Historic Rochester

A settlement has existed at the lowest point of the River Medway for thousands of years. Its Roman name Durobrivae can be translated as "stronghold" or "fort" by the "bridge" or "bridges".

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Rochester Cathedral Research
Priory wall, c.1225-1340
Priory wall, c.1225-1340

The walls of the medieval priory of Saint Andrew survive in sections around the boundary of the Cathedral Precinct, particularly well preserved in the south-east corner.

Black Boy Alley, Rochester
Black Boy Alley, Rochester

‘Black Boy’ can be found in the names of many UK pubs, roads and pathways. Rochester’s Black Boy Alley has an origin back in the years after the English Civil War.

 

Rochester Castle

Standing opposite the Cathedral, Rochester Castle was constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries and their histories have been intertwined ever since.

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Maritime heritage

The livelihoods of the citizens of Rochester and Medway have often been reliant on the River Medway and Thames Estuary.

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Medway Archives

The archives of the Dean & Chapter of Rochester Cathedral are held at Medway Archives in Strood.

Huguenot Museum

Rochester’s Huguenot Museum is the first and only museum of Huguenot history in Britain.

Chatham Dockyards

Today The Historic Dockyards Chatham is the world’s most complete dockyard of the Age of Sail.

Royal Engineers Museum

The REM Collection has been developed by the Corps of Royal Engineers over the last two hundred years and now forms one of the most important military collections in the UK.