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UK Travel, Days Out & Attractions Te Travel Guide 53 Discover the magic of Medway


Founded on the banks of the Medway, Rochester and Chatham are among the most historically significant sites in Britain


where I do much of my summer idling. Running water is favour- able to daydreams. And a strong tidal


“T


water for mine…” (Charles Dickens, Te Uncommercial Traveller) More than 160 years since Dickens


ruminated on the qualities of river- side daydreaming, Medway remains a perfect retreat for a weekend getaway, and if ‘summer idling’ has an appealing ring to it, there are still plenty of out-of-the-way places where it’s possible to find peace and inspira- tion in equal measure beside the river and its surrounding marshes. Tere’s a wild beauty to be found


here — a vast estuary flanked by wetlands that provide a haven for a birdlife, including snipes, curlews and cormorants, which share their home


here are small out of the way landing-places on the Tames and the Medway,


river is the best of running


with forgotten shipwrecks, ancient, abandoned forts and hidden inlets where the imaginative traveller might perhaps, on a still summer’s evening, catch the ghostly creak of oars as smugglers sneak their way inland from the river. Or maybe that’s just the sound


of boots nearing the end of a tiring day’s hike on the England Coast Path — because it’s not all about idling, and the energetic day-tripper could even walk here from London in a day. For the rest of us, it’s just over half an hour from London St Pancras — while, from the end of September, Medway-bound travellers can step on board the Waverley paddle steamer at London Tower Pier and step off in historic Rochester. Once in the heart of Rochester,


idling is out of the question for those trying to explore everything on offer — although there are plenty of quality


bars, cafes and restaurants offering you that option, too. Te high street is packed with independent shops and museums, along with the inter- nationally renowned heritage sites of Rochester Castle and Cathedral. Tese ancient Norman edifices


attract tourists and historians from around the world, and the 144 steps leading up the castle’s Great Tower will offer not only a breath- taking view but a great workout and a new appreciation of Medway’s historical significance. Even up here, it’s Dickens’ running


river that looms large below. Look upriver, to where the Roman legions are thought to have battled British tribes by the Medway 2,000 years ago, or downriver to Te Historic Dockyard Chatham, one of the most important naval sites in history. It was here that kings and governments built their fleets for more than 400 years; tourists now flock to the location to see a wealth of ships and exhibitions — including the current Lego exhi- bition, Brickwrecks: Sunken Ships in Lego Bricks, until the end of August. From the Elizabethan battlements of Upnor Castle


to Fort Amherst


(‘Britain’s biggest and best Napleonic fort’), there’s history throughout Medway, but it’s not all about war and conquest; drift a mile or so down- river, and you’ll find a spot with a more peaceful past. Te Strand Lido is Britain’s last remaining riverside tidal saltwater pool and has been a favourite of generations of locals and holidaymakers since 1896. Tis year it’s been renovated with a new splash-pad water feature, and after a hard day’s exploring, it’s the perfect riverside place for a spot of summer idling...


The Strand Lido is the last remaining pool of its kind in Britain visitmedway.org Upnor Castle is another fascinating historical site to explore by the Medway


Just a short train ride from London, there’s still a wild romance to the Medway Estuary


The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a popular destination with tourists and filmmakers alike


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