Discover riverside walks, medieval bridges and quaint villages.

Take the train from London St Pancras to Strood. Trains are regular and take approximately 35 minutes.

Strood station is around 15 minutes walk from the centre of Rochester, with the castle and cathedral and a quaint high street with lots of individual shops and resturants. The station is a short distance from access to National Cycle Route 1 and has a striking marker post. 

Upnor Castle (English Heritage) is about 1 hour walk from Strood Station (1.9miles).  Set in tranquil grounds adjoining a riverside village, this rare example of an Elizabethan artillery fort was begun in 1559 and redeveloped in 1599-1601, to protect warships moored at Chatham dockyards.

The area around Strood is famous Dickens country, St James Church Cooling (6miles from Strood Station) is where the famous Pips Graves are from Great Expectations, Gads Hill Place (3 miles from Strood Station) is the house Dickens lived with his family and is referenced in The Christmas Carol.

Cuxton station is less than a mile from Ranscombe Farm, a local nature reserve and is around 2 miles from the Medway leisure park where there is a cinema, bowling and restaurants. You can also visit the Darnley Mausoleum. 

Snodland station is walking distance from Leybourne Lakes country park where you can find activities such as walking, cycling, fishing, windsurfing, scuba diving and bird watching.

Aylesford has an ancient religious house of Carmelite monks which can be visited and an attractive riverside with resturants and pubs and a 14th century bridge. 

From Aylesford, you can walk to the Medway Megaliths -some of the largest and most visually imposing Early Neolithic funerary monuments in Britain. Grouped along the River Medway as it cuts through the North Downs, they constitute the most south-easterly group of megalithic monuments in the British Isles and the only megalithic group in eastern England

Maidstone is the County Town of Kent and has many attractions including the Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery, within walking distance of the two stations.  There are bus links from the West station both in to town and further afield.  Leeds Castle is 7 miles east of Maidstone and reached by bus 13.  Mote Park (20min walk from Maidstone West Station) is over 450 acres of parkland, it includes natural features such as grassland, woodland, rivers and a 30acre lake.

East Farleigh is a village around 2 miles from Maidstone and the station is alongside the river, the locks and a 14th century, grade 1 listed bridge across the river. The area around the riverside and locks is accessible via the riverside path and there is a pub, The Victory, adjacent to the station, along with another, The Bull, in walking distance opposite the church. An accessible path runs along the riverside to Maidstone.

Wateringbury has a lovely marina which is close to the station. There are pubs and tea rooms a short walk away from the station and the village is in an AONB.  Teston Country Park can be accessed along a riverside path.

Yalding is a village 6 miles south of Maidstone and is sited on the convergence of three rivers, the Medway, Teise and Beult and is around I mile from the station. The village can be reached via a pleasant riverside walk that passes Yalding Lock, Yalding Village Cafe and Yalding Weir. At the weir can be found The Anchor pub and the Island cafe and gift shop and Teapot Island, which has over 7600 teapots on display in our exhibition that is open to the public for a small charge. They have over 4000 teapots for sale and also small mementos

Beltring station is in walking distance (20mins) of the Hop Farm Country Park where there is a restaurant and various organised events.  It is a well known wedding and conference facility.

Tonbridge castle is walking distance from the station, through the high street with shops and restaurants. The town has links to Jane Austen ( and a walk that you can do from the station see Explore Kent) and is also a hub to connect via rail to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings and services to London via Sevenoaks.