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Days out: Chatham

Though Rochester has been one of my favourite day trips for many years, I didn’t know Chatham till comparatively recently. They’re five minutes apart on the railway – but they’re like two different worlds.
Chatham's naval dockyard
Rochester, with its castle, cathedral and town houses, is like a cross between the best aspects of a large village and a small city. It turns its back on the River Medway. Chatham, on the other hand, is defined by the river – it’s...
May 12th, 2010 | Andrea Kirkby | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: day trips, days out, featuredarticle, kent
Days out: Rochester

Rochester is a funny old place. It’s not gracious or olde-world exactly, it’s not a tourist honey-pot or a great city of culture, but it’s got a distinct character.
Rochester High Street during the Rochester Sweeps festival
Rochester was one of the strategic strongholds for the Normans when they took over England, and it still has its Norman castle – a foursquare, four-turretted great keep, the highest in England – which dominates the town. It has its Norman cathedral,...
May 11th, 2010 | Andrea Kirkby | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: country towns, day trips, kent