Rochester, Kent facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Rochester
Town
Rochester Cathedral viewed from the west at Castle Gardens
Rochester
Population	62,982 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	TQ739684
Unitary authority	Medway
Ceremonial county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ROCHESTER
Postcode district	ME1, ME2
Dialling code	01634

Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast

EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Rochester & Strood
List of places UK England Kent 51°22′30″N 0°30′00″E / 51.375°N 0.500°E / 51.375; 0.500

Rochester is a historic town in Medway, Kent, England. It sits by the River Medway, about 30 miles (48 km) from London. Rochester is part of a group of towns, including Chatham, Rainham, Strood, and Gillingham.

Rochester was once a city, but it lost this special status in 1998. This was the first time a city in the UK had lost its city status. People have been working to get it back ever since. In 2011, about 62,982 people lived here.

The famous writer Charles Dickens loved Rochester and lived nearby. Many of his stories are set in this area. Rochester is also home to Rochester Cathedral, which is very old. It is part of the Diocese of Rochester, the second oldest in England. The cathedral helped start King's School in 604 AD, making it one of the oldest schools still running in the world. Rochester Castle, built by Bishop Gundulf, has one of the best-preserved castle towers in England or France.

What's in a Name?

The Romans called Rochester Durobrivae, which might mean "stronghold by the bridge". Later, people added cæster, meaning "castle" or "fortified camp," to the name. So, it became Robrivis Cæster.

Around 730 AD, a writer named Bede called it Hrofes cæster. This name slowly changed over time to become Rochester.

A Look Back in Time

Long ago, different groups of people lived in the Rochester area, including Celts, Romans, Jutes, and Saxons. During the Celtic period, Rochester was an important center for the Cantiaci tribe.

When the Romans came to Britain, a big battle happened near the Medway River. The Romans then built the first bridge here. Later, they built stone walls around the settlement.

In 604 AD, the bishopric (area led by a bishop) and Rochester Cathedral were founded. During these early times, Rochester was attacked and surrounded by enemies several times.

In the Middle Ages, the current cathedral was built. Two castles were also built, and Rochester grew into an important town. Rochester Castle was involved in big battles in 1215 and 1264.

Two important people from Rochester, John Fisher and Bishop Nicholas Ridley, were executed for their beliefs during the time of King Henry VIII and Queen Mary.

Rochester's Military Story

Rochester has always been important for defense because it's close to where the River Thames and River Medway meet. Rochester Castle was built to protect the river crossing.

In 1667, the Dutch fleet attacked the city during a war. They broke through defenses and sailed to Rochester Bridge, capturing and burning some English ships.

The Royal Navy Dockyard in nearby Chatham became very important for the British navy. Rochester and the Medway area are surrounded by two lines of forts. The inner forts, built during the Napoleonic wars, include Fort Clarence and Fort Amherst. The outer forts, built later, include Fort Borstal.

During the First World War, a company called Short Brothers developed the first plane that could launch a torpedo. This happened at their factory on the River Medway. Between the World Wars, Short Brothers became famous for building large flying boats. In the Second World War, they also designed and built the first four-engine bomber, called the Stirling.

When the Chatham Dockyard closed in 1984, many jobs were lost. Rochester and nearby towns faced a difficult time as they changed from a shipbuilding area to a different kind of economy.

Town Traditions

Rochester was officially a city from 1211 until 1998. It had a unique system where the "Admiral of the River Medway" acted as the town's leader.

Since Norman times, Rochester also governed parts of Strood and Chatham.

There is an old group called the Guild of Free Fishers and Dredgers. They still have rights and duties on the Medway River today. New residents can become "Freemen" after an apprenticeship. Every July, there's a ceremony called the "Beating of the Bounds" where people walk the old boundaries of the city along the river.

Churches and Parishes

In medieval times, Rochester had three parishes: St Nicholas', St Margaret's, and St Clement's. St Nicholas' Church was built in 1421 next to the cathedral for the town's people. The cathedral itself was a monastery and had a higher status.

After the Protestant Reformation, the cathedral became the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later, in the 1800s, the parish of St Peter's was created as the city grew. Today, St Peter's and St Margaret's are combined into one parish. St Nicholas' Church is now used as church offices but is still a holy place.

How Rochester is Governed

In 1974, Rochester's city council was removed, and the area became part of a new local government district called the Borough of Medway. Medway Borough Council tried to keep Rochester's city status, but it was refused. Instead, the old Rochester area was allowed to keep the name "City of Rochester."

In 1979, the borough was renamed Rochester-upon-Medway. In 1982, the city status was given to the entire borough. However, in 1998, the districts of Rochester-upon-Medway and Gillingham were combined to form the new unitary authority of Medway. Because no special group was set up to protect Rochester's city status, it was lost again.

Medway Council has tried to get city status for the whole Medway area, but they haven't been successful yet.

The current Member of Parliament (MP) for the Rochester and Strood area is Lauren Edwards.

Where is Rochester?

Rochester is located in an area called the London Basin. The land rises from the river, and the North Downs are nearby.

Rochester became a settlement because it was the lowest point where people could cross the River Medway. It's also a meeting point for two important routes: the main route from London to Europe and a north-south route along the Medway.

The town is closely connected to the other Medway Towns.

Weather in Rochester

Rochester has an oceanic climate, which is typical for much of southern England. This means it has mild winters and warm summers.

On August 10, 2003, nearby Gravesend recorded one of the highest temperatures ever in the UK: 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Because Rochester is near the mouth of the Thames Estuary and the North Sea, it has a slightly less mild climate than some other parts of Kent. It tends to be less cloudy, drier, and has less wind and rain than western Britain. It can also be hotter in summer and colder in winter.

Climate data for Stanford-le-Hope (nearest climate station to Gravesend) 1981–2010
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °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)
Mean daily minimum °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 hours	60.0	77.7	113.4	161.5	194.3	198.7	208.7	195.5	151.1	117.9	74.0	48.6	1,601.4
Source: Met Office

Important Buildings

Rochester has many important historic buildings. These include the Guildhall, the Corn Exchange, Restoration House, and Eastgate House. Of course, Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral are also very famous. Many old buildings in the town center date back to the 14th to 18th centuries.

The chapel of St Bartholomew's Hospital was founded in 1078.

What Rochester is Known For

Rochester High Street

Thomas Aveling started a small business in 1850 making and fixing farm equipment. In 1861, his company, Aveling and Porter, became the biggest maker of farm machinery and steam rollers in the country.

Today, tourism is an important part of Rochester's economy.

Culture and Fun

Sweeps Festival

Since 1980, Rochester has brought back its historic Jack-in-the-Green May Day festival. This tradition involves dancing chimney sweeps. It was inspired by Charles Dickens's description of the celebration in his book Sketches by Boz.

The festival has grown into one of the largest in the world. It starts with the "Awakening of Jack-in-the-Green" ceremony and continues over the May Bank Holiday weekend in Rochester High Street.

Rochester also has other festivals. There are two Dickens Festivals each year in June and December, celebrating the famous author. The Medway Fuse Festival features performances, and there's a Rochester Literature Festival too.

Libraries and Museums

A new public library opened in Rochester in 2006.

The Huguenot Museum opened in Rochester on May 13, 2015. It tells the story of the Huguenots, who were French Protestants who came to Britain seeking safety.

Theatre

There is a small amateur theatre called Medway Little Theatre. It's on St Margaret's Banks, part of Rochester High Street. The theatre opened in 1958 and has put on many plays, from Shakespeare to modern works. It also has groups for young people who want to learn about theatre.

Local Media

Local newspapers include the Medway Messenger. You can also listen to local radio stations like KMFM Medway and Radio Sunlight. Rochester also gets TV signals from ITV Meridian and BBC South East.

Sports

Football is popular, with many teams playing in local leagues. The main local club is Rochester United F.C. Rugby is also played by teams like Medway RFC.

Cricket is played in the town, and Holcombe Hockey Club has teams in national hockey leagues.

Sailing and rowing are also popular activities on the River Medway.

Rochester in Films

The 1959 James Bond novel Goldfinger mentions Bond driving through Rochester.

The 1965 TV film The War Game shows Rochester being destroyed by a nuclear missile.

A scene from the 2001 film Last Orders, starring Bob Hoskins, was filmed in Rochester High Street.

The 2011 adventure film Ironclad is based on the 1215 siege of Rochester Castle.

Famous People from Rochester

Charles Dickens loved Rochester and lived nearby. He based many of his novels on the area, including Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Parts of two houses in Rochester, Satis House and Restoration House, inspired Miss Havisham's house in Great Expectations.

John Stevens Henslow (1796–1861), a priest, botanist, and geologist, was born in Rochester.

The actress Dame Sybil Thorndike grew up in Rochester. She was educated at Rochester Grammar School for Girls.

The model and actress Kelly Brook went to school in Rochester.

Learning in Rochester

Medway council has a selective education system, like other parts of Kent. This means students take a test to get into grammar schools.

In 1701, Sir Joseph Williamson left money to start the Mathematical School. This was a boys' grammar school focused on teaching navigation and mathematics.

The University for the Creative Arts is located on the border of Rochester and Chatham.

Getting Around Rochester

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. This route roughly follows an ancient Roman road called Watling Street. Most cars now use the nearby M2 motorway.

Bus

Bus services are run by Arriva Southern Counties and other local companies.

Rail

Rochester railway station is on the Chatham Main Line and the North Kent Line. You can get high-speed trains to St Pancras in London in under 40 minutes. All train services are provided by Southeastern.