Top places to visit close to the Medway Campus

1. St Mary’s Island – just a 10-minute walk from campus. St Mary’s Island is a small island with a beautiful river walk that boasts fantastic views of the River Medway and Upnor Castle. As it’s so close, it’s arguably the best place near campus to grab some fresh air and take a mindful walk between lectures. If you have a longer break, you can do the whole route, which takes about an hour and will take you round the river, through green spaces, and past plaques on local history and a statue dedicated the region’s maritime heritage.
2. Historic Dockyard Chatham – also just a 10-minute walk from Campus. Chatham is famous for its naval history – the Medway Campus itself was a former naval barracks where noteworthy ships were built such as the HMS Pembroke. The Historic Dockyard was a working dockyard until 1984 and is now an exciting museum dedicated to naval history – available to explore there are the HMS Gannet, the HMS Cavalier, and the submarine HMS Ocelot. There are also large community events held at the site annually such as Armed Forces Day. And if you’re a School of Engineering student, you’ll visit the Historic Dockyard with your peers and lecturers as part of your induction – a field trip not to be missed.
3. Dockside Shopping Centre and surrounding area – just a 5 minute walk from campus. Need to grab lunch or stock up on food or essentials? Or just need somewhere to meet with friends or unwind after lectures? The Dockside Shopping Centre has a wide range of shops, restaurants and bars, as well as two gyms, a cinema and the Ship and Trades Pub. Student discounts are available for some shops and services – PureGym are currently offering 30% off memberships and the Odeon has a deal for a discount on myLIMITLESS passes, for example.

4. The Strand Lido and Leisure Park – a 5-minute drive from campus, 35-minute walk or accessible via the number 1 bus, which can be grabbed from the stop at Dockside Shopping Centre. The Strand is a scenic location to meet with friends. Enjoy a picnic or riverside walk or take advantage of facilities including a café, parkour space and bookable tennis courts. The large outdoor lido – which has been a feature at the site since 1896! – is open throughout the summer. The park is free to attend but please note the car park is pay and display if you are driving. Sessions for the lido have a cost and must be pre-booked.
5. Rochester High Street (including Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral) – 10-minute drive (car parks are pay to park), 45-minute walk or accessible in about half an hour via public transport (changing at Chatham Bus Station). Rochester, also known as Historic Rochester, was made famous by Charles Dickens and is a quirky town with bars, pubs, cafes, boutiques and a nightclub. Hugely popular events and festivals including the Rochester Castle Concerts, Dickens Festival and Sweeps Festival all take place here. Plan a night out or get your friends together for a daytime adventure – there’s plenty to do here, from exploring the town and the striking architecture of its buildings (which include examples of medieval, Elizabethan and Victorian styles), visiting the Guildhall Museum, Rochester Castle or Rochester Cathedral, or just sitting in a café and soaking in the town’s atmosphere. Rochester Castle has a cost to enter but the grounds are free to visit and are a great place to hang out with friends. Rochester Cathedral is also free to visit and has a unique café in the crypt – and if you’re a Medway student, the Cathedral is also where your graduation will take place!

6. Bluewater Shopping Centre – 20-minute drive or accessible via public transport in around an hour (change at Chatham Bus Station for the number 700). An enormous complex with cinema, shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, and activities including Europe’s longest zipline. You can also enjoy the beautiful surrounding scenery and lakes at the Nature Trail.
7. Ninja Warrior, Chatham Dockside – just a 5-minute walk from campus. Located by the Dockside Shopping Centre, Ninja Warrior has no maximum age limit, meaning anyone can go along for an obstacle course inspired by the TV show Ninja Warrior. The centre also offers adult only sessions.
8. Playopolis Board Game Café, Rochester (see Rochester travel details above). A venue open until late. Pay a cover charge and enjoy a session playing board games with your friends. There are plenty of food and drink options available to purchase and the café has a wide variety of games you can play, or you can bring your own. The café also runs regular social nights, where you can meet new people.
9. Solar E Karting, Gillingham – 12-minute drive or accessible in around 45 minutes by public transport (check your route). Experience an adrenaline rush with this indoor go-karting circuit. If it’s your first time racing or you don’t feel confident, you can opt for a family novice racing session.
10. Maidstone Town Centre – 25-minute drive or take a short walk to the bus stop on Dock Road and grab the 101 bus, which runs every fifteen minutes right up until around midnight. Maidstone is the largest town in Kent and has an abundance of shops, particularly on Fremlin Walk and in The Mall, and also has restaurants, pubs and bars, nightclubs, a cinema and a museum.

Honourable mentions

• Hysteria Escape Room in Chatham – thirty-minute walk or accessible via public transport. Challenge yourself with an escape room.
• Riverside Country Park – best accessed by car (8-minute drive). Another local park where you will be able to enjoy riverside views.
• Fenn Bell Conservation Project, All Hallows – 12-minute drive or accessible via public transport (check your route before you travel). A pub with a zoo in its grounds where you’ll be able to see a wide variety of animals including otters, meerkats and flamingos!

And don’t forget

London is only a train journey away, and you can also spend the day in Greenwich via our direct inter-campus bus service.