tranquil surroundings at the heart of the Kent countryside, this English Heritage site represents a fine example of an Elizabethan artillery fort. The building was begun in 1559 and underwent some extensive re-development in the early 17th...
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The small village of Upnor, near Rochester, is a beautifully picturesque location upon the banks of the River Medway and the perfect setting for Upnor Sailing Club. The club has been in existence for many decades and prides itself on...
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| Any distances shown here are a guide only based on general road information. |
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Rochester Reviews |
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If you have visited Rochester, please could you write a review to help other UK Attraction users get the most from their trip? Click the link below for details... |
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Everywhere you look in Rochester, you are surrounded by history from the Castle and Cathedrals to the buildings that line the High Street and even to the annual Dickens festivals that relive the Victorian era. I have to admit to loving this town that is completely linked with the River Medway. During the summer months car parking is an issue with limited spaces in the car parks and you might have to accept a lengthy walk to the attractions, but believe me it is worth the extra effort.
- Patrick Boniface
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