103-686: The Great Lines Heritage Park is a complex network of open spaces in the Medway Towns , connecting Chatham , Gillingham , Brompton and the Historic Dockyard . The long military history of the towns has dominated the history of the site and the park. The Great Lines Heritage Park, consists of Fort Amherst , Chatham Lines , the Field of Fire (later known as the Great Lines), Inner Lines , Medway Park (sports centre) together with
206-552: A Scheduled Ancient Monument (Kent no.ME201). This is an open stretch of land immediately in front of the Chatham Lines fortifications (of Fort Amherst), if the outer fortification was breached then the enemy would have to cross the field of fire, its openness (meaning no shelter) would allow for a clear view, and shot, of the approaching enemy. In 1709, by an Act of Parliament , the Government compulsorily purchased
309-513: A Templar farm ) has plans for 600 homes to be built along with 161,458 square feet (15,000 square metres) of commercial space and a new two-hectare (4.9-acre) site for Morgan's Timber. Throughout the 19th century there had been proposals to join the Medway towns under a single authority. By 1903 moves began to take place: that year saw the creation of the Borough of Gillingham, to which, in 1928,
412-509: A 'Big Tea Party' and evening fireworks display (organised by the military). Also the 'Garrison Sports Ground' was built in the 1920s on the Great Lines, beside Brompton Road. Which was also the site of a large underground bomb shelter. The Lines were also used for Home Guard training. In 1941, the fighting garrison in Medway totalled 5,270, combining Royal Navy, Royal Marines, army and Home Guard units. The Chatham Lines were also used as
515-698: A 74-acre (30-hectare) area of brownfield land between the river and the railway line is being developed with high-density housing. Up to 50 homes per hectare will be built. The site will also include a primary school, two hotels, business centre, health centre, cafes, restaurants, bars and various commercial units. Numerous developments are proposed for the Chatham area including widening and straightening Union Street, development and improvements to The Brook and new developments at Gun Wharf and Chatham Waterfront. One such development at Chatham Waterfront (the area between Rochester railway station and Chatham Dockyard )
618-575: A Fire Service action station point. In 1948, a NAAFI (Naval, Army and Air Force) club was built, beside Brompton Road on the Field of Fire, opposite the Garrison Sports Ground. Since the Field of Fire was no longer needed due to current wartime tactics. The club opened on 16 July 1948 by the Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, Admiral Sir Harold Burrough . It cost about £150,000 to build. It had 200 single, and 48 double rooms,
721-453: A Local Wildlife Site (LWS). Notable species include the rare red star thistle ( Centaurea calcitrapa ), as well as wild clary ( Salvia verbenaca ) and squinancywort ( Asperula cynanchica ). Notable wildlife in the park, include the skylarks ( Alauda ), and kestrels , as well as many other birds, butterflies and insects. Currently, the park is mainly used for informal leisure pursuits, such as kite-flying, cycling and walking, as well as
824-622: A boy between 1817 and 1821. The popularity of The Pickwick Papers spawned many imitations and sequels in print as well as actual clubs and societies inspired by the club in the novel. One example still in operation is the Pickwick Bicycle Club of London, established in 1870, the year of Charles Dickens's death. Another, the Dickens Pickwick Club, was founded in 1976 by Cedric Dickens , the author's great-grandson. Other clubs, groups, and societies operating under
927-464: A dramatization by Barry Campbell and Constance Cox with Freddie Jones as Mr. Pickwick. In 1997, BBC Radio 4 released a dramatization by Martyn Read with Clive Francis as Mr. Pickwick. There was an early attempt at a theatrical adaptation with songs by W. T. Moncrieff and entitled Samuel Weller, or, The Pickwickians , in 1837. This was followed in 1871 by John Hollingshead 's stage play Bardell versus Pickwick . The first successful musical
1030-497: A landscaped play area were completed in the 1990s, but there are plans to extend this development further along the river beyond Strood railway station with another 500 to 600 homes to be built, the waterfront developed with new recreational and leisure facilities, and access to the station, town centre and Medway City estate to be improved. This 173-acre (70-hectare) area between the river and Morgan's Timber yard in Strood (formerly
1133-471: A linear defence with projecting bastions allowing covering fire to be directed into the ditches (on the landward side of the fort) flanking them. In England, they were relatively rare, and were principally adopted for dockyard and coastal defences. They stretch from Fort Amherst (overlooking Chatham Dockyard and River Medway), northwards across Brompton towards St Mary's creek near Gillingham. Then during World War II , they were then massively re-fortified, with
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#17327808589791236-620: A long and varied history dominated originally by the city of Rochester and later by the naval and military establishments principally in Chatham and Gillingham . Rochester was established on an Iron Age site by the Romans , who called it Durobrivae (meaning "stronghold by the bridge"), to control the point where Watling Street (now the A2) crossed the River Medway . Rochester later became
1339-462: A nursery and playroom, games room, restaurant, tavern bar, 3 flats and a large ballroom. On the opening night of the ballroom was Jack Train , Billy Ternent and his orchestra . One of the first visitors was King George VI . Due to the closure of many Royal Naval services in the Dockyard and Medway, the club became unprofitable, and on 28 July 1962 the club closed. After five years of being empty, it
1442-476: A recreation ground for the use of the officers connected with the (Chatham Dockyard) garrison. An avenue of trees was part of this new Victorian park, which also included carriage drives and tennis courts. In 1876, a plan shows that the Brompton Barrier is still in place, but the guard house is disused. In 1879, an Ordnance Survey map is made of the area, it shows that the barrier has been removed and
1545-483: A result their city status was rescinded. Medway Council apparently only became aware of this when they discovered that Rochester was not on the Lord Chancellor's Office 's list of cities. Medway applied for city status in the 2000 and 2002 competitions, but was unsuccessful. In 2010, it started to refer to the "City of Medway" in promotional material, but it was rebuked and instructed not to do so in future by
1648-507: A series of forts including Fort Amherst and the Lines, Fort Pitt and Fort Borstal . The majority of surviving buildings in the Historic Dockyard are Georgian. It was here that HMS Victory , Admiral Lord Nelson 's flagship at Trafalgar , was built and launched in 1765. Sir Francis Drake learned his seamanship on the Medway; Sir John Hawkins founded a hospital in Chatham for seamen, and Nelson began his Navy service at Chatham at
1751-554: A small section was built to access the Hempstead development and its shopping centre. However, the key middle stretch was left unbuilt, a link road to central Chatham via Luton, the B2156 North Dane Way was also left incomplete with no road to link to. The removal of Medway from Kent (which the incomplete section would lay in) and the recent widening of M2 leaves the proposed project with little chance of completion in
1854-551: A walled town and, under later Saxon influence, a mint was established here. The first cathedral was built by Bishop Justus in 604 and rebuilt under the Normans by Bishop Gundulf , who also built the castle that stands opposite the cathedral. Rochester was also an important point for people travelling the Pilgrims' Way , which stretches from Winchester to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury . The Pilgrims' Way crossed
1957-478: A whole are expected to rise dramatically in residents as increased development and housing prices are considerably less than most of Kent and London, which is 30 miles away. In 2004, Medway Council announced its development strategy for the Medway Waterfront area. The report set out a 20-year framework plan for the redevelopment of up to seven miles (11 km) of waterfront and surrounding areas along
2060-583: Is HMS Unicorn (a 46-gun "Leda" class frigate) laid down in February 1822, and launched 30 March 1824. She never saw active service and has been restored and is (as of 2005) preserved afloat in Dundee , Scotland. On 25 November 1914 the battleship HMS Bulwark was moored at buoy number 17 at Kethole Reach on the River Medway. She was taking on coal from the airship base at Kingsnorth , on
2163-551: Is The Quays, a mixed-use development comprising two 20-storey residential towers, designed by WilkinsonEyre architects. A major development in Strood between Medway Valley Park and junction 2 of the M2 motorway , much of the Medway Gate development is inside a large abandoned chalk pit. The area has seen the building of over 400 homes since work began in 2006, including 125 affordable homes . Redevelopment including new homes and
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#17327808589792266-405: Is a sequence of loosely related adventures written for serialization in a periodical. The action is given as occurring 1827–28, though critics have noted some seeming anachronisms. For example, Dickens satirized the case of George Norton suing Lord Melbourne in 1836. The novel's protagonist Samuel Pickwick , Esquire is a kind and wealthy old gentleman, the founder and perpetual president of
2369-627: Is a single carriageway A road. The A228 runs along the west bank of the Medway, through Strood. Intersecting the M2 at its second junction, crossing the A2 through the centre of Strood and meeting (and encompassing for a short stretch) the Northern Relief Road (A289). The road then carries on to the Isle of Grain . Throughout its passage through Strood it is single carriageway, but the stretches to
2472-458: Is bypassed to the north by the dualled Corporation Street. The A2 then crosses the high street, climbs Star Hill and follows New road by Fort Pitt / Jackson's Field to bypass Chatham to the south (by the Station, via a flyover known as New Cut). As it approaches Luton it is a dual carriageway for a short stretch, where a major junction lies with the railway (Chatham Main line) passes overhead — this
2575-432: Is in part a literary thriller, examining in forensic detail the question of whether the idea, character and physiognomy of Samuel Pickwick originated with Dickens, or with the original illustrator and instigator of the project, Robert Seymour. The conclusion of the narrator is that the accepted version of events given by Dickens and the publisher Edward Chapman is untrue. The novel was published in 19 issues over 20 months;
2678-573: Is known as Luton Arches. It then climbs Chatham Hill (to Gillingham) now has a separate bus lane. The A2 / Watling street traditionally bypasses central Gillingham which lies to the North. From the main road to Gillingham (Canterbury Street), the A2 is dual carriageway. Here the Northern Relief Road (A289) rejoins at the Will Adams roundabout. This is swiftly followed by the Bowater roundabout where
2781-528: Is largely unbuilt. The Medway Towns Southern Relief Road was proposed to link the (then) new developments to the south of Chatham (Walderslade) and Gillingham (Hempstead, Wigmore and Parkwood) with M2's J3 and the A229 to the east and the M2's J4 and A278 in the west. A single carriageway road was built south of Walderslade to access the Walderslade Woods and Lordswood developments. At the other end
2884-403: Is not a big enough category for Pickwick . It defined its own, a new one that we have learned to call 'entertainment'." The Pickwick Papers was published in 19 issues over 20 months, and it popularised serialised fiction and cliffhanger endings. Seymour's widow claimed that the idea for the novel was originally her husband's, but Dickens strenuously denied any specific input in his preface to
2987-756: Is run by Creative Medway, a sector-led organisation drawing together business, cultural sector organisations and freelancers. There are five theatres in Medway, two run by the council and three independent. The council theatres are the Central Theatre (966 seats hosting a variety of tribute acts) and the Brook Theatre in the Old town hall (400 seats hosting a variety of shows). The independent theatres are Medway Little Theatre (96 seats), The Oasthouse Theatre and Kings Theatre (110 seats). Watling Street (the A2 ),
3090-541: The Advertising Standards Authority . Medway Council made a further bid for city status in 2012, when three cities were afforded the honour as part of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee civic honours competition. Ultimately Medway was unsuccessful with the eventual winners being Chelmsford (Essex), Perth (Perthshire), and St Asaph (Denbighshire). The council comprises 59 councillors representing different wards . The party political breakdown of
3193-476: The Borough of Medway , a local government district in the county of Kent. Gillingham chose to remain separate. Under letters patent the former city council area was to continue to be styled the "City of Rochester" to "perpetuate the ancient name" and to recall "the long history and proud heritage of the said city". The city was unique, as it had no council or charter trustees and no mayor or civic head. In 1979,
Great Lines Heritage Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
3296-705: The Bulwark ' s dead, who were mostly drawn from the Portsmouth area. The explosion could be heard from up to 20 mi (30 km) at Southend and Whitstable . In terms of loss of life it remains the second worst explosion in British history. Less than six months later there was a second explosion. This time it was the Princess Irene . She was a 1,500-passenger liner built at Dumbarton in 1914 for Canadian Pacific . Before she could leave Britain she
3399-511: The Fleet Prison for debt. Pickwick learns that the only way he can relieve the suffering of Mrs Bardell is by paying her costs in the action against himself, thus at the same time releasing himself from the prison. Pickwick, Sam Weller, and his father Tony briefly reappeared in 1840 in the magazine Master Humphrey's Clock . Master Humphrey's Clock is the name of a literary club founded by Mr Humphrey, whose members read out stories to
3502-586: The Isle of Grain when an internal explosion (most likely the result of cordite charges stored alongside a boiler room bulkhead and failure to follow guidelines on the storage of shells) ripped the ship apart. In all, the explosion killed 745 men and 51 officers. Five of the 14 men who survived died later of their wounds, and almost all of the others were seriously wounded. There are mass and individual graves in Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham for
3605-544: The Lower Lines . The Lines, were constructed in Napoleonic times. They were never used (during the wars) but they have been used to be a barrier to development, keeping the fort and the Lines mostly untouched. Most of the park is accessible to all at most times. It has many pedestrian and cycle links for residents of the two towns of Gillingham and Chatham. The Lines are known as a ' Bastion trace fortification',
3708-684: The M20 . The A278 Hoath Way links the A2 at Gillingham to its southern suburbs (Hempstead, Wigmore and Parkwood) to the M2's fourth junction. It is dual carriageway throughout. The A289 was built in the 1990s as the Medway Towns Northern Relief Road . Constructed in three stages, firstly it bypasses Strood with a dual carriageway from Three Crutches (M2 J1) to the A226 and the A228 (The Wainscott Northern Bypass). It then joins
3811-601: The Medway Towns . Medway is one of the boroughs included in the Thames Gateway development scheme. It is also the home of Universities at Medway , a tri-partite collaboration of the University of Greenwich , the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University on a single campus in Chatham, together with the Medway School of Arts . Because of its strategic location by the major crossing of
3914-522: The Medway Towns . Many other towns and villages such as Frindsbury and Brompton lie within the conurbation. Outside the urban area, the villages retain parish councils. Cuxton , Halling and Wouldham are in the Medway Gap region to the south of Rochester and Strood. Hoo St Werburgh , Cliffe , High Halstow , St Mary Hoo , Allhallows , Stoke and Grain are on the Hoo Peninsula to
4017-636: The River Medway , the borough has made a wide and significant contribution to Kent, and to England, dating back thousands of years, as evident in the siting of Watling Street by the Romans and by the Norman Rochester Castle , Rochester Cathedral (the second oldest in Britain) and the Chatham naval dockyard and its associated defences. The main towns in the conurbation are (from west to east): Strood , Rochester , Chatham , Gillingham , and Rainham . These are traditionally known as
4120-627: The Royal Engineers took over Brompton Barracks from the artillery. The Field of Fire also provided the main exercise ground for the Engineers and their horses from 1824 until 1877. They were used to test defensive and offensive techniques and to test tactics in siege warfare, prior to foreign campaigns. The sieges also became major spectator events, including being recorded by Charles Dickens in The Pickwick Papers and in
4223-484: The ceremonial county of Kent in South East England . It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of Rochester-upon-Medway and Gillingham , and is administered by Medway Council , which is independent from Kent County Council . The borough had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The borough contains the towns of Chatham , Gillingham, Rainham , Rochester and Strood , which are collectively known as
Great Lines Heritage Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
4326-590: The 'Brompton Barrier'. Footpaths passing through the southern Sally Port remained in use. In 1863, the Garrison Gymnasium was built (inside the Lines and beside the remaining road). It is now Grade II* listed. In December 1868, by permission of the War Secretary , a portion of the inner line of fortifications, adjoining Fort Amherst, (between the Field of Fire and the Dockyard) was set apart as
4429-419: The 1867 edition: "Mr. Seymour never originated or suggested an incident, a phrase, or a word, to be found in the book." Dickens was working as a Parliamentary reporter and a roving journalist at the age of 24, and he had published a collection of sketches on London life as Sketches by Boz . Publisher Chapman & Hall was projecting a series of "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour. There
4532-604: The A228 (as The Wainscott Eastern Bypass) — these two parts are dualled. A dualled link road leads to the Medway Tunnel to the Chatham Dockyard . Here it meets Dock Road ( A231 ) that leads to Chatham. The A289 continues between northern Gillingham and the river, and then turns southwards through Gillingham Golf Course to rejoin the A2 at the Will Adams roundabout. The A2045 is the A289's counterpart, however it
4635-581: The A278 Hoath Way leads to the M2 to the South, this is so named and distinctive because of the former paper mill Bowaters at this location that left a giant water tower. A large Tesco supermarket currently inhabits the site. As the road progresses into Rainham it becomes single carriageway again. Connecting Medway with neighbouring Gravesend is the A226 . This leaves the A2 on the hill above Strood. It
4738-628: The Black Lion Sports Centre. Now called 'Medway Park' and the sports areas around it, would have been farmland during the 18th century forming part of the medieval manor of 'Westcourt Farm'. The site of where the manor house was located is now used by the United Services rugby pitches (opposite the King Charles Hotel on Brompton Road). In 1709, by an Act of Parliament , the Government compulsorily purchased
4841-418: The Borough of Medway was renamed as Rochester-upon-Medway , and in 1982 further letters patent transferred the city status to the entire borough. The modern borough was created on 1 April 1998 as part of the 1990s local government reforms . The way the change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county , both of which were called 'Medway Towns', each covering
4944-560: The Club'." Imitations/plagiarisms published at the same time as Dickens's Pickwick Papers include G. W. M. Reynolds 's Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France . A French translation by Eugénie Niboyet appeared in 1838 in a two-volume edition. It was entitled Le Club des Pickwistes, roman comique . Later French translations have used titles such as Aventures de Monsieur Pickwick . Benito Pérez Galdós published Aventuras de Pickwick ,
5047-434: The Great Lines. This area was intended for the mustering and manoeuvring of troops for the defence of the fortifications, and were initially kept free of buildings. In June 1808, after an act of parliament was passed, the main road from Gillingham to Chatham (via the Field of Fire) was closed. The other remaining linking road, went through the lines via a new drawbridge at the northern Sally Port . This became locally known as
5150-628: The Illustrated London Gazette. Between 1822 and 1838, the Lines were also used to hold horse-racing events. They were very popular. They were held for two days in August in 1838. In 1862, the Royal Engineers cricket team was established, using a pitch on the lines. The Great Lines was also the home training pitch of the Royal Engineers (who were winners of the 1875 FA Cup Final ). In 1893, New Brompton Football Club
5253-548: The Joint Amalgamation Committee decided in favour of the amalgamation and invited representatives from Strood Rural District Council to join the Committee. In 1960, a proposal was made by Rochester Council that the merger be effected by the city absorbing the two other towns, to safeguard its ancient charters and city status. This led to Gillingham Council voting to leave the committee, as it believed
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#17327808589795356-613: The Lines ditch acting as an anti-tank barrier, as part of the Medway war defences. Also air raid shelters , anti-aircraft gun emplacements, an emergency water reservoir, a pillbox and a spigot mortar , was added. At one stage, there were up to 31 anti-aircraft batteries in the Medway District (including 13 heavy and 20 light) and about 20 other temporary light batteries in 1944. Later, after World War I and World War II, they fell into disuse. Parts around Brompton were then used for post-war housing. The Chatham Lines are designated
5459-484: The Lines were used by the engineers to train in trench warfare and mining. The Lines were bombed several times, but the damage did not stop the dockyard working. The Field of Fire became a tented camp and parts of the Inner Lines gained accommodation huts, supplementing pre-existing barracks defending the Dockyard. On 19 July 1919, Peace Day (which later become Armistice Day ) was celebrated in Medway, which included
5562-421: The Lines, named as 'Brompton Road'. Between 1914 and 1918 ( World War I ), parts of the Inner Lines were used to site accommodation huts, supplementing pre-existing barracks defending the Dockyard. During 1945, anti-tank defences were erected along the lines, this meant some of the ditch around Chatham Lines were filled in. After the war, during the 60s, more of the Chatham Lines were either removed and more of
5665-1061: The Medway near Cuxton . In Rochester, parts of the Roman city wall are still in evidence, and the city has many fine buildings, such as the Guildhall (today a museum), which was built in 1687 and is among the finest 17th-century civic buildings in Kent; the Corn Exchange, built in 1698, originally the Butcher's Market; the small Tudor house of Watts Charity endowed by Sir Richard Watts to house "six poor travelers" for one night each; Satis House and Old Hall, both visited by Queen Elizabeth I , built in 1573. In Medway there are 82 scheduled ancient monuments , 832 Listed buildings and 22 conservation areas . The Royal Navy opened an anchorage dockyard in Gillingham (Jillingham Water) during
5768-405: The Medway via two bridges in a dual carriageway (see Rochester Bridge ). One bridge is Victorian and in the position of the original Roman bridge. The second bridge is more recent and build upon the piers of the original London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) main line railway bridge (the Chatham Main Line uses the South Eastern Railway 's branch line's bridge). In Rochester the High street
5871-522: The North are dualled partially toward Grain. The road to Grain was an accident black spot, this and increased traffic from the major port of Thamesport which is located to the north-west along the Medway Estuary prompted the construction of a new dual carriageway . The A228 Main Road to Ropers Lane project was provisionally approved by the government in December 2001. Design work started in March 2000 and in February 2004, contractors got under way with moving services such as water, gas and fuel pipes. This work
5974-499: The Pickwick Club. He suggests that he and three other "Pickwickians" should make journeys to places remote from London and report on their findings to the other members of the club. Their travels throughout the English countryside by coach provide the chief subject matter of the novel. A romantic misunderstanding with his landlady , the widow Mrs Bardell , results in one of the most famous legal cases in English literature, Bardell v. Pickwick , leading to them both being incarcerated in
6077-422: The River Medway. The project aims to create between 6,000 and 8,000 new homes and 8,500 jobs, against central government targets of 16,000 new homes and 23,000 new jobs for the Medway area as a whole. Among the transport proposals set forth for consideration were a new bridge linking the Medway City industrial estate to central Chatham; the removal of Chatham's gyratory system along with an associated relocation of
6180-436: The Roman road between the Port of Dover on the English Channel and London, runs through Medway. This route became particularly congested and led to the building of the M2 to bypass the Medway Towns to the south in the 1960s and was subsequently widened extensively at the turn of the 21st century. The A2 through the Medway Towns varies from single carriageway to dual carriageway to "one way" systems. In places it deviates from
6283-428: The South where at Fort Horstead / Rochester Airport / Mid Kent College it meets the branch from Chatham (the A230 which starts at Chatham Station / New Cut). From here it continues south, becoming dual carriageway and meeting the M2 at its third junction, which also provides access with Walderslade . This road then proceeds down Blue Bell Hill (from the summit of the North Downs) to the county town of Maidstone and
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#17327808589796386-410: The World , which became a hit for Secombe and other singers such as Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis Jr. Part of The Pickwick Papers were featured in Charles Dickens' Ghost Stories , a 60-minute animation made by Emerald City Films (1987). These included The Ghost in the Wardrobe , The Mail Coach Ghosts , and The Goblin and the Gravedigger . Stephen Jarvis's novel Death and Mr Pickwick (2014)
6489-419: The adjoining parish of Rainham was added. In 1944, a Medway Towns Joint Amalgamation Committee was formed by the borough corporations of Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester, to discuss the possibility of the towns forming a single county borough . In 1948 the Local Government Boundary Commission recommended that the area become a "most purposes" county borough, but the recommendation was not carried out. In 1956
6592-434: The age of 12. Other notable sea-faring and naval figures, such as William Adams , were raised on the Medway but apprenticed elsewhere. The river was further protected by such fortifications as Upnor Castle which, in 1667 in varying accounts says it was partly successful in thwarting the Dutch raid on the dockyard , or the commanding officer fled without firing on the Dutch. Another warship built at Chatham that still exists
6695-411: The annual fireworks display. The park is also the venue for a free 5 km run each Saturday morning at 9am. Great Lines parkrun began in September 2013 and regularly attracts between 300 and 350 runners each week. The park is also used for Armed Forces Day , and other large local events. The name Inner Lines was originally applied to all the open area immediately behind the defensive ramparts of
6798-399: The chair of the council to take the title of mayor . The first elections to the new council were in 1997; it initially acted as a shadow authority to oversee the transition to the new system, before formally coming into office on 1 April 1998. With effect from that day, the incoming council changed the borough and non-metropolitan county's name from Medway Towns to just Medway. Since it was
6901-421: The closure of Chatham Dockyard. A museum dedicated to the Royal Marines can be found close to the dockyard at the Royal Engineers Museum in Brompton. Founded in 1812, it moved to its current site in 1987. It was classed as Grade II listed on 5 December 1996. After World War II, the Medway conurbation expanded to the south as areas including Walderslade, Lordswood, Hempstead and Wigmore were developed, aided by
7004-421: The combined area of the previous local government districts of Rochester-upon-Medway and Gillingham. There is no separate county council; instead the district council also performs county council functions, making it a unitary authority. The district remains part of the ceremonial county of Kent for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty . The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing
7107-512: The construction of the M2 motorway in the 1960s. The population of Medway is projected to increase to around 300,000 by 2028 according to 2013 projections. Medway Council foresees total investment on development to be in excess of £1 billion over a 20-year period from 2006. As of 2019, the towns in order of population (approximate figures) were Gillingham (85,000 – not including Rainham), Chatham (78,000), Strood (40,000), Rochester (30,000 – not including Strood) and Rainham (25,000). The towns as
7210-457: The council following the 2023 local elections is: Parts of the unitary authority are parished , chiefly the rural areas. There are currently 11 parishes: Medway operates a two-tier education system, with academic selection for admission to secondary schools determined by the eleven plus exam . There are a number of grammar schools located in the area, the other secondary schools in Medway being non-selective (apart from one faith schools and
7313-427: The ditch was filled. Also within the Inner Lines, post-war housing was erected for the troops of the Royal Engineers. The houses in Brompton were also used for engineers working on the Chatham Dockyard nuclear submarine refit facilities. As part of the Great Lines Heritage Park (set up in 2008), the Inner Lines is mostly woodland, sports pitches and gardens, which are undergoing various stages of restorations. Formerly
7416-628: The film version of Oliver! ) in the title role and Roy Castle as "Sam Weller". Although it was a major success in London, running for 694 performances, Pickwick failed in the United States when it opened on Broadway in 1965. In 1969, the BBC filmed the musical as the TV movie Pickwick with Secombe and Castle reprising their stage roles. Both the stage and TV versions featured the song If I Ruled
7519-425: The foreseeable future. The vast majority of local bus routes throughout Medway are centred upon the newly opened Waterfront bus station (replacing Pentagon bus station ) in Chatham. Most bus routes are run by Arriva Southern Counties , which took over the locally owned Maidstone & District bus company in the 1990s. Other local bus companies including Nu-Venture provide certain services, some under contract to
7622-442: The illustrations merely of secondary importance. Seymour provided the illustrations for the first two instalments before his suicide. Robert William Buss illustrated the third instalment, but Dickens did not like his work, so the remaining instalments were illustrated by Phiz ( Hablot Knight Browne ), who illustrated most of Dickens's subsequent novels. The instalments were first published in book form in 1837. The Pickwick Papers
7725-514: The land in 'Westcourt', along with a part of 'Upbury Manor' and some land in Chatham, for the building of the Dockyard defences and the lines. A cricket pitch was also set-up on the land pre-1700s. But when the lines were extended and the Field of Fire was also extended, it also upset the locals of Gillingham. On 14 June 1758, Captain George Brisac (the Lines superintendent) was threatened with murder (by an unknown local) if he did not restore
7828-438: The land in 'Westcourt', along with a part of Upberry Manor and some land in Chatham, for the building of the Dockyard defences and the lines. Edward Hasted notes "Westward of the village (of Gillingham) is Upberry and the manor house of Westcourt; beyond which the ground ascends to the summit of the chalk hill, on which is the town of Brompton" Medway Towns Medway is a unitary authority area with borough status in
7931-488: The last was double-length and cost two shillings . In mourning for his sister-in-law Mary Hogarth , Dickens missed a deadline and consequently, there was no number issued in May 1837. Numbers were typically issued on the last day of its given month: Dickens drew on places that he knew from his childhood. He located the duel between Mr. Winkle and Dr. Slammer at Fort Pitt , Chatham, close to Ordnance Terrace where he had lived as
8034-596: The lines, to sing ' the Old Hundredth ' and the ' National anthem '. In 1904, the 'Ravelin Building' was built (on the northside) of Brompton Road and Prince Arthur Road, in front of the Chatham Lines. It was used as Electrical engineer's school for the Royal Engineers. Designed by Major E.C.S.Moore (RE). In 1978, it was converted to a museum, 'The Royal Engineers Museum '. It was classed as Grade II listed on 5 December 1996. Between 1914 and 1918 ( World War I ),
8137-526: The local authority. Buses are numbered between 100 and 199 for local services, with buses numbered in the 700s to show Kent County Council subsidised services including those to Walderslade and Bluewater Shopping Centre , and in the 600s for school bus services. The Pickwick Papers The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (also known as The Pickwick Papers ) was the first novel by English author Charles Dickens . His previous work
8240-441: The local government district of Rochester-upon-Medway that officially held city status under the 1982 letters patent, when it was abolished, it also ceased to be a city. The other local government districts with city status that were abolished around this time ( Bath and Hereford ) appointed charter trustees to maintain the existence of the city and the mayoralty. However, Rochester-upon-Medway City Council had decided not to and as
8343-697: The name "The Pickwick Club" have existed since the original publication of the story. In 1837, Charles Dickens wrote to William Howison about the Edinburgh Pickwick Club. Dickens approved of the use of the name and the celebration of the characters and spirit of the novel. He wrote: Other known clubs include one meeting as early as December 1836 in the East of London and another meeting at the Sun Tavern in Long Acre in London. Dickens wrote to
8446-755: The north. Frindsbury Extra including Upnor borders Strood. The southern part of the urban area is on the north slope of the North Downs , including the suburbs of Walderslade , Luton , Hempstead and Wigmore . Over half of the unitary authority area is rural in nature. Medway includes parts of the North Kent Marshes , an environmentally significant wetlands region with several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Other similar areas of conservation include Ranscombe Farm on chalk grassland and woodland between Strood and Cuxton, with rare woodland flowers and orchids . The Medway area has
8549-595: The original route of Watling Street . The A2 leaves the main route (which bypasses Medway by either the Northern Relief Road — The A289 or the M2) at the Three Crutches junction. The road descends through Strood towards the river. During the descent, the road to Gravesend, the A226 joins. In Strood the High Street is bypassed by the one-way system to the north and south encircling the High Street. The A2 crosses
8652-592: The others. Pickwick is a member, and there is a mirror club in the kitchen, Mr. Weller's Watch, run by Sam Weller. See: Mr. Pickwick in Master Humphreys Clock Edition at the Ex-Classic Web Site The novel has been adapted to film, television, and radio: In 1985 BBC released a 12-part 350-minute miniseries starring Nigel Stock , Alan Parnaby , Clive Swift and Patrick Malahide . In 1977, BBC Radio 4 released
8755-417: The pitch. Between 1755 and 1756, the Chatham Lines were built as a large earthwork ditch around Fort Amherst. This open land was used to graze cattle between 1760 and 1812. In 1770, the parish surveyed the crown property around the lines. In 1781, it listed 16 public rights of way crossing the lines. Between 1778 and 1783, the lines were extended and enhanced. In 1800, Edward Hasted notes "Westward of
8858-479: The reign of Henry VIII , in 1567 the Royal Naval Dockyard was established in Medway. Although it is called Chatham dockyard, two-thirds of the dockyard lie within Gillingham. The dockyard was closed in 1984, with the loss of eight thousand jobs at the dockyard itself and many more in local supply industries, contributing to a mid-1980s Medway unemployment rate of sixteen per cent. It was protected by
8961-590: The road has been straightened and used a causeway to pass over the ditch (instead of a drawbridge). This was due to the building of the Commandant's House (started in 1876), which also meant a large garden, hence the road re-alignment. The Sally Port remained intact. But by the 1909 OS Map survey, the Sallyport was demolished, but the Guardhouse remained. During the 18th Century the Inner Lines played home to
9064-564: The school on the peninsula). There are also a number of private schools operating in the area. Medway is also home to the third largest home school population of children in the UK after the Isles of Scilly and Isle of Wight. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Medway at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of pounds Sterling. Medway's cultural strategy
9167-547: The secretary of the latter club in 1838 about attending a meeting: In many Pickwick Clubs, members can take on the names of the characters in the novel. The website for the Pickwick Bicycle Club states "Our rules state that 'Each Member shall adopt the sobriquet allocated by the Management Committee, being the name of some male character in the Pickwick Papers, and be addressed as such at all meetings of
9270-591: The three towns should go forward as equal partners. On 9 March, the committee held its last meeting, with the Chatham representatives voting to dissolve the body and those from Rochester voting against. The motion to disband was passed on the casting vote of the chairman, Alderman Semple from Chatham. Under the Local Government Act 1972 , on 1 April 1974 the City of Rochester, the Borough of Chatham and part of Strood Rural District were amalgamated to form
9373-684: The town's bus station; remodelling of Strood's one-way system; and the provision of new cycle lanes and park-and-ride services throughout the area. Chatham's ring road system was subsequently changed into a two-way system in September 2006 with the Sir John Hawkins flyover (pictured right in 2007) being closed before later demolition to make way for a new bus station at the end of 2008. The new bus station opened in October 2011. Other recent and proposed developments include: In Rochester,
9476-477: The true park and recreation ground of the Military Residents. It contained the 'Commandant's Pleasure Grounds and Kitchen Garden'. The formal layout of the gardens reflected the need for military order, somewhat at odds with the fashion at the time of creating Capability Brown style landscapes. On the 1909 O.S. map, it shows the name of the road from Gillingham to Chatham passing through Brompton and
9579-537: The village (of Gillingham) is Upberry and the manor house of Westcourt; beyond which the ground ascends to the summit of the chalk hill, on which is the town of Brompton" In 1803, the Chatham Lines were upgraded (due to the start of the Napoleonic War ). The ditch walls were rebuilt in brick. In 1804, additional land was purchased by the government, to further extend the Field of Fire. This meant that West Court and Upbury Farmhouses were demolished. From 1812,
9682-586: Was Pickwick (sometimes Pickwick, A Dramatic Cantata ) by Sir Francis Burnand and Edward Solomon and premiered at the Comedy Theatre on 7 February 1889. Pickwick by Cyril Ornadel , Wolf Mankowitz , and Leslie Bricusse was a musical version which premiered in Manchester in 1963 before transferring to the West End . It originally starred Harry Secombe (later cast as " Mr. Bumble " in
9785-518: Was Sketches by Boz , published in 1836, and his publisher Chapman & Hall asked Dickens to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic "cockney sporting plates" by illustrator Robert Seymour , and to connect them into a novel. The book became a publishing phenomenon, with bootleg copies, theatrical performances, Sam Weller joke books, and other merchandise. On its cultural impact, Nicholas Dames in The Atlantic writes, "'Literature'
9888-579: Was bought by two Canadian Hotel owners, who converted it into a budget Hotel, then called 'The Aurora Hotel'. In 1980, it changed hands to new owners, who renamed it the King Charles Hotel. The land around the hotel is not part of the Great Lines Heritage Park. In 1957, part of the Great Lines (a plot of land close to Gillingham and Medway Hospital ) was used to build 'The Great Lines School'. It opened in April 1957 and had 270 pupils. It
9991-502: Was commandeered for war service and became HMS Princess Irene , and was used as a minelayer . After several trips she was back in the Medway for a refit when on the morning of 27 May 1915 a huge internal explosion tore through the vessel, shaking the ground for miles around and showering the surrounding villages with remains of bodies and debris. A total of 278 died, including 78 workers from nearby towns and villages. In one Sheerness street there were ten who died. A Court of Inquiry
10094-577: Was established. This later became Gillingham Football Club . In 1872, plans for a railway line were drawn up by the Royal Commission to connect the forts. In June 1897, the Great Lines (the name used for the Field of Fire) were used to host a celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria . A huge bonfire was a grand finale of the day festivities. In 1902, on the coronation of King Edward VII , 8,000 children were assembled on
10197-400: Was fashionable at the time. He protested that he knew nothing of sport, but still accepted the commission. Only in a few instances did Dickens adjust his narrative to plates that had been prepared for him. Typically, he led the way with an instalment of his story, and the artist was compelled to illustrate what Dickens had already written. The story thus became the prime source of interest and
10300-404: Was held into the loss and evidence was given that priming of the mines was being carried out hurriedly and by untrained personnel. A faulty primer was blamed for the explosion. The British Army also established barracks here; and the Royal Engineers headquarters is in Gillingham. The Royal Marines also have a long association with Chatham . The Chatham Division was based in Chatham until
10403-477: Was the first co-educational school in Gillingham. In June 1959, it became Upbury Manor school and was official re-opened by actress Dame Edith Evans . Since 2010, it is now known as Brompton Academy . In 1989, the land was acquired by Gillingham Borough Council for the 'future amenity and enjoyment of local people'. A part of the park has been designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI), for its chalk grassland flora and it has also been designated as
10506-475: Was to be a club, the members of which were to be sent on hunting and fishing expeditions into the country. Their guns were to go off by accident, and fishhooks were to get caught in their hats and trousers, and these and other misadventures were to be depicted in Seymour's comic plates. They asked Dickens to supply the description necessary to explain the plates and to connect them into a sort of picture novel that
10609-501: Was vital, as the pipes actually supply the Hoo Peninsula and the power station at Grain. The largest water main that was moved was 24 inches (610 mm) in diameter and the largest gas main 36 inches (914 mm). The road cost £19 million and is approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) long. The A229 starts from the A2 at the junction at the top of Star Hill alongside Jackson's Field / Fort Pitt, it follows City Way to
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