OUT- DOORSY
GUIDE
CULTURAL HOTSPOTS
ROCHESTER CASTLE Situated on the bank of the River Medway, this mighty and strategically significant fortress stands as a proud reminder of the town’ s complex history. Built in the 1080s in stone by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, Rochester Castle was one of the earliest such buildings in England- with the later addition of a Norman tower-keep of Kentish ragstone, which was built in around 1127 by William of Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury.
HALPERN POP GALLERY An ever-changing and truly inspiring roster of exhibitions awaits at this intimate yet boldly creative gallery, part of the buzzing Nucleus Arts venue at the
MUST-SHOP STORES
COPENHAGEN BLUE A delightful women’ s fashion boutique displaying a wonderful and unique array of high quality clothing, shoes and handbags. With its latest seasonal stock set to excite and a friendly team who are always on hand to help you dress to impress.
CAPTURE THE CASTLE Browse a curated collection of Nordic and country-style inspired home accessories and gifts at this high street gem run by passionate team, Philippe and Anke Hatch. Showcasing oneof-a-kind homewares sourced from across the globe alongside their own range of exclusively designed and made products.
KISS KISS HEART Stretching across three locations on the high street, these vivid boutiques are a must-visit for their eclectic array of treasures ranging from clothing, houseplants and pet accessories to books and beauty buys.
DIVINE DINING
BRETTINGTON’ S An exquisite steak and lobster house that believes in the best of British food, Brettington’ s enticingly fuses old English recipes with modern flavours to create their famed menus. Dishes here highlight the finest in-house butchered cuts and the freshest seafood, complemented by vegetable and chicken dishes, and perfectly paired Chapel Down wines.
SMOQE Inspired by the incredible authentic BBQ flavours discovered on their global travels, the team behind Rochester-favourite SMOQE are truly passionate about the joy that handmade, honest comfort food brings. Perfectly rich, flavoursome and always handcrafted with love, SMOQE’ s iconic burger lineup is mouthwateringly marvellous.
FISH AT 55 Showcasing the freshest of ingredients from both land and sea, Fish at 55’ s considered menus let Kent’ s shining seafood flavours take centre stage. With delectable handcrafted sushi from esteemed master sushi chef Thiago Krobath, showstopping house cocktails and a sleek, sophisticated dining space.
SMOQUE( top left) Fish at 55( bottom left)
Halpern Conservancy building which is also home to Café Nucleus, artist studios and digital workspace, The Lightbox.
ROCHESTER GUILDHALL MUSEUM Built in 1687, Rochester’ s iconic Guildhall once incorporated a courtroom and council chamber, which later featured in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Founded later on in 1897 in honour of Queen Victoria’ s diamond jubilee, the museum houses collections that tell the story of Medway from its Roman origins to the present day. Climb aboard a full-size reconstruction of part of an 18th-century Medway prison hulk and touch a 200,000-year-old axe.
COPENHAGEN BLUE © Visit Medway
UPNOR CASTLE
OUT- DOORSY
Spots
ROCHESTER ESPLANADE Admire the town’ s remarkable landscape as you stroll along the popular Rochester Esplanade- a lovingly cared for green space that runs alongside the River Medway. Home to a children’ s play area and an outdoor gym, with access to Rochester Pier, which is now being restored to its former glory, the esplanade is a hub of outdoor adventure and community gatherings.
UPNOR CASTLE Perched proudly on the banks of the River Medway and surrounded by serene grounds, this rare and beautifully imposing example of an Elizabethan artillery fort was first built in 1559 and redeveloped between 1599 and 1601 to protect warships moored at Chatham’ s dockyards.
THE VINES PARK Grade II listed gardens nestled in the town centre that come steeped in centuries of history. Until 1880, this now idyllic park was the redundant orchard and smallholding which used to be part of St. Andrews Priory and fed the local monks. Perfectly shaded from a wealth of luscious trees, The Vines is regularly visited by intrigued tourists as the missing spike on the railings opposite Restoration
House marks the spot where Charles Dickens was last seen in public three days before he died.
54 • www. insidekent. co. uk