Gravesend Marina Connects the Past, Present and the Future
Barge owners who travel the Thames tideway or cross the Channel for a trip down the Canal du Midi will be familiar with Gravesend’s situation as the last town of substance before the river opens out to the estuary. This has given the town a number of historic claims to fame of which perhaps the best known is as the final resting place of Pocahontas, who in March 1617 took ship to return to her native Virginia, but promptly died, probably of pneumonia. Her body was put ashore at Gravesend and is buried in St George’s Church, where she is commemorated by a very charming statue in the church grounds. Another illustrious person commemorated by a statue is Major-General Charles Gordon, who made Gravesend his home between 1865 and 1871, before his demise in the siege of Khartoum in 1885. Gordon was employed to upgrade various fortifications along the Thames, which included the New Tavern Fort in Gravesend. Gordon was a devout Christian and his statue commemorates his generous and unstinting support for the local poor. Gravesend is also home to the world’s oldest surviving cast iron pier, built in 1834 and fully restored in recent years by Gravesham Council and sold to Thames Clippers to be maintained and used as a working pier and pontoon. If you have ever taken a trip on the paddle steamer Waverley you have probably stopped there.
In modern times Gravesend is home to the very imposing Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara – the largest Sikh temple in Europe. Gravesend also lies on the King Charles III Coast Path, which, when completed, will be the largest of its kind in the world. The Gravesend section runs 47 miles from Woolwich to the Isle of Grain, but since the coastal path around the Hoo Peninsular is largely flat and has it’s longeurs, many people prefer instead to follow the local Saxon Shore Way, which is a circular route of a more manageable 8 miles. This turns south once east of Gravesend and runs down to Higham Marshes, where it picks up the return journey along the old Thames and Medway Canal – which brings us neatly to our subject. If you start your riverside walk at Gravesend’s historic town pier and walk east you will pass along the Gordon Parade and then arrive at the Embankment Marina, which was originally the northern end of the Thames and Medway canal joining Gravesend to Strood. However, for the last three years walkers have encountered an obstacle requiring them to make a detour around the Marina, because the swing bridge across the inlet channel was too unsafe to allow anyone to cross it. The good news is that the Marina has had this footbridge restored and on Tuesday 21 April 2026 it was formally opened by Jenny Wallace, Her Worshipful Mayor of Gravesham Borough Council. Using the most enormous pair of municipal scissors you ever saw, The Mayor ceremonially cut the ribbon in the presence of Sharon Brokenshire MBE representing the Embankment Marina, Jamie Gilbert the Assistant Harbourmaster of the Port of London Authority and Stefan Crisp representing the restoration contractors. Sharon Brokenshire explained that the swing bridge had last been restored in 1983, but the soft wood then used came to the end of its life and rendered the bridge unsafe. Since the bridge is part of the Marina, the whole of which is now Grade II listed, the restoration had to be done to a much higher standard than before. This time opepe wood was used, which is a South African hardwood noted for it’s longevity, thereby giving the bridge an anticipated working life of 100 years. Sharon dwelt on the history of the canal itself, which may be briefly told.
Construction commenced with the passing of the Thames and Medway Canal Act of 1800. Initial optimism was high, as it would cut off the route around the Hoo Peninsular and shorten the route for military craft connecting the Royal Naval Dockyards at Chatham with the ammunition stores at Woolwich. This was considered particularly significant with the start of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803; but the canal was not finished until 1824 and in practice it was not a commercial success. In the early 1840’s the Gravesend and Rochester Railway was built following the line of the canal and in 1846 the whole thing was sold to the South Eastern Rail Company. They promptly filled in the tunnel through the chalk hills south of Higham and ran their tracks through it. The Strood Marina was filled in and built over in 1986, so the southern end between Higham and Strood has now completely disappeared. The remaining stretch between Higham and Gravesend lingered with much reduced use until 1934, when traffic ceased. It then fell into picturesque decay until the 1970’s when interest in Englands canal network began to revive. The Thames and Medway Canal Association was formed in 1976 and has performed wonders in dredging, clearing reed beds and fully restoring the towpath for both pedestrians and cyclists. The Gravesend Marina itself was fully dreged in 2004 and the lock gates repaired, which restored access to boats on the river. It is now home to a thriving community of approximately 36 barges with a visitors pontoon. While the Marina is unsuitable for keel boats, sailors can enjoy the facilities of the Gravesend Sailing Club immediately next door. Sharon thanked them for their patience and support during restoration and also for the use of their very agreeable facilities. Sharon also thanked Gravesham Borough Council, Kent County Council and the PLA for their support and co-operation. Sharon dwelt upon the present efforts to restore relics of the past like the Town Pier, the Marina and the Canal for the use and enjoyment of future generations. She hoped the Embankment Marina would be a significant place for barges to visit and make their home. She also noted that, in addition to restoring the original route for walkers and cyclists, the bridge serves the convenience of the industrial units on the east side and will also serve that of the proposed residential developments along the riverbank. Sharon concluded with considerable satisfaction that the swing bridge does more than just connect both sides of the Marina, it symbolically connects the past with the present and the future.
More information on the Thames and Medway Canal Association can be found on www.thamesmedway.co.uk
Gravesend Town Pier has a pontoon which can be booked in advance through Thames Clippers, who encourage it’s use by sail and motor barges. You must contact them at least 72 hours in advance at pierbookings@thamesclippers.com. They will notify you of their very modest charges and will require brief details of your boat, proof of insurance and a simple risk assessment to confirm your booking.
Gravesend celebrates it’s river history with an annual regatta, held since 1846 and second in age only to the Henley Regatta. This year it will take place on the weekend of 1-2 August 2026. If you would like to take part in the rowing contests, hold a stall or simply enjoy the festivities full information is available on www.gravesend-regatta.co.uk
A Rich and Varied History
Above. Queen Victoria watching the departure of HRH Princess Royal from Gravesend on February 2nd 1858
Gravesend’s strategic importance as the first port of landing from overseas and the last port of departure from London, because of the way the tides work, has resulted in a rich history.
Princess Pocohontas, Dickens, General Gordon, Queen Victoria (pictured above), Franklin (pictured below), each have played a part in the history of the town. The indigenous history includes one of the oldest surviving markets in the country, the charter dating from 1268. Recently completely re-furbished, the market is a treasure of local produce and interest. Bawley Bay, named after the shrimp boats that used to moor there in the 19th Centuary, over 100 of them, is to this day, used to commemorate our seamen who have lost their lives locally and on oceans around the world. Our local river boats use the shingle beach that Bawley offers to beach their boats and do below the waterline repairs.
The history of the Marina, Gravesend Canal Basin and the Gravesend Medway Canal are well documented online. Tap here to discover more…
Above. Arctic explorer Franklins crew trapped in the ice
Mahinder Singh Pujji
The statue of squadron leader Mahinder Singh Pujji commemorating those who served in conflict from 1914 – 2014. The town pier in the background.
The Marina Basin
Above. The Waverly at Gravesend
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The Marina Basin was built in the early 1800’s as the western end of the Thames and Medway Canal, the other end being in the river Medway. The Canal was conceived as a wartime, (Napolionic War), route to supply the Chatham Royal Dockyard with munitions from Woolwich Arsenal, avoiding the Thames estuary where French ships were keen to capture or sink our ammunition ships.
Our site is listed and features some fine examples of original Victorian engineering, to this day the lock gates are operated by the original Victorian manual winches. They work perfectly and save us a gym membership.
Gravesend’s Town Pier is the oldest surviving example of a cast iron pier in the world. Faithfully restored, along with two other surviving piers at Gravesend, it remains a testament to the enjoyment the Victorians experienced getting out of London, going, then, for a day at the seaside and experiencing the delights of the Rosherville Gardens, some say, the 8th Wonder of the World, just up-river from us, sadly, since, converted to industry. The Town Pier remains a stopping and mooring point for craft en-route up or down Thames. The Waverly paddle (pictured above) steamer and the Balmoral visit every year amongst a variety of other interesting craft.
Gravesend town itself is a hugely varied example of architecture spanning centueries, the trick is to look up, above the shopfronts to the original buildings. Not far away, to the east, Rochester Castle is known for amongst other things, it’s odd round tower, Upnor Castle on the Medway famously failed to defend the British Naval Fleet from a Dutch Captain who set fire or captured a significant part of our fleet at Chatham without a defensive shot being fired in return. Alledgedly it is the origin of the saying, ‘keep your powder dry’. The British Navy at the time, despite Samuel Pepys, he then, responsible for provisioning the Navy, browbeating the Commissioners for more money. Lesson learned! To this day, a yacht race takes place between Upnor and Holland to commemorate, or perhaps, commiserate, that event. This year, 2017, a festival celebrating it’s anniversary will take place on the Medway.
South, and not far from Gravesend are Chartwell, home of Winston Churchill and the beautiful Leeds Castle with 900 years of history. To the north, across the Thames via the Tilbury Ferry, that service having been operating since around 1571, to this day, provides a regular daily service, gives access to Tilbury Fort, the earliest version of which was consructed by Henry VIII. Not, probably, the one he marched his men up and down, bit flat in Essex, but noteable, nonetheless.
To the west, Bluewater Shopping Centre, a modern arcitectural feat, built in an abandonded chalk quarry, chalk and associated cement were big around here, is a stunning example of how modern architecture can transform a derelict site. It also happens to be one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe.