Rochester is the most rewarding of the Medway towns, a compact historic city on the south bank of the River Medway in Kent. Two monuments dominate the skyline and justify the journey from London: Rochester Castle, one of the best-preserved Norman keeps in England, and Rochester Cathedral, which dates from 604 AD and is the second oldest cathedral in Britain.
The city has a strong association with Charles Dickens, who spent much of his life at Gad's Hill Place just outside town and set several scenes from his novels here. Every June and December the city holds Dickens Festivals where the streets fill with Victorian-costumed revellers. The High Street is one of the most pleasant in Kent, lined with medieval and Georgian buildings and independent shops, and the old Guildhall Museum covers local history including the story of the Medway and its communities from prehistoric times.
Rochester is 35 minutes from London St Pancras by high-speed train, making it a very easy day trip from the capital. For those staying longer, the surrounding Medway estuary has fine walking along the river walls, and the Chatham Historic Dockyard, a five-minute drive away, is one of the finest maritime heritage sites in Britain.