Attractions

Sweeps Festival

The Sweeps Festival is held on the May Bank Holiday weekend. The Festival has been in Rochester for the last 26 years and celebrates the May Day holiday which the local chimney sweeps used to enjoy. It brings together a variety of people including local chimney sweeps, morris sides and folk groups from around the UK. The event has a lively atmosphere with an ever expanding list of activities.

Chinese New Year Festival

The Chinese New Year Festival in Rochester is the 3rd largest of its kind in the UK. The festival was originally started by a small Chinese community and has grown over the years, to become the large event that it is today. The festival involves a large street parade with dragons and lions and a mixture of colourful oriental costumes. Thousands of people attend the event every year, creating a lively and enjoyable atmosphere. The event takes place in Chatham Town Centre.

Summer Dickens Festival

The Summer Dickens Festival has been held in Rochester for the last 27 years. Charles Dickens spent 5 of his childhood years in Medway and later returned to spend the last 13 years of his life at Gads Hill, where he died in 1870. The event has become a big tradition in Rochester and celebrates the Victorian Era. The many participants dress up in wonderful costumes from the time. Street parades, drama, music and dance take place on the streets of Rochester over the 3 day event. A street parade takes place every day.
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Dickensian Christmas Festival

The Dickensian Christmas Festival is held every year at the beginning of December in the historic City of Rochester. The festival creates a lively and exciting atmosphere throughout the City with a variety of events taking place, including parades, singing, fairs, ice skating, guided tours and chance to experience a wide range of traditional foods. The festival brings a variety of people to the City of Rochester including The Dickens Fellowship, The City of Rochester Society and many others. Some dress in costumes from the Victorian era and parade the streets and castle gardens of the city.
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Rochester Castle

Rochester Castle is situated in the historic Roman walls of the City of Rochester within close proximity of the River Medway. It was strategically placed aside the London Road to guard an important crossing on the River Medway. The fortress has resisted siege and destruction for over 900 years.

The Norman tower-keep was built in 1127 by William of Corbeil, the Archbishop of Canterbury with the encouragement of Henry I. The tower stands at an impressive 113 feet high. The tower was later rebuilt by Henry III and Edward I and remained an important fortress throughout the 15th century. A century later the castle started to decay. In 1870 Rochester Castle grounds were turned into a public park by the City of Rochester. Today the castle has been taken over by the English Heritage and stands as a reminder of the history surrounding the old City of Rochester.

The castle is open daily from 10am to 6am from 31st March to 31st October and from 10am to 4pm from 1st November to 20th March. Admission is £4.00 per adult, £3.00 per child, £3.00 per concession, free for English Heritage members and £11.00 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children). Audio tours are available for a small charge.
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Rochester Cathedral

Rochester Cathedral is the second oldest cathedral in England. The Cathedral was founded in 604AD by Bishop Justus. The current building dates back to 1080 and is the work of a French Monk called Gundulf. The Norman and Roman architecture and Gothic styles make the Cathedral a wonderful place to visit.

The Cathedral is open daily from 7:30am to 6:00pm with occasional restrictions due to services and special events. Admission is free to individuals, however donations are gratefully excepted for maintenance and upkeep of the Cathedral. Guided tours are available throughout the year at a charge of £4 per adult. Group visits without a guide are charged at a cost of £4.

Rochester Cathedral offers a number of facilities including a shop stocked with souvenirs, books and gifts plus much more, tea rooms with a wide choice of food and magnificent gardens. Visit Rochester Cathedral and take away with you a sense of its worship, history and architecture.
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Guildhall Museum

The Guildhall Museum opened in honour of Queen Victoria?s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The museum was originally in Eastgate House and moved to the Guildhall in 1979. The Guildhall Museum offers a collection of items that provide an insight into the history of Rochester. The museum has a large selection of paintings and prints of the area, a 200,000 year old axe, a full-size reconstruction of part of a Medway prison hulk, the Dickens Discovery Room plus much, much more. The Museum is open daily from 10:00am to 4:30pm apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year?s Day. Admission is free throughout the year.
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Restoration House and Gardens

Restoration House is one of the finest pre-civil war city mansions in England. The mansion is situated in the historic city of Rochester and the house takes its name from King Charles II stay on the eve of the Restoration. The property is famous as the Satis House of Dickens novel ?Great expectations? where it is home to Miss Havisham.

The house has a large and beautiful walled garden spread over 3 quarter of an acre. The garden is separated by a dividing wall with archways and a formal pond. The garden has an abundance of mature tress, colourful flowers and archaeological features. The garden is maintained to an immaculate standard by a team of dedicated gardeners and craftsmen.

Restoration House and Gardens is open Thursday and Friday between 10:00am and 5:00pm. The house and gardens are also open on Saturday 2nd June 2007. The costs of admission to the house and gardens is £5.50 for adults, £4.50 for senior citizens, £2.50 for children (6 to 16 years) and £12.50 for a family ticket. Guided tours are charged at £6.50 per person, however there must be a minimum of six persons. Admission to the garden only is £2.50.
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Tour de France

or the first time the Tour de France will make its way to the Medway area. The event starts in London and the first stage finishes in Canterbury. This will provide spectator opportunities around the Medway area including Rochester, Gravesend, Maidstone and Tonbridge. The first stage of the event is 203km. The event takes place on Sunday 8th July 2007.
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