Rochester, Kent

Rochester is a historic small city in Kent, located on the River Medway approximately 30 miles (50 km) from London. It is home to a number of important historic buildings, the most prominent of which are Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral. Many of the buildings in the city centre date from the 18th century.

The city was for many years the home of Charles Dickens, a fact that is celebrated in the annual Dickens Festival. The 16th century Eastgate House has housed the Charles Dickens museum since the 1980s. The city also hosts the annual Sweeps' Festival, a parade of morris dance troupes.

During World War II the Short's Aircraft Company manufactured flying boats at its factory on the Medway not far from Rochester Castle.

Rochester and its neighbours Chatham and Gillingham[?] form a single large urban area known as the Medway Towns with a population of about 250,000.