Western Europe

Fabled city mansion, stayed in by Charles II on eve of his restoration and the Satis House of Great Expectations. Superbly poetic interiors with a wonderful collection of English furniture and paintings, including several Gainsboroughs and Reynolds and rare Constable portraits. A good collection of English pottery and treen. The deliciously maintained twin-walled gardens of an acre now complemented by the ongoing restoration of monumental renaissance garden. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/restoration-house-2421/

You will find something for all the family in Kent's only Designated museum. Exhibits of national and international importance are housed in the Museum's galleries, which tell the story of how the Royal Engineers have helped the British Army live, move and fight since the time of William the Conqueror. See the diverse collection with highlights including Wellington's map from Waterloo, Zulu War weapons, a Harrier Jump Jet, 25 Victoria Crosses and an enormous V2 Rocket. Discover why a large section of the Berlin Wall now lives in the Museum and how one soldier gained the respect of the Chinese emperor. There really is something for everyone at this unique museum. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/royal-engineers-museum-library-archive-2454/

Situated on the banks of the River Medway, this attractive turreted castle is set in a picturesque village area backed by rolling, wooded hills. Upnor Castle was originally built on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I in 1559 as a gun fort to defend her warships at anchor in the reaches of the Medway and Chatham Dockyard. Although the castle was an important link in the defence line, it was not well maintained and proved ineffective when the Dutch, under the command of Admiral de Ruyter, sailed up the Medway in June 1667 to attack the dockyard. The enemy fleet met very little resistance and when it left two days later, it had destroyed or captured a large number of the Royal Navy ships anchored at Chatham. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/upnor-castle-2819/

Once the family home of Sir Peter Buck, a senior officer at the Royal Tudor Dockyard, the house has also been a Victorian boarding school, a hostel, a museum and an inspiration to the great author Charles Dickens. As part of a £2.2million Heritage Lottery Funded project, Eastgate House has undergone major refurbishment works and is now open to the public. Many of the building's original features and decorative schemes have been carefully restored, and new heating and lighting have been installed. Access has been greatly improved with a new lift at the back of the building, and the second floor of the house is open to visitors for the first time in more than 40 years. Visitors to the house can explore the amazing rooms of the house while learning the remarkable story of those who lived, worked and played here throughout the centuries. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/eastgate-house-1805/

Britain’s very first museum of Huguenot history has opened its doors to the public. Following a £1.5 million development project, Rochester’s museum tells the dramatic story of the Huguenots, their persecution in France, escape to Britain and the trades, crafts and skills they brought with them that has since contributed to the formation of modern Britain. Alongside beautiful new galleries displaying objects never seen by the public before, the museum also has a vibrant and engaging learning space. Here visitors will be able to further their learning either through a craft workshop, talk, lecture, film screening or cross-curricular schools session. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/huguenot-museum-2165/

A Tudor charity house founded by the Elizabethan MP Richard Watts to provide board and lodgings for six poor travellers and continued to do so right up to the Second World War. The house and charity are immortalised in Dickens' Christmas short story entitled The Seven Poor Travellers. A courtyard and herb garden attracts many visitors in the summer. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/six-poor-travellers-house-2507/

A rare surviving 13th-century house belonging to the Knights Templar - an order of soldiers established in the crusading period to protect the holy lands and the pilgrims who travelled to them. Its original purpose was to provide lodgings and fresh horses for members of this order on their way to and from the crusades. The stone building that exists today once formed part of a larger range of buildings which included a hall, kitchens, barns and stables. Remains of 13th-century wall plaster can still be seen. https://www.visitmedway.org/attractions/temple-manor-2589/

The great keep of Rochester Castle towers over the River Medway, dominating the skyline together with its striking twin, the magnificent cathedral. https://www.visitmedway.org/rochester-castle/

Experience a spiritual moment in Rochester Cathedral and visit a church that has been celebrating Christian worship since 604AD. The history and heritage of Rochester Cathedral is boasted in its stunning architecture. Its walls hum with the prayer of thousands of years. https://www.visitmedway.org/rochester-cathedral/

The Rochester Guildhall was built in 1687 and is one of the finest 17th-century civic buildings in Kent. Its staircase and main hall have magnificent plaster ceilings, given in 1695 by Admiral Sir Cloudsley Shovell, who was the Member of Parliament for the city of Rochester at the time. https://www.visitmedway.org/rochester-guildhall-museum/