Discover the 17 Best Things to Do & See in Rochester (by a local)

ByMagdalena Marsden

With an 11th century Norman castle and cathedral perched atop a river rich in naval history and a host of Victorian literary connections to rival any city, Rochester can hardly be called a hidden gem. Yet, its surprising that many people don’t visit more often to explore this Medway town’s considerable charms.

Only 30 miles from central London does the passing tourist trade pass by in haste in a headlong rush to pay homage to Canterbury? Well, Rochester has a more than a few tales of its own to share.

Located at the lowest navigable point of the Medway, driving across the Rochester bridge is the best way to approach the town.

Rochester is referred to as a Medway town, but historically it was actually a city governed not by a mayor but the office of the Admiral of the River Medway. However City status which was first obtained in 1211 was lost due to local government boundary changes and what appears to have been a classic case of lack of town planning! 

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1. Rochester Castle

The castle looms large on your right, pointing out like a giant finger. Without a roof, I think it resembles a hollowed tooth; decayed and ruinous with gaps where the windows have been gauged out. A molar of mortar standing despite the ravages of time. A testament to man’s insatiable desire to gorge itself on the bounty of our fellow man.

Built by Bishop Gundalf (no relation to a fictional Wizard) it was besieged by the forces of King John having been taken by unruly nobles in the 13th century. It took the fat from forty pigs to set fire and undermine one of the corner towers before the rebels finally surrendered and then only due to hunger.

There are fine views of the Medway from the top courtesy of English Heritage and an excellent open green outside where the motte and bailey used to be. Close by, the Cathedral is no less impressive with it’s imposing West Front and great Norman doors dating from 1160.

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2. The historic High Street

Rochester High Street follows the path of the ancient Roman road Watling Street, with portions of the original road still existing 6-12 feet below the present-day surface. Charles Dickens would have recognized 75% of the buildings, and Oliver Cromwell 50%, as many facades were remodeled following the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This has resulted in a unique collection of William and Mary architecture along the historic street.

Once on the High Street one can’t move without coming across a reference to Charles Dickens who spent the last fourteen years of his life at nearby Gads Hill. The town doesn’t just wear its Dickensian connections on its sleeve, but all about its person.

And never more so in June and December for the Dickens festival which features a colourful pageant of his characters parading through the town’s streets. Watch out for Mr Sykes’s mastiff!

Many of the town’s pubs and tea houses boast plaques proudly proclaiming their connections as the setting for inns and houses in The Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations and Dickens’ last unfinished novel, the Mystery of Edwin Drood. And passing down the jumble of compact streets and alleyways, it’s no mystery why Rochester was the source of such inspiration to the writer.

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3. The Guildhall Museum

Admiral Sir Cloudsley Shovell also paid for the grandiose main hall, elaborate staircase and ornate ceiling in The Guildhall, a Grade 1 listed building, which now serves as the town’s museum. As Rochester’s MP it was no less than the town expected of him.

This wonderfully named man was sadly drowned in one of the worst naval disastrous of the age when four warships sank in a gale off the Scilly Isles in 1707 with the loss of over 1400 sailors.

One local story was it that Sir Cloudsley survived the shipwreck and managed to swim ashore only to perish at the hands of lawless islanders who took a fancy to his fancy clothes and priceless emerald ring.

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4. Rochester Cathedral

Rochester Cathedral, founded in 604 AD, stakes its claim as England’s second oldest and arguably most beautiful cathedral. Surrounded by mature trees like the rare Mulberry and iconic Catalpa at the main entrance, the cathedral has long been a focal point for the community.

In recent years, Rochester Cathedral has hosted unique attractions from sculpture to groundbreaking art. Most notably, in February 2020, the Museum of the Moon exhibition drew over 120,000 visitors in just two weeks – the largest ever recorded.

Yet the cathedral’s most prized possession remains a relatively small 1123 AD book written by a single monk. Described as “the most important medieval book you’ve never heard of,” the Textus Roffensis contains the origins of compensation systems and is as significant as the Domesday Book.

5. Six Poor Travellers House

Walking along the High Street are the gables of the Six Poor Travellers House – almshouses for the poor – which nowadays can be entered – if you have the money.

The Six Poor Travellers’ House on Rochester High Street has served as an almshouse providing shelter for the less fortunate since at least 1491. However, it was not until the death of local philanthropist Richard Watts in 1579 that the almshouse took its present form.

In his will, Watts bequeathed funds to purchase the building and convert it into overnight accommodations for six unemployed farm workers traveling to Kent, known as “The Garden of England,” to seek work. At the time, the rooms were considered luxurious, a testament to Watts’ generosity.

Watts’ will stipulated that travelers could stay only one night. Upon departing in the morning, each guest received a care package containing one pound of bread, half a pound of meat, two pints of ale (safer than drinking water), and four pennies. This payment, worth 1.5-2 pence today, would enable the traveler to afford lodging for up to four more nights while searching for employment.

The Six Poor Travellers’ House continues to provide assistance to the less fortunate over 440 years after Richard Watts’ benevolent bequest. His legacy of compassion lives on through this historic High Street landmark.

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6. La Providence Quarter & Huguenots Museum

Nearby, is La Providence, a quaint little Quarter of Victorian houses founded by Huguenot refuges from France. The French Hospital still provides accommodation and care for elderly people who are of Huguenot heritage.

You can find out more about the fascinating history of the Huguenots at the Britain’s only Huguenot museum located along Rochester High Street in the Medway Visitor Centre.

The Huguenot Museum is dedicated to the history of French Protestants known as Huguenots who fled persecution in France and settled in Britain in the 17th century. It is located in Rochester’s city center on 95 High Street in two Grade I listed Huguenot houses from the 17th century. The museum opened in 2015 after major restoration work on the historic houses.

Normal opening hours are Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 11am to 4pm with last entry at 3pm. The museum is closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Ticket prices are £5.50 for adults, £4.50 concessions, and £16 for a family ticket. Children under 6 can enter for free. There is also museum shop and gardens.

7. Eastgate House

Eastgate House is a historic Rochester landmark with architectural roots reaching back to the early Tudor period. Despite later Elizabethan additions, its south facade still bears distinct early Tudor styling. The first known occupant was Sir Peter Buck and family around 1591.

Over the centuries, the building has served many purposes, most recently undergoing an extensive multi-million pound restoration. It now welcomes the public once more.

Of particular note, Eastgate House uniquely appears in both Charles Dickens’ first and last novels, as Westgate House in Pickwick Papers and The Nuns House in The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

As home to Miss Twinkleton’s School for Young Ladies in Dickens’ final work, Eastgate House enjoys the special distinction of being the only site used by the famed author at the start and end of his prolific career.

8. Charles Dickens writing Swiss Chalet

Nestled in the gardens of Eastgate House stands the Swiss Chalet, where Charles Dickens penned some of his most famous works. This ornate writing retreat was a gift from Dickens’ actor friend Charles Fechter, arriving at Higham Railway Station in 58 boxes on Christmas Eve 1864.

Originally situated at Dickens’ Gad’s Hill home in an area dubbed “The Wilderness,” the chalet offered panoramic views of the River Thames from its second floor. To avoid the busy road, Dickens built a tunnel underneath, still in existence today.

Dickens used the chalet not only for writing but for rehearsing his public readings, with the upper floor lined in mirrors. It was here that he was working on The Mystery of Edwin Drood when he died in 1870.

The historic chalet was later moved to Cobham before finding its permanent home in Rochester’s Eastgate Gardens in 1960. Though currently unsafe to enter, plans are in motion to restore this landmark where Dickens crafted some of English literature’s most enduring classics.

9. Corn Exchange

The Corn Exchange is a historic commercial building just off the Rochester High Street. It was originally commissioned in 1698 as a corn exchange for grain trading.

The current facade dates to around 1706 and was funded by Sir Cloudesley Shovell, an Admiral in the British Navy. It has served various functions over the centuries, including as a corn exchange, butcher’s market, and council offices. Today it is an events venue.

The building is Grade I listed due to its historic and architectural significance. The historic Corn Exchange, has a huge clock jutting out into the High Street. It was given to the town by Admiral Sir Cloudsley Shovell – and that it’s a spelling mistake.

10. Restoration House

Rochester contains two unique buildings outside of London representing the beginning and end of the Restoration period of British monarchy between 1660 and 1688.

Restoration House in Crow Lane is where King Charles II stayed on May 28, 1660, the day before reclaiming the throne in London, hence its name. This beautifully restored Elizabethan mansion was described by former Times editor Simon Jenkins as “the finest Elizabethan family home in England.” It has limited opening from June to September on Thursdays and Fridays, with proceeds donated to charity.

Twenty-eight years later, Charles II’s brother King James II went into exile from what is now the Lloyds Bank building at 67-69 High Street on December 23, 1688.

11. The Vines Park

The Vines Park was originally an orchard and smallholding belonging to St Andrews Priory that provided food for the monks. Charles Dickens never saw the park in its current well-maintained layout, established in 1880 after the priory closed. Today this peaceful spot is enjoyed by locals for relaxation and meditation.

Opposite Restoration House, Dickens fans congregate at the missing spike in the railings marking the last public spotting of the author three days before his death. This location has become a mecca for Dickens’ admirers worldwide.

12. Walk through the college up to the St Margarets Church

To get away from the crowds, walk along College Green under Southgate arch and stroll up St Margarets Close past Kings School refounded by Henry VIII on the site of a dissolved priory.

A little further along on your right is Love lane and another almshouse for the poor. Continue walking until you reach St Margarets Church, an imposing ochre sight surrounded by monumental sarcophagus and affording yet more magnificient views of the Medway.

Down by the river, the waterfront has been recently developed but the best views are back from the castle and the area of Boley Hill behind the Keep. Look out for Satis Hill and the timbered Old Hall and the redbrick Georgian Houses of Minor Canon row.

13. Admire the view of Medway River from the St Margaret Church

St. Margaret Church is an Anglican parish church that dates back to around 1085, though the current building was constructed in the 19th century after the previous structure was demolished. Notable architectural features include the stone tower and spire dating to 1706, the 1840 nave roof, and stained glass windows from the 19th and 20th centuries.

In its early history, St. Margaret’s served as a parish church outside Rochester’s walls. It later ministered to the poor and travelers entering the city. The church has connections to several prominent figures, including bishop Gundulf who oversaw construction in the 1100s and author Charles Dickens who was baptized there in 1812.

14. Minor Canon Row

Nestled behind Rochester Cathedral lies Minor Canon Row, a remarkably preserved terrace of early Georgian homes dating back to 1722. Constructed for the cathedral’s minor canons and organist, this architectural gem with Dutch influences is considered the only one of its kind in England.

The row’s bookends bear special significance – No. 1 being the last residence specifically named by Charles Dickens in his writings, and No. 2 the childhood home of Dame Sybil Thorndike, doyenne of the 20th century British theatre. Though tucked away, Minor Canon Row and its notable occupants remain an important part of Rochester’s heritage.

15. Watts Almshouses

Just outside Rochester’s city centre sits an impressive row of Gothic-style Victorian homes called the Watts Almshouses, built in 1858 by the Watts Charity. Following changes to charity laws in the early 1850s, the almshouses were constructed to house fully retired Rochester residents.

The Watts Charity maintains the buildings, with offices at the northern end and a first floor boardroom visible in the central building. The almshouses’ familiar design comes from their architect, who later contributed to the iconic Bletchley Park, headquarters of Britain’s World War II codebreaking operations.

What can you see near Rochester

Upnor Castle

You can also visit Upnor Castle, which is another great fort that you can find on the opposite side of the Medway along the edge of the river. This castle is now a little unknown; however, from the late 17th-century, it played a prominent role as England’s largest ‘Magazine’ storing guns and munition.

During the mid 17th Century, the invading Dutch navy sailed right up the Medway, having broken the defensive line at Upnor, as far as Rochester Bridge, capturing parts of the English fleet and making off with the Royal Navy’s flagship. Samuel Pepys, who worked for the Admiralty, had a word of two to say about this disastrous event in a diary that he was keeping at the time.

Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham

The dockyard at Chatham was established in the mid-16th century and played a pivotal role in British naval history for over 400 years. It is here, where most of the shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance was done for the Royal Navy until late 1980s when it was closed down and later re-opened as a maritime museum.

Where to Eat & Drink in Rochester

Rochester has a great selection of places to eat and drink and you can find most of them on the main historic High Street. There is wonderful family-run Italian restaurant at Don Vincenzo on the high street or your can pop in to Café Nucleus at the Bridge end of the high street for a coffee or light lunch.

The Cooper’s Arms is a great traditional pub, just a short stroll from the Rochester Cathedral. The Two Brewers is another traditional pub, this time a Shepherd Neame one, midway down the High Street. Thai Four Two is a splendid little Thai restaurant on the High Street.

Three Sheets to the Wind is an unusual twist in this family-run pub, with a great Anglo-Austrian influenced menu. The Eagle Tavern is a great little independent pub in the centre of the high street. Ye Arrow is a great pub with a garden view overlooking Rochester Castle and Cathedral.

How to Get to Rochester

Rochester is easily accessible by car, train, and bus. You can take the train from London Victoria or St Pancras International to Rochester station, which takes approximately 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the bus from London Victoria coach station, which takes approximately 2 hours.

By Car:

  • Rochester is located just off the M2 motorway. Simply take the M2 to junction 1 or 2 and follow signs for Rochester city centre. The drive from London takes around 1.5 hours depending on traffic. Parking is available at several parking places just outside the High Street.

By Train:

  • Rochester railway station has regular services from London Victoria, London St Pancras, Ashford International, Ramsgate, Dover Priory, and other major stations. The fastest trains from London St Pancras take around 35 minutes.
  • The historic Rochester High Street is only 5 minutes walk as the train station was moved closer to the town in recent years.

By Bus:

  • National Express and Stagecoach operate direct bus services to Rochester from several towns and cities. From London Victoria coach station, the journey takes around 2 hours. In Rochester, the bus station is located next to the railway station.

You can also take local bus routes from nearby towns like Chatham, Gillingham, Maidstone, etc. Check Kent County Council’s website for routes and timetables.

This blog post was originally published on 22 December 2014 and last updated on 22 January 2024

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