DAYSOUT
Towns with a Twist cont...
Eastgate House, Rochester visitmedway. org
A Grade I listed Elizabethan townhouse, Eastgate House is a unique attraction for literature enthusiasts looking to delve into Kent’ s written history. One of the most distinctive buildings on Rochester’ s high street, the house was once the family home of Sir Peter Buck, a senior officer at the Royal Tudor Dockyard, as well as a Victorian boarding school, hostel, museum and great inspiration to the author Charles Dickens. Best known for his complex plots and striking characters, Charles Dickens wrote novels including Oliver Twist( 1838) and A Christmas Carol( 1843), achieving unprecedented popularity both during and after his lifetime. In the gardens of Eastgate House stands Dickens’ Swiss Chalet, the place in which he wrote many of his novels, which was relocated there from his home in Gad’ s Hill.
Though visitors can’ t yet explore inside Swiss Chalet, Eastgate House itself was restored as part of a £ 2.2 million Heritage Lottery Fund project and now welcomes guests to the second floor of the house. With its original features and decorative schemes, visitors can explore the remarkable history of those who lived, worked and played within Eastgate House over the centuries, making it a noteworthy stop on a tour of Kent’ s most unique towns.
Saltwood Castle, Saltwood saltwoodcastle. com
A medieval castle in Kent that was once erected on a Roman site, it’ s a lesser known fact that Saltwood Castle was the site where the plot to assassinate Thomas Becket was hatched. After the Archbishop of Canterbury was killed by the knights of Henry II at Canterbury Cathedral, tradition has it that Thomas Becket’ s murder was planned by four knights in the Great Hall of Saltwood Castle.
In the present day, Saltwood Castle is not usually open to the public, though a few times a year visitors can get the chance to explore the castle. With a moat, battlements, a secret garden and plenty of free-roaming peacocks, the site has also been a popular location for TV shows and films such as My Week with Marilyn( 2011).
Owned by Jane Clark and her dedicated team of staff, the castle hosts regular charity fundraising events, open days and educational tours for private groups. If Kent locals can wait until 7 September, Saltwood Castle’ s bi-annual Open Garden and Plant Sale will soon take place, offering plenty of crafts, plants and refreshments for visitors to enjoy from 10am- 4pm within the stunning grounds.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham’ s Victorian Ropery, Chatham thedockyard. co. uk
Rope has been made at The Historic Dockyard Chatham for over 400 years and The Victorian Ropery- alongside its related 18th-century manufacturing buildings- forms the last of four original Royal Navy ropeyards to remain in operation in Britain. With the ancient craft of ropemaking still taking place daily, visitors can be transported back in time with a 30-minute Ropery Experience to learn about its importance in supporting Chatham’ s shipbuilding. An opportunity to get hands-on with the ropemaking machine and explore the historic buildings in which the iconic product is made, this is one of Kent’ s most unique experiences to partake in this summer. At the Ropery Gallery, visitors can journey through the lives of workers both past and present and enjoy expansive displays of the Des and Liz Pawson rope collection.
With plenty of immersive exhibition galleries throughout The Historic Dockyard Chatham, an admission ticket also includes access to all ships for guests to explore the wider maritime world. With collections from the Royal Museums Greenwich and Imperial War Museums, there are over 70,000 objects to see within them. A guaranteed adventure through the tides of history, those who book online now can pay for a day and visit free for the rest of the year.
© Louise Hubbard
SALTWOOD CASTLE
THE VICTORIAN ROPERY
www. insidekent. co. uk • 65