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Gillingham Tourist Information


Gillingham is in Kent.35 miles southeast of London. It was first referred to in the 10th century as Gyllingeham and is occasionally recorded as JillyinghamWater, which indicates how the name should be pronounced. It was probably named after the warlord Gyllingas.

After the Norman Conquest, Bishop Odo of Bayeux built the parish church and an Archbishop's Palace near what is now Grange Road. The village grew up around the church and was surrounded by Brittain Farm.

The town is on the main A2 which runs from Dover to Brompton in London and it is also on Watling Street which linked Chatham with Dover. Nearby communities formed along the routes and eventually they all merged to become Gillingham.

Gillingham was a limb of the Cinque Ports and was of great importance as the Chatham Dockyard was within its boundaries. It was started by Elizabeth I and finally closed in 1984 causing massive local unemployment.

During the Seven Years War from 1756 the Chatham Lines of Defence were built with several batteries and redoubts. Fort Amherst and Fort Pitt were important defences at that time.

The railway arrived in 1858 to serve the dockyard labourers and a branch line ran right into the dockyard.

The oldest building in Gillingham is the Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene which dates back to the 12th century. It is known locally as “The Church on the Green”. The town also has a mosque and a Hindu Sabha Mandir.


Present Day Gillingham

Gillingham is a sizeable town of around 100,000 residents, having been given municipal borough status in 1903. It became part of the Medway unitary authority in 1998.

It has a busy retail centre which serves the whole of the Medway area. Every week it has a large street market which sprawls along the High Street on Saturdays and Mondays.

Gillingham Business Park was established on the outskirts of the town, linked by the Medway tunnel to the M2 motorway.

Gillingham has excellent sports facilities. Medway Park Leisure Centre has three swimming pools, a gym, sports halls and squash courts. The outdoor sports centre at the Strand provides for sailing and motor boats and there is an outdoor swimming pool and a narrow gauge railway. There is also a large marina.


Things to do in Gillingham

Visit the naval war memorials on the Great Lines which were added after World War I and again after World War II. They can be seen for miles.

The Royal Engineers Museum is the most important collection of records and information about military engineering history. Outside there is a collection of tank-mounted bridges. Chatham Historic Dockyard is also well worth a visit.

For a day on the water, take a trip on the Kingswear Castle Paddle Steamer.

The National Trust has several interesting properties in the area including Owletts, Stoneacre and the Old Soar Manor. On a grander scale, Ightham Mote, the stately home of Knole Park and Rainham Hall all show the prosperity and wealth of the area.

Rochester Castle is just a couple of miles from Gillingham and Tilbury Fort is about nine miles away.

 

Directions
Show map of Gillingham...


Attractions near Gillingham
Chatham Dockyard Historical Society (2 Miles)*
The Society was founded in 1980 by a group of Dockyard men dedicated to perpetuating the history and work of Chatham Dockyard.
Kent Life (6 Miles)*
There's so much new to do at Kent's premier heritage farm attraction with 28 acres of fun which includes our timed-daily activities
Cobham Hall (6 Miles)*
Cobham Hall is an outstandingly beautiful red brick mansion dating from 1584, which demonstrates an exciting combination of Elizabethan, Jacobean, Carolean and 18th Century styles.
more attractions in Gillingham and things to do in Gillingham ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

What's near Gillingham

Attractions:
  Chatham Dockyard Historical Society  1 Mile
  Cobham Hall  5 Miles
  Kent Life  6 Miles
more attractions in Gillingham...
 
Towns:
  Chatham  <1 Mile
  Brompton  1 Mile
  Hoo  1 Mile
more towns near Gillingham...
 
Estate Agents:
  Your Move  <1 Mile
  Next-Move Estate Agents  <1 Mile
  Bairstow Eves Countrywide  1 Mile
Hotels:
  King Charles Hotel  <1 Mile
  Ramada Encore Chatham  1 Mile
  Ramada Encore Chatham  1 Mile
more hotels in Gillingham area...
 
Bed and Breakfast:

Your B&B could be here. Click for details...

 
Self Catering:
  11 Admiralty Gate  1 Mile
  New Road, Garden Flat  1 Mile
  The Old Tuck Shop  2 Miles
more self catering near Gillingham...
 
Campsites:
  Pine Lodge Touring Park  9 Miles
  Gate House Wood Touring Park  10 Miles
  Sheerness Holiday Park  10 Miles
TIC: Rochester Tourist Information Centre     Tel: 01634 843666  2 Miles



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Towns near Gillingham
Chatham Tourist Information (< 1 Mile)*
Chatham is a large town to the south west of Gillingham in Kent. It is on the banks of the River Medway and is rich in naval dockyard history.
Brompton Tourist Information (1 Mile)*
Hoo Tourist Information (1 Mile)*
more towns near Gillingham...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Hotels near Gillingham
Ramada Encore Chatham (1 Mile)*
This modern hotel is 800 metres from Chatham Marina and the Historic Dockyard Chatham. It has free Wi-Fi, free parking and air-conditioned rooms with flat-screen TVs and power showers.
King Charles Hotel (1 Mile)*
The King Charles Hotel is a privately owned, modern, 98 bedroom hotel. It features a cosy, comfortable restaurant and first class conference and banqueting facilities.
Ramada Encore Chatham (1 Mile)*
Set amidst the beautiful and historic marina, the Ramada Encore Chatham is a truly unique hotel. The exciting and distinctive Ramada Encore Chatham features glass and wood throughout, creating an innovative and fresh hotel.
more Gillingham hotels (and nearby)...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Self Catering near Gillingham
QL Apartments (7 Miles)*
QL self catering/serviced apartments are close to the town centre of Maidstone. We are only a fourty five minute train journey from London Victoria station. Maidstone is located in the heart of Kent.
Little Dean Cot (13 Miles)*
LITTLE DEAN COT is a semi detached bungalow apartment situated on the North Downs in a rural location designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. The accommodation is for 2 people.
Your property could be here
Advertising your self catering property or holiday cottage on AboutBritain.com will get you noticed by thousands of potential guests every day.
more self catering near Gillingham ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

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