| Gravesend | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
_(48956773937).jpg) St George’s Church, burial place of Pocahontas | |
 | |
  Gravesend Location withinKent | |
| Population | 58,102 [1] |
| OS grid reference | TQ647740 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GRAVESEND |
| Postcode district | DA11, DA12 |
| Dialling code | 01474 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°26′29″N0°22′07″E / 51.4415°N 0.3685°E /51.4415; 0.3685 | |
Gravesend/ˌɡreɪvzˈɛnd/ is a town in northwestKent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast ofCharing Cross (central London) on thesouth bank of theRiver Thames, oppositeTilbury inEssex. Located in thediocese of Rochester, it is the administrative centre of the borough ofGravesham. Gravesend marks the eastern limit of theGreater London Built-up Area, as defined by the UKOffice for National Statistics. It had a population of 58,102 in 2021.
Its geographical situation has given Gravesend strategic importance throughout themaritime andcommunications history ofSouth East England. AThames Gatewaycommuter town, it retains strong links with the River Thames, not least through thePort of London Authority Pilot Station, and has witnessed rejuvenation since the advent ofHigh Speed 1 rail services viaGravesend railway station. The station was recently refurbished[when?] and has a new bridge.
Recorded asGravesham in theDomesday Book of 1086 when it belonged toOdo, Earl of Kent andBishop of Bayeux, the half-brother ofWilliam the Conqueror, its name probably derives fromgraaf-ham: the home of thereeve or bailiff of thelord of the manor.
Another theory suggests that the nameGravesham may be a corruption of the wordsgrafs-ham – a place "at the end of the grove".[2] Frank Carr[3] asserts that the name derives from the SaxonGerevesend, the end of the authority of thePortreeve (originallyPortgereve, chief town administrator).
In theNetherlands, a place called's-Gravenzande is found with its name translating into "Sand (or sandy area) belonging to the Count". The's is a contraction of the old Dutch genitive articledes, and translates into plain English asof the. InBrooklyn, New York, the neighbourhood ofGravesend is said by some to have been named for 's-Gravenzande,[4] though its founding by the English religious dissenterLady Deborah Moody in 1645 suggests that it may be named after Gravesend, England. Lady Deborah was originally from London and is credited with being the first woman to found a settlement in the New World.
The Domesday spelling is its earliest known historical record;[5] all other spellings – in the later (c. 1100) DomesdayMonachorum and inTextus Roffensis the town isGravesend andGravesende, respectively. The variationGraveshend can be seen in a court record of 1422, whereEdmund de Langeford wasparson,[6] and attributed to where the graves ended after theBlack Death. The municipal title Gravesham was formally adopted in 1974 as the name for the newborough.[7]
Stone Age implements have been found in the locality since the 1900s, as has evidence of anIron Age settlement at nearbySpringhead. ExtensiveRoman remains have been found at nearbyVagniacae, and Gravesend lies immediately to the north of theRoman road connecting London with the Kent coast – now calledWatling Street.Domesday Book recordedmills,hythes, andfisheries here.[8]
Milton Chantry[9] is Gravesend's oldest surviving building and dates from the early 14th century. It was refounded as achapel in 1320/21 on the original site of a formerleper hospital founded in 1189. It is aGrade II* listed building.[10]
Gravesend has one of the oldest survivingmarkets in the country. Its earliest charter dates from 1268, with town status being granted to the two parishes ofGravesend andMilton byKing Henry III in its Charter of Incorporation of that year. The first mayor of Gravesend was elected in 1268 but the first town hall was not built until 1573. The currentGravesend Town Hall was completed in 1764: although it ceased to operate as a seat of government in 1968 when the newGravesham Civic Centre was opened, it remained in use as amagistrates' court until 2000. It now operates as a venue for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies.[11]
During theHundred Years' War, Gravesendwas raided by aCastilianfleet in 1380.[12]
In 1401, a furtherroyal charter was granted, allowing the men of the town to operate boats betweenLondon and the town; these became known as the "Long Ferry". It became the preferred form of passage, because of the perils of road travel (see below).
On Gravesend's river front are the remains of adevice fort built by command ofKing Henry VIII in 1543.[13]In March 1617,John Rolfe and his Native American wife Rebecca (Pocahontas), with their two-year-old son,Thomas, boarded a ship in London bound forthe Commonwealth of Virginia;[14] the ship had only sailed as far as Gravesend before Rebecca fell ill,[15] and she died shortly after she was taken ashore. It is not known what caused her death.[16] Her funeral and interment took place on 21 March 1617 at theparish church ofSt George, Gravesend.[17] The site of her grave was underneath the church'schancel, though since the previous church was destroyed by fire in 1727 her exact resting place is unknown.[18] Thomas Rolfe survived, but was placed under the supervision ofSir Lewis Stukley atPlymouth, before being sent to his uncle, Henry Rolfe whilst John Rolfe and his late wife's assistantTomocomo reached America under the captaincy ofSir Samuel Argall's ship. Pocahontas (real name: Matoaka) is an important figure in both American and British history.
At Fort Gardens[19] is the New Tavern Fort,[20] built during the 1780s and extensively rebuilt byMajor-General Charles Gordon between 1865 and 1879; it is now theChantry Heritage Centre, under the care ofGravesend Local History Society.[21] The fort is ascheduled monument.[22]
Journeys by road to Gravesend were historically quite hazardous, since the mainLondon-Dover road crossedBlackheath, notorious for itshighwaymen.Stagecoaches from London toCanterbury,Dover andFaversham used Gravesend as one of their "stages" as did those coming north fromTonbridge. In 1840 there were 17 coaches picking up and setting down passengers and changing horses each way per day. There were two coaching inns on what is now Old Road East:the Prince of Orange andthe Lord Nelson.[23]Post coaches had been plying the route for at least two centuries:Samuel Pepys records having stopped off at Gravesend in 1650 en route to the Royal Dockyards atChatham.[24]
A permanent military presence was established in the town whenMilton Barracks opened in 1862.[25]
Although much of the town's economy continued to be connected with maritime trade, since the 19th century other major employers have been the cement and paper industries.[26]
From 1932 to 1956, an airport was located to the east of the town. On Sunday 5 February 1939,Alex Henshaw commenced his record-breaking flight toCape Town and back from here. He completed the flight in 39 hours 36 minutes over the next four days; his record still stands. Originally a civilianairfield, during World War II it became a fighter station,RAF Gravesend, and so Gravesend was heavily bombed by theLuftwaffe. In 1956 the site was taken over by Gravesend Borough Council; a large housing estate, known as Riverview Park, was built on its site.[27]
Gravesend is the principal town of the Borough of Gravesham.[28] The borough was formed on 1 April 1974, under theLocal Government Act 1972, by the merger of theMunicipal Borough of Gravesend andNorthfleet Urban District along with several parishes from Strood Rural District. Gravesend was incorporated as a Municipal Borough in 1835 under theMunicipal Corporations Act 1835 and Northfleet was constituted an Urban District in 1894 under theLocal Government Act 1894: Gravesend absorbed Milton (1914), Denton, Chalk and part ofNorthfleet, including Claphall, Singlewell and King's Farm (1935).
Gravesend is located at a point where the higher land – the lowest point of thedip slope of theNorth Downs – reaches the Thames. To the east are the low-lying Shorne Marshes; to the west, beyondNorthfleet and the Swanscombe Marshes. The settlement was thus established as it was a goodlanding place: it was also sheltered by the prominent height of what is now calledWindmill Hill (see Landmarks below); although Windmill Hill still remains a dominant feature, Gravesend's highest point is actually further inland at Marling Cross, adjacent to theA2.[29]
From its origins as a landing place andshipping port, Gravesend gradually extended southwards and eastwards. Better-off people from London visited the town during the summer months; at first by boat, and then by railway. More extensive building began after World War I; this increased after World War II, when many of the housing estates in the locality were built.[30]
Gravesend's built-up areas comprisePainters Ash, adjacent to the A2;King's Farm (most of King's Farm estate was built in the 1920s); andChristianfields. The latter housing estate was completely rebuilt in a 6-year project from 2007 to 2013. There is also the aforementioned Riverview Park estate built on the old RAF field in the south-east, in the 1960s, and Singlewell, which is adjacent to theA2 in the South
Part of the southern built-up area of the town was originally two separate rural parishes:viz,Cobham andNorthfleet.
Gravesend has anoceanic climate similar to much of southern England, being accordedKöppen Climate Classification-subtype of "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate).[31]
On 10 August 2003, Gravesend recorded one of the highest temperatures since records began in the United Kingdom, with a reading of 38.1 °C (100.6 °F),[32] only beaten byBrogdale, nearFaversham, 26 miles (42 km) to the ESE.[33][34] Gravesend, which has aMet Office site,[35] reports its data each hour.
Being inland and yet relatively close tocontinental Europe, Gravesend enjoys a somewhat more continental climate than the coastal areas of Kent, Essex and East Anglia and also compared to western parts of Britain. It is therefore less cloudy, drier, and less prone to Atlanticdepressions with their associated wind and rain than western parts, as well as being hotter in summer and colder in winter.
Thus Gravesend continues to record higher temperatures insummer, sometimes being the hottest place in the country,e.g. on the warmest day of 2011, when temperatures reached 33.1 °C.[36] Additionally, the town holds at least two records for the year 2010, of 30.9 °C[37] and 31.7 °C.[38] Another record was set during England's Indian summer of 2011 with 29.9 °C., the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK for October. In 2016 the warmest day of the year occurred very late on 13 September with a very high temperature of 34.4C
| Climate data for Stanford-le-Hope (nearest climate station to Gravesend) 1981–2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.2 (61.2) | 20.4 (68.7) | 23.1 (73.6) | 27.7 (81.9) | 31.3 (88.3) | 34.7 (94.5) | 36.0 (96.8) | 38.1 (100.6) | 34.4 (93.9) | 29.9 (85.8) | 20.2 (68.4) | 17.1 (62.8) | 38.1 (100.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 10.9 (51.6) | 13.2 (55.8) | 16.8 (62.2) | 19.9 (67.8) | 22.1 (71.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 15.2 (59.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 8.1 (46.6) | 14.5 (58.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.2 (36.0) | 1.6 (34.9) | 3.3 (37.9) | 4.7 (40.5) | 7.5 (45.5) | 10.5 (50.9) | 13.0 (55.4) | 12.5 (54.5) | 10.3 (50.5) | 7.4 (45.3) | 4.4 (39.9) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.7 (44.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.8 (7.2) | −13.2 (8.2) | −8.7 (16.3) | −3.2 (26.2) | 0.8 (33.4) | 2.1 (35.8) | 5.2 (41.4) | 3.8 (38.8) | 2.1 (35.8) | −3.0 (26.6) | −6.6 (20.1) | −10.7 (12.7) | −13.8 (7.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 47.9 (1.89) | 36.7 (1.44) | 37.6 (1.48) | 40.9 (1.61) | 48.0 (1.89) | 41.1 (1.62) | 52.5 (2.07) | 44.8 (1.76) | 45.5 (1.79) | 64.9 (2.56) | 57.8 (2.28) | 53.8 (2.12) | 571.5 (22.51) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 60.0 | 77.7 | 113.4 | 161.5 | 194.3 | 198.7 | 208.7 | 195.5 | 151.1 | 117.9 | 74.0 | 48.6 | 1,601.4 |
| Source:Met Office | |||||||||||||
Since 1990 the economy ofGravesham has changed from one based onheavy industry to beingservice-based. The borough's estimated population in 2012 was 101,700: a 6,000 increase in less than a decade. It has a high population density (almost 10 people per hectare) compared to nationally; it has a relatively young population (40% of the population are below 30); and 60% of the population are of working age.
Based upon figures from the 2021 census, the second largest religious group in the borough areSikhs who at that time made up 8% of the population. However, if the term belief is used,Christians are most numerous at more than (49%),non-religious (32.1%) and thirdSikhs (8%).[39]
Gravesend today is a commercial and commuter town, providing a local shopping district, including the St Georges shopping complex, the Thamesgate shopping centre and a regularfarmers' market.[40] It also used to have a Debenhams and Wilko, but they closed down.[41][42] Gravesend Market Hall, located in the heart of the town, was first chartered in 1268.[43]
Gravesend has the world's oldest survivingcast ironpier, built in 1834.[44]It is a unique structure having the first known iron cylinders used in its construction. The pier was completely refurbished in 2004 and now features a bar and restaurant;[45] with public access to the pier head when the premises are open.[46]A recent £2 million investment in a pontoon is now in place at the pier head onto the Thames, which provides for small and medium-sized craft to land at Gravesend. On 17 September 2012, theGravesend–Tilbury Ferry, relocated to the Town Pier, from its previous terminal in nearby West Street, though the ferry service was discontinued in the 2020's due to funding issues
Built in 1844, the initial construction was funded by the Gravesend Freehold Investment Company, at a cost of £9,200. It was wherePrincess Alexandra of Denmark arrived on her way to marryEdward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) in March 1865,[47] andRiver pilots have been based here since the late 19th century.
Today, Royal Terrace Pier is in constant 24-hour use, as part of thePort of London Authority main operations centre andGravesend RNLI Lifeboat Station, one of four lifeboat stations situated on the River Thames;[48] thus, its public access is available only occasionally during the year. It is T-shaped, with apontoon at its pier head. Like theTown Pier,Royal Terrace Pier is also aGrade II listed structure.[47]
Situated at the junction of Milton Road and Harmer Street, its foundation stone was laid on 6 September 1887. The memorial stone records that theclock tower was erected by public subscription (£700 was raised toward its construction) and dedicated toQueen Victoria, to commemorate the 50th year of her reign.[49] Built of Portland and Dumfries stone and backed by London stock brick, the design of the structure is based on the design of theElizabeth Tower in the Palace of Westminster, which housesBig Ben. The centre of the clock itself is measured at 50 feet (15 m) above ground and the face measures 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) in diameter. The tower is Grade IIlisted.[50]
An American sculptor,William Ordway Partridge, created a life-size statue of the 17th-centuryNative American princessPocahontas, which was unveiled atJamestown, Virginia in 1922.Queen Elizabeth II viewed this statue in 1957 and again on 4 May 2007, while visiting Jamestown on the 400th anniversary of foundation, it being the first successfulEnglish colonial settlement in America.
On 5 October 1958, an exact replica of Partridge's statue was dedicated as a memorial to Pocahontas atSt George's Parish Church. TheGovernor of Virginia presented the statue as a gift to the British people in 1958, a gesture prompted by The Queen's visit tothe USA in the previous year.
In 2017, US Ambassador to the United KingdomMatthew Barzun visited the statue to mark the 400th anniversary of the death and burial of Pocahontas in Gravesend. The Ambassador laid a floral tribute of 21 roses at its base, each symbolising one year of Pocahontas' life.[51]
Windmill Hill, named after its former windmills, offers extensive views across theThames and was a popular spot for Victorian visitors to the town because of thecamera obscura installed at theOld Mill and for its tea gardens and other amusements.
The hill was the site of abeacon in 1377, which was instituted byKing Richard II, and still in use 200 years later at the time of theSpanish Armada, although the hill was then known as "Rouge Hill". A modern beacon was erected and lit in 1988, the 400th anniversary of the Armada.
It was during the reign ofQueen Elizabeth I that the firstwindmill was placed at the highest point in Gravesend, 179 ft (55 m) overlooking the high-water mark of the river. One mill burnt down in 1763 but was replaced the following year and that too demolished in 1894. The last surviving windmill is reported as having been destroyed by fire duringMafeking Night celebrations in 1900.
DuringWorld War I an Imperial German Navy airship passed over Windmill Hill, dropping bombs on it; today there are three markers indicating where these bombs struck.
Gravesend Power Station (TQ 6575 7413) was built by the Gravesend Corporation in 1902–03 to supply local demand for electricity. It was built on the south side of the basin at the west end of theThames and Medway canal.[52] The buildings were demolished in 1995.[52]
The Thames has long been an important feature in Gravesend life, and may well have been the deciding factor for the first settlement there. One of the town's first distinctions was in being given the sole right to transport passengers to and from London by water in the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, Catherine of Aragon, the wife of Prince Arthur and later the first wife of King Henry VII, was expected to arrive in England at Gravesend.
The "Tilt Boat" was a familiar sight as it sailed along the Thames, the passengers protected from the weather by a canvas tilt (awning). The first steamboat plied its trade between Gravesend and London in the early 19th century, bringing with it a steadily increasing number of visitors to the Terrace Pier Gardens, Windmill Hill, Springhead Gardens andRosherville Gardens. Gravesend soon became one of the first Englishresort towns and thrived from an early tourist trade.
Gravesend "watermen" were often in a family trade; and the town is the headquarters of thePort of London AuthorityControl Centre (formerly known asThames Navigation Service), has its headquarters at Gravesend, providingmaritime pilots who play an important role in navigation on the River Thames.[53]
A dinghy at an unmodernised Gravesend was the backdrop to the 1952 thrillerThe Long Memory starringSir John Mills. In the film, Mills plays a character living in poverty on a derelict fishing boat stranded in the mud flats.
Gravesend has one of England's oldest regattas retained from its strong maritime links with the Thames. Although the origins of the regatta are unknown it dates back at least toTudor times. The races are traditionally competed by Gravesendskiffs, 21-foot-long (6.4 m)oaken round-bottomed,clinker-built boats.
TheThames Navigation Service was first thought up between 1950 and 1952 by CdrPeter de Neumann, while he was captain ofHMRC cutterVigilant based atGravesend Reach. This idea followed from considering such incidents as the accidental ramming of HMSTruculent by theDivina in 1950, the collision with theNore Forts byBaalbek, and the disastrous flooding ofCanvey,Foulness and the East Coast in 1953. In these and other situations, rescue and intelligence gathering were severely hampered by a lack of centralised command and control, and lack of a detailed "picture". De Neumann resigned his command after returningVigilant from the Spithead Review and joined the PLA, immediately suggesting, in a report to them submitted in 1953, that a feasibility study of such a system be carried out. He then oversaw its development and ultimate installation at Gravesend.
Until the building ofTilbury Docks, on the opposite side of the river, between 1882 and 1886, Gravesend was the Thames's first port of entry. Thousands of emigrants, as well as large numbers of troops, embarked from here. Tilbury Docks have expanded considerably since, with the closure of all theLondon Docks. The entrance to the Docks is somewhat awkward, situated as it is on the sharp bend of the river, and boats often needtugboat assistance, as do the larger ships moored at Tilbury landing stages. There have been many tug companies based at Gravesend: among them the Sun Company, the Alexandra Towing Company and, today, the Smith Howard Towing Company.East Indiamen traditionally stopped here at a point known asLong Reach to lighten their loads before sailing up theThames to moorings atBlackwall.[54]
For some years after, war steamer excursions were run on theMVRoyal Daffodil down the Thames from Gravesend to France, but they ceased in 1966. Cruises are now operated by theLower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company up the river toGreenwich. The cross-river passenger ferry toTilbury provides a long-established route to and from Essex. Before theDartford Crossing came into being, there was a vehicle ferry at Gravesend as well.
There is aRNLI lifeboat station, based atRoyal Terrace Pier, which is one of the busiest in the country.[55]
The Thames and Medway Canal was opened for barge traffic in 1824. It ran from Gravesend on the Thames toFrindsbury nearStrood on theMedway. Although seven miles long, it had only two locks, each 94 ft (29 m) by 22 ft (6.7 m) in size, one at each end. Its most notable feature was the tunnel nearStrood, which was 3,946 yd (3,608 m) long, the second longest canal tunnel ever built in the UK. The great cost of the tunnel meant that the canal was not a commercial success.
After only 20 years, most of the canal was closed and the canal's tunnel was converted to railway use. Initially, canal and railway shared the tunnel, with the single track built on timber supports, but by 1847, canal use was abandoned and a double track laid. Today Gravesend Canal Basin is used for the mooring ofpleasure craft. Gravesend Sailing Club, which was founded so that working men could participate in the sport while still having to earn a living is based here. The lock has been dredged, and restoration and strengthening work has been carried out on the basin walls as part of the regeneration of the area.
The main roads through the town are the west–eastA226 road fromDartford and beyond toRochester; and theA227 road toTonbridge. TheA2 road passes two miles (3 km) south of Gravesend town centre; a mile stretch of it was rerouted in the early 2000s to take the traffic away from the south end of the town.[56]
On 26 March 2006 the first of the area's newFastrack bus services, which use a combination of ordinary roads and dedicated 'bus tracks', opened. The service links toEbbsfleet International railway station,Greenhithe,Bluewater Shopping Centre and Dartford.
The historicGravesend Railway Station, opened in 1849, lies on theNorth Kent Line. TheGravesend West Line, terminating by the river and for some time operating as acontinental ferry connection, closed in 1968.
Gravesend is the primarynorth Kent interchange for high speed and metro rail services. In December 2009, the full high-speed timetable between London and Kent came into force and passenger usage from Gravesend has exceeded expectations. High-speed services fromLondon St Pancras andStratford International, are offered via Gravesend to theMedway towns,Sittingbourne,Faversham,Margate,Broadstairs andRamsgate. Some of these services continue toAshford International viaSandwich andDover Priory.
There are also metro services toLondon Charing Cross,London Waterloo East andLondon Bridge viaSidcup, viaWoolwich Arsenal andLewisham andBexleyheath, and toGillingham.
Unusually Gravesend features a Platform 0, one of the few in the country, it is used for terminating services fromLondon Cannon Street or London Charing Cross via Sidcup.
Gravesend is served by severalArriva Kent Thameside bus services connecting the town with other areas inKent includingDartford,Bluewater andSevenoaks and to theMedway Towns.
Gravesend is also served byFastrack bus services connecting the town withBluewater,Darent Valley Hospital and Dartford.
Passenger ferry services toTilbury,Essex, operated daily (except Sundays), fromGravesend Town Pier until 31 March 2024.
TheSaxon Shore Way, along distance footpath, starts at Gravesend and traces the coast as inRoman times as far asHastings,East Sussex; 163 miles (262 km) in total. TheWealdway also starts at the Town Pier, and continues almost due south over theWeald toEastbourne in East Sussex where it links withSouth Downs Way, a distance of 80 miles (128 km).
The town's principal Anglican place of worship is the Church of St George, Gravesend. ThisGeorgian building is a tourist attraction because of its association with Princess Pocahontas, as well as being theparish church. Gravesend has three otherChurch of England parishes andRoman Catholic,Methodist,United Reformed andBaptist churches as well as other smaller chapels.
Gravesend has a significantSikh population of more than 15,000, representing over 15% of the town's population.[57] Its firstgurdwara was founded in 1956 byBhat SikhSantokh Singh Takk in Edwin Street with a second one opening, ten years later, in a formerCongregationalist church, but this gurdwara closed in 2010. The same year, one of Europe's largestSikh temples was opened at a cost of £12 million.[58]
When it comes to secondary education, Gravesend has many schools which host tens of thousands of students at any given time. They includeNorthfleet School for Girls;Northfleet Technology College (Northfleet School for Boys, on the former sites of Northfleet Secondary School for Boys and Gravesend Technical High School for Boys);Mayfield Grammar School (formerlyGravesend Grammar School for Girls);St John's Catholic Comprehensive School;Thamesview School andSt George's Church of England School. Gravesend also hostsGravesend Grammar School, a historic, constistently high-acheiving grammar school and sixth form where 50% of students gained a Grade 7 (Grade A equivalent) or above in 2025. There are also primary age schools such as Whitehill Primary School, special schools and several independent schools, such as Bronte School and St Joseph's.[59] Finally, the town is also host to an Adult Education Centre.
Gravesend Hospital was opened in 1854, following the donation of a site by the6th Earl of Darnley in 1853; it had its origin on 2 December 1850, as a dispensary on the Milton Road "to assist the really destitute poor of Gravesend and Milton and vicinities ... unable to pay for medical aid". By 1893, 4,699 such people had benefited by its presence.
In 2004 the original building, and parts of the newer buildings were demolished to make way for a new community hospital. Gravesend Community Hospital provides a Minor Injury Unit, Dental services, Speech and Language therapy and Physiotherapy. It also has a Stroke Ward and offers inpatient care. The outpatient department provides care for much of the local area and is separate from those offered at Darent Valley Hospital. In addition, Gravesend emergency doctors out of hours service as well as podiatry are offered.[60]
In the town centre is a medium-sized medical clinic at Swan Yard, next to the Market car park. The medical clinic is only suitable for minor injuries, for major injuries and more severe or specialist appointments, a trip toDarrent Valley Hospital is required. Several other doctors' surgeries are located in the area.
TheStonebridge Roadfootball ground at neighbouringNorthfleet is home toEbbsfleet United F.C., which changed its name from Gravesend and Northfleet F.C. in June 2007. Ebbsfleet currently plays in theNational League, and the clubwon the FA Trophy in May 2008. An agreement was reached for theMyFootballClub online community to purchase a 75% stake in the club in November 2007, and its takeover was completed early in 2008.[61]
Gravesend Cricket Club (founded in 1881 when the Harkaway and Clarence Cricket Clubs amalgamated) is based at theBat and Ball Ground on Wrotham Road, wherecricket has been played since its foundation at the behest of the6th Earl of Darnley (grandfather of the celebrated England cricketer,The Hon. Ivo Bligh, later 8th Earl of Darnley) in the mid 19th century.[62]
Gravesend has tworugby union teams,Gravesend Rugby Football Club and Old Gravesendians RFC, which are situated next to each other opposite theGravesend Grammar School.
Old Gravesendians RFC (founded in 1929)[63] consisted traditionally of former Gravesend Grammar School pupils. Prior to the forming of Old Gravesendians RFC, on leaving the Grammar School, former pupils had continued to engage in various sports through the Old Blues Association (founded in 1914).[64] Owing to World War I the Old Blues Association practically went to pieces with only one annual dinner having been held in 1914. After the war a reunion dinner was held in 1920, the second annual dinner, which restarted the Old Blues Association activities. The Old Gravesendians RFC was often referred to as 'Gravesend Old Blues' in match reports.
Old Gravesendians RFC continued to foster rugby in Gravesend during World War II by turning out a side every season. Since 2000 Old Gravesendians (Old G's) have reached six Kent Plate finals, winning two. They achieved promotion to London League rugby in 2009, but were relegated in 2009–10. Old G's put out three sides with the first team playing inShepherd Neame Kent 1 during the 2018–19 season. The team colours are light blue and dark blue.
Rowing races have been held on theRiver Thames at Gravesend since at least 1698, with the first organisedRegatta recorded in 1715. The first Borough Regatta began in 1882,[65] setting the pattern for an annual event on the River Thames that is carried on to this day. The River Thames in Gravesend is home to the Gravesend Rowing Club (founded in 1878),[66] which the club claims is the oldest existing sporting club in Gravesend,[67] the Regatta Committee's skiff rowers, and Gravesend Sailing Club.Gravesend Grammar School also hosts a Rowing Club.
To the south of Gravesend on the ancient site of Watling Street on 43ha of land adjacent to the A2,Cyclopark, a venue forcycling events and other activities has been developed.[68] The site which featuresmountain bike trails, aroad circuit, aBMX racetrack and family cycling paths was formally opened in early 2012.[69]
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The Gravesend Historical Society meets regularly and produces a biannual magazine on its activities.[70]
Charles Dickens lived atGad's Hill Place, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Gravesend and specifically mentions the town and its environs in at least three of his novels. InDavid Copperfield Mr. Peggotty, Ham and the Micawbers say their goodbyes and sail away from Gravesend to begin a new life in Australia. InGreat Expectations, Pip, with accomplices, rows Magwitch from London downriver in expectation of waylaying a regular steamer (whilst under way in the Lower Hope, off Gravesend) bound for Hamburg. At St James' Church, in Cooling, Pip finds Magwitch hidden among the graves. Gravesend also appears inThe Pickwick Papers byCharles Dickens. potentially due to him living at a nearby residence near Gad's Hill Private School.
Gravesend is also briefly mentioned in the 1818 novelFrankenstein byMary Shelley during Victor's travels through the United Kingdom with Clerval; ultimately culminating in Victor's residence in theOrkney Islands.
Arthur Conan Doyle often mentioned Gravesend in hisSherlock Holmes stories.
In the 1902 novelHeart of Darkness byJoseph Conrad, Charles Marlow's ship, anchored off Gravesend, is the setting where he tells his tale.
The 1952 film "The Long Memory" starringJohn Mills was filmed in and around Gravesend. It features many squalid streets running down towards the river that even then were being progressively cleared for redevelopment. It is also possible to hear in the background steam engines working out of the now closedGravesend West Line West Street terminus.
The War Game was a 1965 BBC television drama-documentary film depicting a nuclear war that was initially banned, and not broadcast until July 1985. The film was shot in Gravesend and in the other Kent towns of Tonbridge, Chatham and Dover, with a cast which was almost entirely made up of non-actors.[71]
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Gravesend istwinned with:
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