Rochester is a town in South East, England along the banks of the Medway. Its strategic crossing of the river made the area important even in Roman times. During the invasion of the Isles, Romans founded Durobrivae which had both a stone bridge and city walls. The Roman city walls. When the castle was added it became Robrivis Caester, eventually Rochester. The Frankish princess Bertha, wife of King Æthelberht of Kent, introduced Christinity in the sixth century. They hosted Augustine in 597 who founded a priory in Canterbury. Shortly after, Augustine converted Æthelberht contributed to the establishment of churches in Kent, including Rochester in 604.
This helped underscore the importance of Rochester and ensure its success throughout the medieval period. The opening of the Royal Dockyards in nearby Chatham in the mid-1500s gave the area another economic boost that lasted through both world wars. The town lost its city status in 1998 when the Medway was created and now forms an urban area with neighboring Strood, Chatham, Gillingham, and Rainham.
Even if it is only a town these days, Rochester has plenty to offer for a weekend getaway. There are several blockbuster attractions as well as a quaint high street with cozy shops and restaurants in a mix of Tudor and Georgian buildings. An Elizabeth Poor House is at 97 High Street (museum currently closed for works). Next door is the Huguenot Museum (opening days vary). The former Guildhall at the end of the High Street now houses a museum covering the Medway.
For lovers of English literature, Rochester's draw may be as home to Charles Dickens. He grew up in Chatham and later bought Gad's Hill in Higham on the road between Strood and Gravesend. It is possible to tour his home, but bookings are essential. He had a swiss chalet on nearby Gad's Hill which has been moved to the gardens of Eastgate House on High Street. For Dickens' enthusiastics, the town hosts two fesitvals, one in the summer and the other in December during which the Christmas Carol is performed.
Direct trains run to the area, calling on Strood, Rochester, Chatham, and Gillingham from London Blackfriars and (1h 10m to 1h 30m). Ample bus service connects sites and there are several baggage storage spots available. Traffic can be quite thick, especially over the bridge that connects Strood and Rochester so plan extra transit time by car.
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Rochester Cathedral
Under Augustine and with the approval of Æthelberht, a church dedicated to Andrew the Apostel was founded in Rochester in 604 on the site of the current cathedral. The original cathedral was replaced in the 11th century by what we see today, but the outline is marked on the cathedral's floor and outside in the square by setts in the pavement.
As a bishopric, Rochester was duty-bound to provide a school. Bede mentioned the quality of the choristers in the eighth century. This school is still running today as The King's School, Rochester and has claims to being the second oldest continuously operating school in the world (only Canterbury is older by a mere seven years). It is the oldest choral school in the world.
The original cathedral was sacked by Æthelred of Mercia in 676. The damage was extensive and the see sat empty for a time due to its impoverished state. It wasn't until the eighth century that local rulers gave land to help sustain the church. Three centuries later, Rochester had recovered somewhat, but William I gave the see to his half-brother, Odo of Bayeux, after the invasion. He drained every penny from the see and the relative poverty of Rochester continued to be a problem for the bishops throughout the medieval period.
His successor, Gundulf of Rochester, proved to be much wiser with his funds as well as being a brilliant architect. William the Conquerer employed him to built the White Tower at the Tower of London in 1078. Thanks to some recovered lands, Gundulf was able to rebuild the decaying and damaged cathedral in 1080. His designs remain apparent in the southern end of the nave. Due to his ability and work under the kings William, William Rufus, and Henry I, Gundulf is considered the father of the Corps of Royal Engineers.
The architecture of the cathedral is cohesive due to its rather rapid completion (roughly 50 years). Twelfth century fires damaged the cathedral, but it was repaired in rather short order. Unusually, many of the bishops came from within the priory and were not appointed from elsewhere. While good for continuity, it also left Rochester regularly short of funds that were available to bishops with multiple appointments. This also meant that the rebuilding of the nave (prevalent in many cathedrals) was not financially feasible. Transepts were added in the Decorated style and the tower was added by Hamo de Hythe in 1343. The Lady chapel was expanded to the west in the 1490s essentially finishing the church aside from maintenance.
Lucky for us, the cash crunch left us with excellent examples of early English architecture. The Tympanum above the west door is impressive. Christ is seated in majesty in the century surrounded by the four evangelists and supported by St. Justus and St. Ethelbert. The chapter room doorway was completed around 1340 and is considered one of the finest unaltered examples of the Decorated Style. The Sextry Gate in the north transept also dates from this time. Victorians renovations uncovered original medieval wall paintings within the Quire. The designs were copied and can be seen today.
The most famous product of Rochester was Bishop Fisher. John Fisher was born in Beverly and attended Cambridge. Obtaining multiple degrees, Fisher eventually rose into leadership as a well-respected academic. He was also heavily influenced by the congregationally minded William Melton, chancellor of Yorkminster. He was appointed to Rochester in 1504. Despite other opportunities, Fisher chose to remain with Rochester. The same year, he became chancellor of Cambridge. Fisher's reforms, funded by Lady Margaret Beaufort, the King's mother, enabled him to improve the academic rigor of Cambridge and attract many great minds including humanists including Thomas More.
Bishop Fisher served as tutor to Henry VIII as a boy, but the two soon clashed. His opposition to Lutheranism and his support of Catherine of Aragon pitted the two men against one another. When Henry broke with Rome, Fisher refused to recognize the king as the head of the church. He was sentenced to a traitor's death on June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist who, likewise, was beheaded by Herod for challenging the validity of his marriage. Henry opted to move the execution up to the 22nd on Tower Hill where he was also buried.
Five years later, Henry VIII visited Rochester to meet his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Although the supression of the monasteries was well underway, Rochester wasn't dissolved until 1541, one of the last. Never wealthy, now Rochester was unsustainable. Despite hosting Elizabeth I and James I, the church fell into disrepair. Modest works in the 17th, 18th, and 19th century kept the church upright and shortly after WWI, the freemasons paid to restore the tower.
Today, visitors can admire the architecture and, during term time, enjoy the 1400 year tradition of chorister performances. Rochester is also home to the Textus Roffensis (Tomb of Rochester). This impressive medieval book dates to the early twelfth century and was written by a single scribe. The first part records secular details regarding Anglo-Saxon laws beginning with Æthelberht of Kent. The second part holds Rochester's cartulary. Visitors can get a glimpse of the important work in the crypt. The cathedral also digitised the manuscript which can be viewed online in partnership with the University of Manchester.
For visiting hours, closures, and service times, check the cathedral website. Generally, Monday to Saturday, 10a to 4p and Sundays 1p to 3p. Both the exhibition and cafe in the crypt are closed Sundays. The north door has wheelchair access and there are accessible toliets (crypt accessible entrance through the garden). The cathedral is free to visit, but a donation of £5 is encouraged. Joining a service is well worth the experience. Evensong is sung at 5:30p on weekdays and 3:15p on weekends (about 40 minutes). Sunday eucharist is at 10:30a.
Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle is a great Norman keep that protected the Medway river from invasion and the bridge that ran across it. Like the cathedral, the castle defences were designed by Gundulf in the 1090s at the request of William Rufus. In 1127, King Henry awarded the castle to the Archbishop of Canterbury, William de Corbeil, who promptly developed the keep.
The square keep is formidable with four towers and walls 12 feet thick in some places. The keeps rises to an impressive 125 feet (38m), the tallest Norman keep in England. A center wall runs though the castle, dividing the building into two sides. The rounded Norman arches are decorated with chevron patterns. A center shot well goes all the way up the castle to ensure every floor had access to water.
Rochester survived an intense siege in autumn 1215. King John was at war with his barons. The unruly nobles managed to seize Rochester to impede John from bringing over a mercenary army from France. The king needed the castle under his control and set up siege weapons on Bolly Hill to the north of the castle. For two months, the castle held out. John managed to slight one of the four towers by burning the masonry supports. The defenders barricaded themselves into the unharmed part of the castle, but surrendered after five days due to starvation.
John died the following year and his son, Henry III repaired the castle in the 1220s. The slighted tower was rebuilt in the more modern rounded shapes that better withstood siege weapons and a round tower was added to the southeast corner of the bailey. The court regularly visited during the thirteenth century until the Barons War. Simon de Montfort's army took the bailey in 1264, but never managed to secure the keep. The second siege destroyed most of the buildings in the bailey and the King's Hall.
In 1314, the wife of Robert de Bruce, Elizabeth de Burgh was briefly a prisoner here. In the 1370s, Edward III and then Richard II ordered repairs to shore up what remained. Several towers were repaired or built at this time. In the 1400s, the bailey was leased to tenants and in the 1550s, Elizabeth I licensed the use of the curtain wall in the construction of Upnor Castle shortly downstream from Rochester.
Because the castle served no significant purpose in during the Civil War, it was not slighted. A fire does appear to have occured sometime before 1660 and destroyed the interior of the keep leaving a romantic shell. In 1870, the Rochester Corporation purchased the property and opened up the grounds to the public. The Castle Gardens are open daily during daylight hours and cover the bailey. Entrance is through the medieval gatehouse on the northeast corner by the river.
In 1984, English Heritage took over the management of the castle. At one point, redeveloping the floors and roof was considered, but utlimately set aside. Throughout the castle, timber holes remain at each floor, giving visitors a clear idea of where each floor was. The audioguide is helpful in visualizing how each space is used and there is good signage throughout the castle.
You enter on the first floor, the same way you have done in medieval times, to purchase tickets and pick up your audioguide. From here, you will tour through the castle, floor by floor, including access to the galleries. There are handrails, but the floor can be uneven and the wind quite strong. The views from top are well worth the climb. The castle is open Tuesday through Sunday 10a to 6p, til 4p from October through March. In early July each year, the castle is closed for concerts.
Upnor Castle & Chatham Royal Docks
Upnor Castle was built downstream from Rochester in the mid-sixteenth century to protect the Medway from invasion. Under the Tudors, the Chatham and Gillingham Reaches had become the principal anchoring for the English navy. Elizabeth I was justifiably concerned about a Spanish invasion. Rochester was upstream from the dockyards rendering it useless for protection even if was retrofitted. Upnor was selected for its strategic position on the river bend. It was designed to house 80 men who could operate 20 cannons on the gun platform that jutted out into the Medway.
Upnor served as prison for royalist officers during the Commonwealth in 1642. It was recovered by Royalists in 1648 for roughly a month before they were defeated at Maidstone in June. The castle had been neglected in the seventeenth century after tensions with Spain eased. When the Dutch made a surprise invasion in 1667, Upnor was unprepared and undermanned. The Dutch were able to sail up the Medway, burning ships and capturing the HMS Royal Charles and HMS Unity. A hastily organized battery managed to repel the Dutch the second day.
The raid ultimately ended Upnor's use as a fortress. New fortifications were developed further downstream and on the Isle of Grain. Upnor instead became a gun powder and munitions cache. It quickly became the largest magazine in England by the turn of the eighteenth century. This continued to be Upnor's primary use through World War II when it was turned into a departmental museum. English heritage took over its care in 1960.
Today you can visit the barracks, wander through the two story castle and various towers, and enjoy views from the gun platform. Upnor is a moderately interesting site today and a good use of heritage passes and reciprocity. Programs help bring a somewhat dull space to life. Signage is food and there are a few kids activities. You cannot purchase an English Heritage membership or Overseas Pass here.
Upnor has not been renovated for access and is not mobility friendly. Upnor is closed Mondays and Tuesdays and from November through March. During the spring and summer, the castle is open from 10a to 6p. In October, the castle closes at 4p. Picnics are welcome and there are tables available or stop in the Tudor Rose, a tasty pub and bed and breakfast.
Across the river and slightly upstream are the Chatham Dockyards. The Royal Navy long maintained its own dockyards and the Chatham Royal Docks are no exception. Establish in 1567 along with Upnor Castle, it lasted until 1984. Today you can tour the dockyards and check out three warships: HMS Gannet, HMS Cavalier, and HM Submarine Ocelot. Open daily from 10am – 5pm. Discounted tickets available online and includes admission for the year. Carer tickets are also available as well as other discounts including service members, English Heritage members, and National Art Pass.
For even more military history, the Royal Engineers Museum is a few blocks from the docks. There are family friendly activities including a children's trail, dress up opportunities, and a tank themed playground.
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