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Rochester
2006SweepsCath1crop.jpg
Catedral de Rochester vista desde el oeste en Castle Gardens
Rochester is located in Kent
Rochester
Rochester
Ubicación dentro de Kent
Población62,982 (censo de 2011) [1]
Referencia de la cuadrícula del sistema operativoTQ739684
Autoridad unitaria
Condado ceremonial
Región
PaísInglaterra
Estado soberanoReino Unido
Ciudad de postesROCHESTER
Distrito de código postalME1, ME2
Código telefónico01634
PolicíaKent
FuegoKent
AmbulanciaCosta sureste
Parlamento del Reino Unido
Lista de lugares
Reino Unido
Inglaterra
Kent
51°22′30″N 0°30′00″E / 51.375 ° N 0.500 ° E / 51.375; 0.500 Coordenadas : 51.375 ° N 0.500 ° E51°22′30″N 0°30′00″E /  / 51.375; 0.500

Rochester ( / r ɒ tʃ ɪ s t ər / Rotch -iss-tər ) es una ciudad y fue un histórico de la ciudad en la autoridad unitaria de Medway en Kent , Inglaterra. Está en el punto de enlace más bajo del río Medway, a unas 30 millas (50 km) de Londres .

Rochester fue durante muchos años uno de los favoritos de Charles Dickens , propietario de la cercana Gads Hill Place , Higham , [2] basando muchas de sus novelas en la zona. La Diócesis de Rochester , la segunda más antigua de Inglaterra , se centra en la Catedral de Rochester y fue responsable de la fundación de una escuela, ahora The King's School en 604 d.C., [3] que es reconocida como la segunda escuela más antigua en funcionamiento continuo en el mundo . Castillo de Rochester , construido por el obispo Gundulf de Rochester , tiene uno de los mejor conservados mantieneen Inglaterra o Francia, y durante la Guerra de los Primeros Barones (1215-1217) durante el reinado del rey Juan , las fuerzas baroniales capturaron el castillo del arzobispo Stephen Langton y lo sostuvieron contra el rey, quien luego lo asedió. [4]

Rochester, Chatham y Gillingham , Strood y varios pueblos periféricos forman una única gran área urbana conocida como Medway Towns con una población de aproximadamente 250.000. Estos lugares ahora forman el área de la Autoridad Unitaria de Medway . Estuvo, hasta 1998, [5] bajo el control del Consejo del Condado de Kent y todavía es parte del condado ceremonial de Kent , bajo la última Ley de Lugartenencias . [6]

Toponimia [ editar ]

El nombre romano-británico de Rochester era Durobrivae , más tarde Durobrivis c. 730 y Dorobrevis en 844. Los dos orígenes comúnmente citados de este nombre son que provino de "baluarte junto al puente (s)" [7] o es la latinización de la palabra británica Dourbruf que significa "swiftstream". [8] Durobrivis se pronunciaba 'Robrivis. En épocas posteriores, la palabra cæster (= castillo, del latín castrum ) se añadió al nombre y la ciudad se llamó Robrivis Cæster . Bede menciona la ciudad en c. 730 y lo llama Hrofes cæster, confundiendo su significado con el campamento fortificado de Hrofi. De esto vino c. 730 Hrofæscæstre, 811 Hrofescester, 1086 Rovescester, 1610 Rochester. [7] El adjetivo latinizado 'Roffensis' se refiere a Rochester. [8]

Historia [ editar ]

Artículo principal: Historia de Rochester, Kent
Casa de Eastgate, Rochester, Kent

Se han encontrado restos neolíticos en las cercanías de Rochester; a lo largo del tiempo ha sido ocupado de diversas formas por celtas , romanos , jutos y / o sajones . Durante el período celta fue uno de los dos centros administrativos de la tribu Cantiaci . Durante la conquista romana de Gran Bretaña, se libró una batalla decisiva en el Medway en algún lugar cerca de Rochester. El primer puente se construyó posteriormente a principios de la época romana. Durante la última época romana, el asentamiento estaba amurallado en piedra. El rey Æthelberht de Kent (560–616) estableció un sistema legal que se ha conservado en el Textus Roffensis del siglo XII.. En el 604 d.C. se fundaron el obispado y la catedral. Durante este período, desde la retirada de las legiones hasta la conquista normanda , Rochester fue saqueada al menos dos veces y asediada en otra ocasión.

El período medieval vio la construcción de la catedral actual (1080-1130, 1227 y 1343), la construcción de dos castillos y el establecimiento de una ciudad importante. El castillo de Rochester entró en acción en los asedios de 1215 y 1264. Se estableció el plan básico de calles de Rochester, limitado por el río, Watling Street, Rochester Priory y Rochester Castle.

Rochester ha producido dos mártires: San Juan Fisher , ejecutado por Enrique VIII por negarse a sancionar el divorcio de Catalina de Aragón ; y el obispo Nicholas Ridley , ejecutado por la reina María por ser un protestante de la Reforma inglesa .

La ciudad fue atacada por los holandeses como parte de la Segunda Guerra Anglo-Holandesa . Los holandeses, comandados por el almirante de Ruijter , rompieron la cadena en Upnor [9] y navegaron hasta el puente de Rochester capturando parte de la flota inglesa y quemándola. [10]

Castillo de Rochester desde el otro lado del Medway (grabado, GF Sargent c. 1836)

Historia militar [ editar ]

Más información: The Nore

Rochester ha tenido durante siglos una gran importancia estratégica debido a su posición cerca de la confluencia del Támesis y el Medway . El castillo de Rochester fue construido para proteger el cruce del río, y el establecimiento del Royal Dockyard en Chatham fue testigo del comienzo del largo período de supremacía de la Royal Navy . La ciudad, como parte de Medway, está rodeada por dos círculos de fortalezas ; la línea interior construida durante las guerras napoleónicas consta de Fort Clarence , Fort Pitt , Fort Amherst y Fort Gillingham . La línea exterior de Palmerston Fortsfue construido durante la década de 1860 a la luz del informe de la Comisión Real de Defensa del Reino Unido y consta de Fort Borstal , Fort Bridgewood , Fort Luton y los reductos Twydall , con dos fortalezas adicionales en las islas de Medway, a saber, Fort Hoo y Fort Darnet .

Durante la Primera Guerra Mundial los Short Brothers ' aviones empresa de fabricación desarrollado el primer avión para lanzar un torpedo, el tipo corto Almirantazgo 184 , en su fábrica de hidroaviones en el río Medway no muy lejos del castillo de Rochester. En el período intermedio entre las Guerras Mundiales del siglo XX, la compañía se ganó una reputación mundial como constructor de hidroaviones con aviones como Singapur , Empire 'C'-Class y Sunderland . Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial , Shorts también diseñó y fabricó el primer bombardero cuatrimotor , el Stirling .

El declive del poder naval y la competitividad de la construcción naval del Reino Unido llevó al gobierno a desmantelar el Astillero RN en Chatham en 1984, lo que provocó la desaparición posterior de gran parte de la industria marítima local. Rochester y sus comunidades vecinas se vieron muy afectadas por esto y han experimentado un ajuste doloroso a una economía postindustrial , con el resultado de muchas privaciones sociales y desempleo. Con el cierre de Chatham Dockyard, el área experimentó un aumento sin precedentes del desempleo al 24%; esto se había reducido al 2,4% de la población local en 2014. [11]

Tradiciones e historia cívica [ editar ]

Rochester fue reconocida como ciudad desde 1211 hasta 1998. El antiguo estatus de la ciudad de Rochester era único, ya que no tenía un consejo formal o fideicomisarios constituidos ni un alcalde, sino que tenía la oficina de almirante del río Medway, cuyo titular actuaba como de facto líder cívico. [12]

Desde la época normanda, Rochester siempre había gobernado la tierra al otro lado del Medway en Strood , que se conocía como Strood Intra ; antes de 1835 tenía unas 100 yardas (91 m) de ancho y se extendía hasta Gun Lane. En la Ley de Corporaciones Municipales de 1835, los límites se ampliaron para incluir más de Strood y Frindsbury, y parte de Chatham conocida como Chatham Intra .

Como muchas de las ciudades medievales de Inglaterra, Rochester tenía hombres libres cívicos cuyos deberes y derechos históricos fueron abolidos por la Ley de Corporaciones Municipales de 1835 . Sin embargo, el Gremio de Pescadores y Dragas Libres continúa hasta el día de hoy y conserva los derechos, deberes y responsabilidades en el Medway, entre Sheerness y Hawkwood Stone. [13] Esta antigua entidad corporativa se reúne en el Tribunal del Almirantazgo, cuyo Jurado de Hombres Libres es responsable de la conservación del río consagrado en la legislación actual. Los residentes pueden obtener City Freedom después de haber cumplido un período de "servidumbre", es decir, de aprendizaje.(tradicionalmente siete años), antes de la admisión como Freeman. La paliza ceremonial anual de los límites por el río Medway se lleva a cabo después del Tribunal del Almirantazgo, generalmente el primer sábado de julio.

Parroquias eclesiásticas [ editar ]

Armas de la diócesis de Rochester
Para las parroquias en el área más amplia de Rochester, vea Strood § Iglesias y Frindsbury § La Iglesia de Todos los Santos .

Había tres parroquias medievales : San Nicolás, Santa Margarita y San Clemente. St Clement's estuvo en Horsewash Lane hasta que el último vicario murió en 1538 cuando se unió a la parroquia de St Nicholas; Los últimos cimientos restantes de la iglesia finalmente se quitaron cuando se construyó el ferrocarril en la década de 1850. La Iglesia de San Nicolás fue construida en 1421 junto a la catedral para servir como iglesia parroquial para los ciudadanos de Rochester. La antigua catedral incluía el priorato monástico benedictino de San Andrés con mayor estatus que las parroquias locales. [14]La diócesis de Rochester anterior a 1537, bajo la jurisdicción de la Iglesia de Roma, cubría una vasta área que se extendía hasta East Anglia e incluía todo Essex. [15]

Como resultado de la reestructuración de la Iglesia durante la Reforma la catedral fue reconsagrada como la Iglesia Catedral de Cristo y la Santísima Virgen María sin responsabilidades parroquiales , siendo una iglesia diocesana. [16] En el siglo XIX, la parroquia de San Pedro se creó para servir a la floreciente ciudad y la nueva iglesia se consagró en 1859. Tras los cambios demográficos, San Pedro y Santa Margarita se combinaron como beneficio conjunto en 1953 con la parroquia de San Nicolás con San Clemente siendo absorbido en 1971. [17] La parroquia combinada es ahora la "Parroquia de San Pedro con Santa Margarita", centrada en el nuevo Centro Parroquial (1973) en El Delce (San Pedro) con Santa Margarita 's quedando comocapilla de la facilidad . Old St Peter's fue demolido en 1974, mientras que la iglesia de San Nicolás se ha convertido en las oficinas diocesanas, pero permanece consagrada. La expansión continua hacia el sur ha llevado a la creación de una parroquia adicional más reciente de St Justus (1956) que cubre la finca The Tideway y el área circundante. [18]

Se cree que una iglesia dedicada a Santa María la Virgen en Eastgate , que fue de fundación anglosajona, constituyó una parroquia hasta la Edad Media, pero pocos registros sobreviven. [19]

Gobernanza [ editar ]

El 1 de abril de 1974, el Ayuntamiento fue abolido en virtud de la Ley de Gobierno Local de 1972 , y el territorio se fusionó con el Distrito de Medway , Municipio de Chatham y la mayor parte del Distrito Rural de Strood , incluidas las parroquias de Cuxton , Halling y Cliffe , y el Hoo Peninsula , para formar un nuevo distrito de gobierno local llamado Borough of Medway , dentro del condado de Kent. El Ayuntamiento de Medway solicitó heredar el estatus de ciudad de Rochester, pero esto fue rechazado; en lugar de letras patentese concedieron constituyendo el área del antiguo distrito del gobierno local de Rochester para ser la Ciudad de Rochester, para "perpetuar el nombre antiguo" y recordar "la larga historia y la orgullosa herencia de dicha Ciudad". [20] El Ministerio del Interior dijo que el estado de la ciudad puede extenderse a todo el municipio si tuviera "Rochester" en su nombre, por lo que en 1979, Medway Borough Council renombró el municipio a Borough of Rochester-upon-Medway , y en 1982 , El estado de la ciudad de Rochester se transfirió a todo el municipio mediante patentes de letras, y el distrito se llamó la Ciudad de Rochester-upon-Medway . [12] El almirante del río Medway era ex-officioAlcalde de Rochester y esta dignidad se transfirió al Alcalde de Medway cuando se creó esa autoridad unitaria, junto con el Tribunal del Almirantazgo del Río, que constituye un comité del Consejo. [21]

El Guildhall , Rochester

El 1 de abril de 1998, los distritos de gobierno local existentes de Rochester-upon-Medway y Gillingham fueron abolidos y se convirtieron en la nueva autoridad unitaria de Medway . El Departamento de Medio Ambiente, Transporte y Regiones informó al consejo de la ciudad que, dado que era el distrito del gobierno local el que tenía oficialmente el estatus de ciudad bajo la Patente de Cartas de 1982, el consejo tendría que nombrar fideicomisarios para preservar su estatus de ciudad, pero el Partido Laborista saliente El consejo de administración decidió no nombrar " Fideicomisarios Charter ", por lo que el estado de la ciudad se perdió cuando se abolió Rochester-upon-Medway como distrito de gobierno local. [22][23][24][25][26] The other local government districts with City status that were abolished around this time, Bath and Hereford, decided to appoint Charter Trustees to maintain the existence of their own cities and the mayoralties. The incoming Medway Council apparently only became aware of this when, in 2002, it was advised that Rochester was not on the Lord Chancellor's Office's list of cities.[27]

In 2010, Medway Council started to refer to the "City of Medway" in promotional material, but it was rebuked and instructed not to do so in future by the Advertising Standards Authority.[28] Subsequently, the Medway Unitary Authority has applied for City status for Medway as a whole, rather than merely for Rochester. Medway applied unsuccessfully for City status in 2000 and 2002 and again in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year of 2012.[29] Any future bid to regain formal City status has been recommended to be made under the aegis of Rochester-upon-Medway.

The 2011 definition of Rochester includes Strood to the northwest and is defined as an urban subdivision with a 2011 population of 62,982.[1] Strood makes up the majority of Rochester's population on the west bank of the river, making the town of Rochester itself on the east bank actually smaller and less populated than its own suburb; should the two towns ever separate Strood would be the larger of the two.

Kelly Tolhurst MP is the current parliamentary representative for the constituency.

Geography[edit]

Further information: Geography of Kent

Rochester lies within the area, known to geologists, as the London Basin. The low-lying Hoo peninsula to the north of the town consists of London Clay, and the alluvium brought down by the two rivers—the Thames and the Medway—whose confluence is in this area. The land rises from the river, and being on the dip slope of the North Downs, this consists of chalk surmounted by the Blackheath Beds of sand and gravel.

As a human settlement, Rochester became established as the lowest river crossing of the River Medway, well before the arrival of the Romans.

It is a focal point between two routes, being part of the main route connecting London with the Continent and the north-south routes following the course of the Medway connecting Maidstone and the Weald of Kent with the Thames and the North Sea. The Thames Marshes were an important source of salt. Rochester's roads follow north Kent's valleys and ridges of steep-sided chalk bournes. There are four ways out of town to the south: up Star Hill, via The Delce,[30] along the Maidstone Road or through Borstal. The town is inextricably linked with the neighbouring Medway Towns but separated from Maidstone by a protective ridge known as the Downs, a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

At its most limited geographical size, Rochester is defined as the market town within the city walls, now associated with the historic medieval city. However, Rochester historically also included the ancient wards of Strood Intra on the river's west bank, and Chatham Intra as well as the three old parishes on the Medway's east bank.

The diocese of Rochester is another geographical entity which can be referred to as Rochester.

Climate[edit]

Rochester has an oceanic climate similar to much of southern England, being accorded Köppen Climate Classification-subtype of "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate).[31]

On 10 August 2003, neighbouring Gravesend recorded one of the highest temperatures since meteorogical records began in the United Kingdom, with a reading of 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit),[32] only beaten by Brogdale, near Faversham, 22 miles (35 km) to the ESE.[33] The weather station at Brogdale is run by a volunteer, only reporting its data once a month, whereas Gravesend, which has an official Met Office site at the PLA pilot station,[34] reports data hourly.

Being near the mouth of the Thames Estuary with the North Sea, Rochester is relatively close to continental Europe and enjoys a somewhat less temperate climate than other parts of Kent and most of East Anglia. It is therefore less cloudy, drier and less prone to Atlantic depressions with their associated wind and rain than western regions of Britain, as well as being hotter in summer and colder in winter. Rochester city centre's micro-climate is more accurately reflected by these officially recorded figures than by readings taken at Rochester Airport.[35]

North and North West Kent continue to record higher temperatures in summer, sometimes being the hottest area of the country, eg. on the warmest day of 2011, when temperatures reached 33.1 degrees.[36] Additionally, it holds at least two records for the year 2010, of 30.9 degrees[37] and 31.7 degrees C.[38] Another record was set during England's Indian summer of 2011 with 29.9 degrees C., the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK for October.

Climate data for Stanford-le-Hope (nearest climate station to Gravesend) 1981–2010
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °C (°F)7.9
(46.2)		8.0
(46.4)		10.9
(51.6)		13.2
(55.8)		16.8
(62.2)		19.9
(67.8)		22.1
(71.8)		22.2
(72.0)		19.4
(66.9)		15.2
(59.4)		10.8
(51.4)		8.1
(46.6)		14.5
(58.2)
Average low °C (°F)2.2
(36.0)		1.6
(34.9)		3.3
(37.9)		4.7
(40.5)		7.5
(45.5)		10.5
(50.9)		13.0
(55.4)		12.5
(54.5)		10.3
(50.5)		7.4
(45.3)		4.4
(39.9)		2.4
(36.3)		6.7
(44.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)47.9
(1.89)		36.7
(1.44)		37.6
(1.48)		40.9
(1.61)		48.0
(1.89)		41.1
(1.62)		52.5
(2.07)		44.8
(1.76)		45.5
(1.79)		64.9
(2.56)		57.8
(2.28)		53.8
(2.12)		571.5
(22.51)
Mean monthly sunshine hours60.077.7113.4161.5194.3198.7208.7195.5151.1117.974.048.61,601.4
Source: Met Office

Buildings[edit]

Rochester comprises numerous important historic buildings, the most prominent of which are the Guildhall, the Corn Exchange, Restoration House, Eastgate House, as well as Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral. Many of the town centre's old buildings date from as early as the 14th century up to the 18th century. The chapel of St Bartholomew's Hospital dates from the ancient priory hospital's foundation in 1078.

Economy[edit]

See also: Chatham Dockyard
Rochester High Street

Thomas Aveling started a small business in 1850 producing and repairing agricultural plant equipment. In 1861 this became the firm of Aveling and Porter, which was to become the largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery and steam rollers in the country.[39] Aveling was elected Admiral of the River Medway (i.e. Mayor of Rochester) for 1869-70.

Culture[edit]

Sweeps Festival[edit]

Since 1980 the city has seen the revival of the historic Rochester Jack-in-the-Green May Day dancing chimney sweeps tradition, which had died out in the early 1900s. Though not unique to Rochester (similar sweeps' gatherings were held across southern England, notably in Bristol, Deptford, Whitstable and Hastings), its revival was directly inspired by Dickens' description of the celebration in Sketches by Boz.

The festival has since grown from a small gathering of local Morris dance sides to one of the largest in the world.[40] The festival begins with the "Awakening of Jack-in-the-Green" ceremony,[41] and continues in Rochester High Street over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

There are numerous other festivals in Rochester apart from the Sweeps Festival. The association with Dickens is the theme for Rochester's two Dickens Festivals held annually in June and December.[42] The Medway Fuse Festival[43] usually arranges performances in Rochester and the latest festival to take shape is the Rochester Literature Festival, the brainchild of three local writers.[44]

Library[edit]

A new public library was built alongside the Adult Education Centre, Eastgate. This enabled the registry office to move from Maidstone Road, Chatham into the Corn Exchange on Rochester High Street (where the library was formerly housed). As mentioned in a report presented to Medway Council's Community Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28 March 2006, the new library opened in late summer (2006).[45]

Huguenot Museum[edit]

A new Huguenot Museum, which includes items from the collections of the French Hospital, was opened in Rochester on 13 May 2015, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and individual donations.[46]

Theatre[edit]

Sweeps festival in 2006

There is a small amateur theatre, Medway Little Theatre, on St Margaret's Banks, Rochester High Street (the part of the High Street that continues from Star Hill towards Chatham) and just opposite the former railway station.[47]Converted from a building which in its almost 200-year history had been, amongst other things, a wine merchants, warehouse and printing works the theatre's first season was in 1958. Since then hundreds of plays have been presented ranging from Shakespeare to Ayckbourn, modern classics to timeless farces along with many plays presented for the first time in the Medway Towns and, indeed, Kent. Medway Little Theatre also has a thriving youth company and a children's workshop for younger people. Every summer the Duncan Rand One-Act Play Festival (named after one of Medway Little Theatre's founders) attracts groups from far and wide.[48][49]

Media[edit]

Local newspapers for Rochester include the Medway Messenger, published by the KM Group, and free papers.

The local commercial radio station for Rochester is KMFM Medway, owned by the KM Group. Medway is also served by community radio station Radio Sunlight which is now an online service. The area also receives broadcasts from county-wide stations BBC Radio Kent, Heart and Gold, as well as from various Essex and Greater London radio stations.[50]Rochester is part of the ITV Meridian and BBC South East area, receiving television signals from the Bluebell Hill transmitter on the crest of the North Downs to the SE, supplemented by a low power relay transmitter in central Chatham.

Sport[edit]

Football is played with many teams competing in Saturday and Sunday leagues.[51] The local football club is Rochester United F.C. Rochester F.C. was its old football club but has been defunct for many decades. Rugby is also played; Medway R.F.C. play their matches at Priestfields and Old Williamsonians is associated with Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School.[52]

Cricket is played in the town, with teams entered in the Kent Cricket League. Holcombe Hockey Club enter teams in both the Men's and Women's England Hockey Leagues.[53][54] Speedway was staged on a track adjacent to City Way that opened in 1932. Proposals for a revival in the early 1970s did not materialise and the Rochester Bombers became the Romford Bombers.[55]

Sailing and rowing are also popular on the River Medway with respective clubs being based in Rochester.[56][57]

Film[edit]

The 1959 James Bond novel Goldfinger describes Bond driving along the A2 through the Medway Towns from Strood to Chatham. Of interest is the mention of "inevitable traffic jams" on the Strood side of Rochester Bridge, the novel being written some years prior to the construction of the M2 motorway Medway bypass.

Rochester is the setting of the controversial 1965 Peter Watkins television film The War Game, which depicts the town's destruction by a nuclear missile.[58] The opening sequence was shot in Chatham Town Hall, but the credits particularly thank the people of Dover, Gravesend and Tonbridge.

The 2011 adventure film Ironclad is based upon the 1215 siege of Rochester Castle. There are however areas where the plot differs from accepted historical narrative.

Notable people[edit]

Rochester High Street
Charles Dickens

The historic city was for many years the favourite of Charles Dickens, who lived within the diocese at nearby Gads Hill Place, Higham, many of his novels being based on the area. Descriptions of the town appear in Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations and (lightly fictionalised as "Cloisterham") in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Elements of two houses in Rochester, Satis House and Restoration House, are used for Miss Havisham's house in Great Expectations, Satis House.[59]

Dame Sybil Thorndike and Russell Thorndike

The actress Dame Sybil Thorndike and her brother Russell were brought up in Minor Canon Row adjacent to the cathedral; the daughter of a canon of Rochester Cathedral, she was educated at Rochester Grammar School for Girls. A local doctors' practice,[60] local dental practice[61] and a hall at Rochester Grammar School are all named after her.[62]

Sir Peter Buck

Sir Peter Buck was Admiral of the Medway in the 17th century; knighted in 1603 he and Bishop Barlow hosted King James, the Stuart royal family and the King of Denmark in 1606. A civil servant to The Royal Dockyard and Lord High Admiral, Buck lived at Eastgate House, Rochester.

Denis Redman

Major-General Denis Redman, a World War II veteran, was born and raised in Rochester and later became a founder member of REME, head of his Corps and a Major-General in the British Army.

Kelly Brook

The model and actress Kelly Brook went to Delce Junior School in Rochester and later the Thomas Aveling School (formerly Warren Wood Girls School).

Education[edit]

For a full list of schools serving Rochester, see List of schools in Medway.

Medway council run a selective system of education, similar to other local authorities in Kent, but call their secondary modern schools secondary schools. Almost all secondary schools in Rochester have opted for academy status.

In 1701, Sir Joseph Williamson left a bequest to establish the Mathematical School, a boys' grammar school, also referred to either as Rochester Math or The Math School. Unlike earlier educational foundations, such as The King's School, it was not tied to a religious establishment, but was opened for practical instruction of boys in navigation and mathematics.

The University for the Creative Arts, formerly the Kent Institute of Art & Design, is located on the boundary of Rochester with Chatham.[63]

Transport[edit]

The old Rochester Station (overground):
the rail tracks run along a viaduct.
Road

Rochester is on the A2, which crosses the Medway at Rochester Bridge – the route roughly follows the ancient road known as Watling Street, first paved by the Romans, but used by earlier Britons for centuries before the Roman invasion. Nowadays vehicular traffic is largely diverted onto the nearby M2 motorway. Watling Street passes through the town, and slightly to the south both the M2 motorway and the High Speed 1 railway line bridge the River Medway.

Bus

Bus services are operated by Arriva Southern Counties, which took over the locally owned Maidstone & District bus company in the 1990s. Other local bus companies including Nu-Venture provide certain services, some contracted from the local council.

Rail
  • v
  • t
  • e
Medway Towns Rail
Legend
High Speed 1
to London St Pancras
Chatham Main Line
to London Victoria
North Kent Line
to London Charing Cross
Bromley South
Dartford
London Boro' of Bromley
Borough of Dartford
Ebbsfleet
International
Longfield
Borough of Dartford
Borough of Gravesham
Borough of Dartford
Borough of Gravesham
Meopham
Gravesend
Sole Street
Hoo Junction
Staff Halt
Borough of Gravesham
Borough of Medway
The
Hundred of
Hoo Railway
Medway Valley Line
to Maidstone
Higham
Halling
Borough of Gravesham
Borough of Medway
Cuxton
Higham and
Strood Tunnels
3931 yd
3595 m
High Speed 1
M2 motorway
Strood
(Old Terminus)
Strood
Rochester
Bridge
(LCDR)
River Medway
Rochester Bridge
Goods station
Rochester Common
Rochester
Chatham Central
Fort Pitt Tunnel
428 yards (391 m)
River Medway
Chatham
Chatham Tunnel
297 yards (272 m)
Gillingham Tunnel
897 yards (820 m)
Gillingham
to Chatham Dockyard
Gillingham Depot
Rainham
Chatham Main Line
to Dover and Ramsgate

Rochester railway station is on the Chatham Main Line and the North Kent Line. Strood railway station is on the North Kent Line and the Medway Valley Line; it links to the HS1 high speed line at Ebbsfleet International giving a running time of 30 minutes into St Pancras. All services are provided by Southeastern.

Air

Rochester Airport began in September 1933 when Rochester City Council purchased some land as the site for a municipal airport. One month later the aircraft manufacturers Short Brothers leased the land for test flying. By 1934–5 Short Brothers had taken over the site, and moved in some of their personnel from the existing seaplane works. The inaugural flight into Rochester was from Gravesend, John Parker flying the Short Brothers Short Scion G-ACJI.

In 1979 the lease reverted to the City Council. After giving thorough consideration to closing the airport, GEC (then comprising Marconi and instrument makers Elliot Automation) decided to take over management of the airport. It maintained two grass landing strips while releasing some land for light industrial expansion.

Further reading[edit]

  • Marsh, Ronald (1974). Rochester: the evolution of the city and its government. Rochester: Rochester City Council. ISBN 0904317005.
  • Smith, F. F. (1928). A History of Rochester. London: C. W. Daniel.

See also[edit]

  • Rainham
  • HM Prison Rochester
  • Rochester and Strood (UK Parliament constituency)
  • Earl of Rochester

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

  • Medway Council Official Site
  • Archive Images
  • Rochester Airport and British Aviation
  • Photographs of the Rochester Sweeps Festival
  • Google video of Morris Dancers at Sweeps Festival Rochester 1997
  • Rochester Literature Festival
  • www.rochestercathedral.org