Chatham is a historic maritime town in the English county of Kent, on the River Medway. Steeped in naval heritage, it offers a mix of cultural, outdoor, and family-friendly activities. Known for its dockyards, forts, and vibrant high street, it’s perfect for history buffs, families, or those seeking a budget-friendly day trip.
Together with its neighbouring towns of Rochester and Gillingham it forms a large urban area known as the Medway Towns.
Get in
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By car
[edit]- From London, take the A2 arterial road (32 mi, 51 km).
- From Canterbury, take the A2 and the M2 to Junction 3 for the Rochester exit (32 mi, 51 km, about 40 min).
By train
[edit]- 1 Chatham (CTM) Station, Railway Street, ME4 6PN (south of the Town Centre shopping area). Trains are operated by SouthEastern. Car park £6 per day.
- Fast trains operate from London Victoria (typical journey time 45 - 60 minutes) and slower stopping trains from London Charing Cross, London Waterloo and London Bridge via Dartford (typical journey time 60 - 65 minutes). Trains from Ramsgate & Dover Priory also serve Chatham.
- High Speed 1 trains from London St Pancras and Faversham serve Chatham. For local journeys these trains are more expensive than the other routes.
Get around
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Map of Chatham (England)
By bus
[edit]Local buses are operated by Arriva Kent and Surrey, Nu-Venture and ASD Coaches
Buy your ticket from the driver when you board the bus (any operator), For Arriva services buy tickets on the Arriva App or pay contactless.
The Traveline and Medway Council websites provide journey planners and route maps.
See
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- 1 The Historic Dockyard, Western Avenue, ME4 4TY (the entrance at Main Gate – off Dock Road, is for tenants and residents only), ☏ +44 1634 823800, [email protected]. Hours and days vary - See website. The most traditional and historic Royal Naval dockyard, established by the 1560s under Elizabeth I, ceased operations in 1984 and is now run as a museum. There are several naval ships and a submarine open to visit, and a working rope factory. All tickets are valid for 12 months - adults: £24; senior citizens, HM Forces and veterans (with ID) and students: £21.50; children (aged 5 – 15 years): £14; family (2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children): £63.
- 2 Fort Amherst, Dock Road, ME4 4UB, ☏ +44 1634 847747. Open daily in summer.
- 3 Nucleus Arts Centre, 272 High St, ME4 4BP, ☏ +44 1634 812108. M-Sa 10AM-4PM. Arts centre with studio space for artists, exhibition gallery and cafe. Occasional film screenings in a popup cinema.
Do
[edit]- 1 Brook Theatre, 5 The Brook, ME4 4SE. Small theatre in former town hall.
- 2 Central Theatre, 170 High Street, ME4 4AS. 965-seat theatre.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Pentagon Shopping Centre (The Pentagon), Pentagon Shopping Centre, ME4 4HY, ☏ +44 1634 405388, [email protected]. M-F 8AM-7PM, Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 10AM-2PM. 20p - toilets.
- 2 Dockside Outlet Centre (Dockside), Maritime Way, Chatham Maritime, ME4 3ED, ☏ +44 1634 899389, [email protected]. M-F 10AM-7PM, Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 11AM-5PM.
Eat
[edit]- 1 The Thomas Waghorn, 14 Railway Street, ME4 4JL, ☏ +44 1634 405422. Daily 8AM-midnight (food until 11AM). Wetherspoon's pub with meals.
- Pumproom restaurant is within the distillery, see below.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Copper Rivet Distillery, Pump House no. 5, Chatham Dockyard, Leviathan Way, ME4 4LP (near the outlet centre), ☏ +44 1634 931122. W 2PM, Th F 6PM; Sa 2PM, 4PM and 6PM. Gin distillery. The gin is flavoured with juniper, elderflower, coriander, orange, lemon, cardamom, grains of paradise from Africa, angelica root and orris root. tour £12.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Medway Youth Hostel, Capstone Road, Gillingham, ME7 3JE, ☏ +44 870 770 5964. 40-bed summer hostel about 4 miles from Chatham, housed in a districtive converted Oast House in a semi-rural setting.
- 2 St George Hotel, 7-8 New Road, Avenue, ME4 6BB, ☏ +44 1634 841012. About 5 minutes walk from Chatham station. Single rooms £52 - doubles £78.
- 3 Holiday Inn Rochester - Chatham, Maidstone Road, ME5 9SF, ☏ +44 333 320 9347. Modern hotel about 4 miles from Chatham town centre.
- 4 Travelodge Chatham Maritime, Western Avenue, Chatham Historic Dockyard, ME4 4NT, ☏ +44 8715 591878. Near the entrance to the Dockyard and Dicken's World, and 1-2 miles from the town centre. Rooms about £60 without breakfast.
- 5 Bridgewood Manor Hotel, ME5 9AX, ☏ +44 1634 201333.
Go next
[edit]| Routes through Chatham |
| London ← Strood ← | NW  SE
|
→ Sittingbourne → Dover |