© P.E. Blanche 2002
| Rochester forms part of the Medway Towns being, as it is, situated on the East bank of the River Medway. There is evidence of settlement here since the stone age. However, what we can see today are traces of the Romans and much more obvious, the Cathedral which was started in 7th Century and the Castle which has Norman origins. The Roman road that passed through Rochester from London to Canterbury was Watling Street which eventually became the old A2. With the growth of the motor vehicle in the 20th Century and the increasing amount of traffic coming from the Channel Ports the A2 could no longer take the increasing loads and a Motorway, the M2 was built from the outskirts of London to Boughton-under-Blean and this has again been extended by way of the A2(M) directly to Dover. This means that the only glimpse that many people get of Rochester is the outline of the Castle and the Cathedral spire from the M2 bridge across the Medway. Shame really, it is a lovely little City especially with its close association to Charles Dickens - the City where he wished to be buried but never was. |