River Medway
Encyclopedia
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent
, England
, flows for 70 miles (113 km) from just inside the West Sussex
border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary
.
It has a catchment area
of 930 square miles (2,409 km²), the largest in southern England. The map opposite shows only the major tributaries: a more detailed map shows the extensive network of smaller streams feeding into the main river. Those tributaries rise from points along the North Downs
, the Weald
and Ashdown Forest
.
-
The major tributaries are:
Minor tributaries include:
Former minor tributaries include the Old Bourne River, that flowed through the Brook, Chatham (not to be confused with the main tributary River Bourne).
The river and its tributaries flow through largely rural areas, Tonbridge
, Maidstone
and Medway
being the exceptions. The Medway itself initially flows in a west-east direction south of the North Downs
; at the confluence of the River Beult, however, it turns northerly and breaks through the North Downs at the Medway Gap
, a steep and narrow valley near Rochester, before its final section to the sea.
Until 1746 the river was impassable above Maidstone. To that point each village on the river had its wharf
or wharves: at Halling
, Snodland
, New Hythe and Aylesford
. Cargoes included corn, fodder, fruit, stone and timber.
In 1746 improvements to the channel meant that barges of 40 long tons (40.6 t) could reach East Farleigh
, Yalding
and even Tonbridge. In 1828 the channel was further improved to Leigh
in 1828. There are eleven locks on the river. The lowest, opened in 1792, is at Allington
, and is the extent of tides. The others are East Farleigh
, Teston
, Hampstead Lane
, Stoneham Old Lock (disused), Sluice Weir Lock
, Oak Wier Lock
, East Lock, Porter's, Eldridge's and Town Lock in Tonbridge
. The locks will take craft up to 80 feet (24.4 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), and vessels with a draft
of 4 feet (1.2 m) can navigate the river. The shallowest point is just below Sluice Weir Lock which is prone to silting after heavy rain.
Small craft such as canoe
s can sometimes travel as far as Penshurst
. The stretch from Leigh
to Allington is known as the Medway Navigation, and is 19 miles (30.6 km) in length. The Environment Agency
is the navigation authority
.
Until recently the lowest crossing of the Medway was at Rochester, where there has been a bridge since Roman
times. In the 14th century the Wardens and Commonalty of Rochester Bridge
were instituted by Sir John de Cobham
to pay for the rebuilding and upkeep of the bridge. Until 1963 the nearest crossing to Rochester Bridge was the 14th century bridge at Aylesford, 12 miles (19.3 km) upstream. Since then the following additional crossings have come into use:
Three other major crossings are at Tonbridge where bridges carry the A227 road
and a rail link
over the river, there is also a two-span viaduct which takes the A21 over the Medway Valley near Haysden.
was constructed near Leigh
to protect Tonbridge, which had been severely affected by the flooding of 1968. During periods of high flow, the downstream flow is controlled by allowing up to 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of farmland upstream of the barrier to flood.
follows the river from Rochester to Tonbridge
along the bank most of the way above Allington
. It starts on the Saxon Shore Way
at Rochester. The North Downs Way
crosses the river using the Medway Viaduct
or motorway bridge. The Greensand Way
crosses the river at Yalding
. At West Peckham
, it is joined by the Wealdway
which continues through Tonbridge, thus linking with the Eden Valley Walk. Maidstone Millennium River Park is a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) walk from Teston Country Park to the Museum of Kent Life
at Sandling
. The park, built between 1998 and 2001 has reansformed 18 acres (7.3 ha) of wasteland and led to the construction o three new footbridges over the river.
Ancient sites abound throughout the length of the River Medway. The area around Aylesford
is a particularly important Stone Age
site: the Medway megaliths
are a group of Neolithic
chamber tomb
s including the Coldrum Stones
and Kit's Coty House
. Bronze Age
ornaments and beakers have been found all along the river; and burial sites and other finds come from the pre-Roman Iron Age
. The Romans have left evidence of many villas in the lower Medway Valley; and burial sites of the Jutes
have also been found.
The Domesday Book records many manors
in the Medway valley. Castles became a feature of the landscape: Rochester, Allington, Leeds, and West Malling
being some of them.
Two military actions are named after the river: the Battle of the Medway
(43 CE
, during the Roman invasion of Britain; the other, the Raid on the Medway
, took place in 1667 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War
.
In the eighteenth century Samuel Ireland
published an illustrated book about a journey up the River Medway, although he travels no further than the River Bewl
at Bayham Abbey. The book contains a map, which shows some of the tributaries (unnamed). The illustrations of the river include the castles at Queenborough
, Upnor
, Leybourne
, Tonbridge
and Hever
; Penshurst Place
; and the bridges at Teston
, Maidstone
, Aylesford
, East Farleigh
, Barming
, Branbridges
and Tonbridge
. The hop fields
in the vicinity of the latter are also described; and the course of the River Len, which then supplied Maidstone with its water supply. The book states that Within about two miles of Tunbridge the Medway branches out into several small streams, five of which unite at the town”)” ... having each its stone bridge. (the river is of course flowing in the opposite direction).
The Thames and Medway Canal
, linking the Medway at Strood to Gravesend
was completed in 1824, but it was a not commercial success: by 1849 the South Eastern Railway
had taken over the tunnel. the western part of the canal remained in use until 1934.
In 1942 the world's first test of a submarine oil pipeline was conducted on a pipeline laid across the Medway in Operation Pluto
.
's Faerie Queene in the 16th century (Book IV, Canto xi). Joseph Conrad
describes the view up the Medway from the Thames Estuary
in The Mirror of the Sea (1906).
For the 1999 film The Mummy
the river was filmed at Chatham Dockyard
, in an imitation of a “port at Cairo
”. The scene is brief but involves the main protagonists departing on their mission to the city of the dead.
Every year a festival is held in Maidstone to celebrate the River Medway. Maidstone River Festival, which has been running since 1980, is held on the last Saturday of July. It features events on and around the river and attracts thousands to Kent's county town. The Maidstone River Festival is celebrated during the last weekend in July every year. In 2009, the festival celebrated its 30th anniversary.
"Medway Flows Softly" is a song by local man George Gilbert; it was written in the mid 60s and is often played in local folk clubs and at festivals in Kent.
The River Medway is featured at Maidstone in the studio backdrop of the ITV1 regional news programme Meridian Tonight
.
At 7.15 p.m. on 1st May each year, local morris dancers Kettle Bridge Clogs dance across Barming
Bridge (otherwise known as the Kettle Bridge) to mark the official start of their morris dancing season.
Recreationally the river is used by many. For example individuals and many clubs have trips to paddle along many different parts of the Medway (e.g. Bewl Canoe Club). Individuals and clubs members paddling on the Medway and most other rivers should be members of the BCU.
into two parts: this may allude to the fact that, since AD 604, there have been two dioceses: Canterbury and Rochester, whose jurisdiction covered much of everyday life. The tradition has grown up, and today is kept alive by the Association of Men of Kent and Kentish Men, that those born in West Kent
- the area north of the river, but including Maidstone, Gillingham (other than Rainham), Rochester and Chatham - are labelled Kentish Men (or Maids); while those born in East Kent are Men of Kent (or Maids). This labelling applies equally to those born in those parts of the traditional county absorbed into London
in the 1880s.
, make cloth
, smelt iron
, pump water and generate electricity. There are over two hundred sites on the Medway where such usage is known. Today, only one mill is working for a commercial trade.
See Medway watermills
, Medway watermills (upper tributaries), Medway watermills (middle tributaries) and Medway watermills (lower tributaries) for details of the watermills.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, flows for 70 miles (113 km) from just inside the West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary
Thames Estuary
The Thames Mouth is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea.It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary, although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary...
.
It has a catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 930 square miles (2,409 km²), the largest in southern England. The map opposite shows only the major tributaries: a more detailed map shows the extensive network of smaller streams feeding into the main river. Those tributaries rise from points along the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
, the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
and Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England...
.
Tributaries
The major tributaries are:
- River EdenRiver Eden, KentThe River Eden in West Kent is a tributary of the River Medway. It travels through the Weald of Kent from the border with Surrey, rising from the source in Titsey parish, Surrey, grid reference TQ 420 551, about 350 metres north of Clacket Lane motorway services, and flowing...
- River Bourne, known as the River Shode and River Busty
- River TeiseRiver TeiseThe River Teise is a tributary of the River Medway in Kent, England. It begins in Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells. and flows eastwards past Bayham Abbey and then through Lamberhurst...
, major sub tributary River BewlRiver BewlThe River Bewl is a tributary of the River Teise in Kent, England. Its headwaters are in the High Weald, in Sussex between Lamberhurst, Wadhurst and Flimwell. The valley is deeply incised into Tunbridge Wells red sandstone, with a base of alluvium on Wadhurst clay.Between 1973 and 1975, a was...
. - River BeultRiver BeultThe River Beult is a tributary of the River Medway. It has several sources west of Ashford, including one at Woodchurch. It then flows through Headcorn. At Hunton, above Yalding it is joined by the major stream of the River Teise. Town bridge lies 10¼ miles from Allington, it is the longest...
- Loose Stream
- River Len
Minor tributaries include:
- The Wateringbury StreamWateringbury StreamThe Wateringbury stream rises at Swanton, West Peckham parish, flows south east towards Mereworth and then flows in a generally easterly direction to join the River Medway at Wateringbury. It is some four miles long and powered a number of watermills....
- The East Malling StreamEast Malling StreamThe East Malling Stream, known locally as "The Stream", rises at Well Street, East Malling, Kent, and flows in a generally easterly direction to join the River Medway at Mill Hall, Aylesford. It powered six watermills...
Former minor tributaries include the Old Bourne River, that flowed through the Brook, Chatham (not to be confused with the main tributary River Bourne).
The river and its tributaries flow through largely rural areas, Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
, Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
and Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
being the exceptions. The Medway itself initially flows in a west-east direction south of the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
; at the confluence of the River Beult, however, it turns northerly and breaks through the North Downs at the Medway Gap
Medway Gap
The Medway Gap is a topographic feature in the English county of Kent near Rochester.It was created when the prehistoric River Medway cut through line of chalk hills now known as the North Downs; other rivers such as the Darent and the Stour have similar features.Its past significance as a means of...
, a steep and narrow valley near Rochester, before its final section to the sea.
Navigation
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
or wharves: at Halling
Halling, Kent
Halling is a village on the North Downs in the northern part of Kent, England, covering 7.1 square kilometres of land. Consisting of Lower Halling, Upper Halling and North Halling, it is scattered over some along the River Medway parallel to the Pilgrims' Way running over Kent.The origin of the...
, Snodland
Snodland
Snodland is a small town in the county of Kent, England, located on the River Medway between Rochester and Maidstone. It has a population of about 12,000 people....
, New Hythe and Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
. Cargoes included corn, fodder, fruit, stone and timber.
In 1746 improvements to the channel meant that barges of 40 long tons (40.6 t) could reach East Farleigh
East Farleigh
East Farleigh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Maidstone, Kent, England. The village is located on the south side of the River Medway about two miles upstream of the town of Maidstone...
, Yalding
Yalding
Yalding is a village and part of Yalding civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England.The village is situated six miles south-west of Maidstone at a point where the Rivers Teise and Beult join the River Medway....
and even Tonbridge. In 1828 the channel was further improved to Leigh
Leigh, Kent
Leigh , historically spelled Lyghe, is a village and a civil parish located in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. It is located six miles south of Sevenoaks town and three miles west of Tonbridge....
in 1828. There are eleven locks on the river. The lowest, opened in 1792, is at Allington
Allington, Kent
Allington is an almost entirely modern village situated alongside the sides of the A20 road west of Maidstone in Kent. It is part of the built-up area of Maidstone. It has 2 primary schools; Allington Primary and Palace Wood...
, and is the extent of tides. The others are East Farleigh
East Farleigh
East Farleigh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Maidstone, Kent, England. The village is located on the south side of the River Medway about two miles upstream of the town of Maidstone...
, Teston
Teston
Teston is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It is located on the A26 road out of Maidstone, four miles from the town centre. There is a narrow stone bridge over the River Medway here....
, Hampstead Lane
Yalding
Yalding is a village and part of Yalding civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England.The village is situated six miles south-west of Maidstone at a point where the Rivers Teise and Beult join the River Medway....
, Stoneham Old Lock (disused), Sluice Weir Lock
East Peckham
East Peckham is a village in Kent, England, made up of nine hamlets and situated about east of Tonbridge on the River Medway. It was the centre for the hop growing industry in Kent and is still home to the Hop Farm which has the world's largest collection of Oast Houses.-History:The Domesday entry...
, Oak Wier Lock
East Peckham
East Peckham is a village in Kent, England, made up of nine hamlets and situated about east of Tonbridge on the River Medway. It was the centre for the hop growing industry in Kent and is still home to the Hop Farm which has the world's largest collection of Oast Houses.-History:The Domesday entry...
, East Lock, Porter's, Eldridge's and Town Lock in Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
. The locks will take craft up to 80 feet (24.4 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), and vessels with a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 4 feet (1.2 m) can navigate the river. The shallowest point is just below Sluice Weir Lock which is prone to silting after heavy rain.
Small craft such as canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s can sometimes travel as far as Penshurst
Penshurst
Penshurst is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The parish is located on the northern slopes of the Weald, west of Tonbridge. Within the parish boundaries are the two villages of Penshurst and Fordcombe, with a combined population of some 1,479 persons. The...
. The stretch from Leigh
Leigh, Kent
Leigh , historically spelled Lyghe, is a village and a civil parish located in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. It is located six miles south of Sevenoaks town and three miles west of Tonbridge....
to Allington is known as the Medway Navigation, and is 19 miles (30.6 km) in length. The Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
is the navigation authority
Navigation authority
A navigation authority is a company or statutory body which is concerned with the management of a navigable canal or river.-Rights of a navigation authority:...
.
River crossings
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times. In the 14th century the Wardens and Commonalty of Rochester Bridge
Rochester Bridge
Rochester Bridge was for centuries the lowest fixed crossing of the River Medway in Kent, southern England. There have been several generations of bridge at this spot, and the current "bridge" is in fact four separate bridges: two carrying the A2 road, one carrying the railway and one carrying all...
were instituted by Sir John de Cobham
John de Cobham, 3rd Baron Cobham
John de Cobham, 3rd Baron Cobham was the son of John de Cobham, 2nd Baron Cobham and Joan de Beauchamp. He was given a licence to crenellate by Richard II in 1381 and built Cooling Castle at the family seat in Cowling or Cooling, Kent....
to pay for the rebuilding and upkeep of the bridge. Until 1963 the nearest crossing to Rochester Bridge was the 14th century bridge at Aylesford, 12 miles (19.3 km) upstream. Since then the following additional crossings have come into use:
- 1963 A viaduct over the river was built south of Rochester to carry the first section of the M2 motorway. In 2003 this was widened to two separate spans.
- Between 1963 and 1996 the M20M20 motorwayThe M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
was built so a bridge by default was built over the Medway south of Aylesford. - 1996 The Medway Tunnel became the river's lowest crossing, connecting Gillingham to StroodStroodStrood is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. It lies on the north west bank of the River Medway at its lowest bridging point, and is part of the Rochester post town....
. The four-lane tunnel was constructed using the immersed tubeImmersed tubeAn immersed tube is a kind of underwater tunnel composed of segments, constructed elsewhere and floated to the tunnel site to be sunk into place and then linked together. They are commonly used for road and rail crossings of rivers, estuaries and sea channels/harbours...
method, and was partially paid for by Rochester Bridge Trust, the current form of the Wardens and Commonalty. - 2003 A 0.8 miles (1.3 km) railway bridgeBridgeA bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
, with a central span of 498 feet (151.8 m), was constructed for High Speed 1. The railway bridge lies parallel to the M2 motorway bridges.
Three other major crossings are at Tonbridge where bridges carry the A227 road
A227 road
The A227 road in England runs from Gravesend in Kent in a generally south-south-westerly direction to Tonbridge. It is about in length.-Overview:...
and a rail link
Redhill to Tonbridge Line
The Redhill to Tonbridge Line is a railway line running from Redhill, Surrey to Tonbridge, Kent in southeast England. It branches off the Brighton Main Line at Redhill station and, after 20 miles, joins the South Eastern Main Line at Tonbridge station....
over the river, there is also a two-span viaduct which takes the A21 over the Medway Valley near Haysden.
Flooding
The middle section of the Medway above Tonbridge, because of the many tributaries entering the river in this stretch, has always been subject to extensive flooding. The town itself has suffered frequent flooding over the centuries - so much so that the higher part of the town to north is called Dryhill. Flood protection measures have therefore had priority. In 1981, a flood barrierFlood barrier
A flood barrier, surge barrier of storm surge barrier is a specific type of floodgate, designed to prevent a storm surge or spring tide from flooding the protected area behind the barrier...
was constructed near Leigh
Leigh, Kent
Leigh , historically spelled Lyghe, is a village and a civil parish located in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. It is located six miles south of Sevenoaks town and three miles west of Tonbridge....
to protect Tonbridge, which had been severely affected by the flooding of 1968. During periods of high flow, the downstream flow is controlled by allowing up to 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of farmland upstream of the barrier to flood.
Footpaths
The Medway Valley WalkMedway Valley Walk
The Medway Valley Walk follows the River Medway from Rochester to Tonbridge. Above Allington, it follows the bank of the Medway Navigation. It starts on the Saxon Shore Way at Rochester. The North Downs Way crosses the Medway Valley Walk at the eastern end of the Medway Viaduct or motorway bridge....
follows the river from Rochester to Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
along the bank most of the way above Allington
Allington, Kent
Allington is an almost entirely modern village situated alongside the sides of the A20 road west of Maidstone in Kent. It is part of the built-up area of Maidstone. It has 2 primary schools; Allington Primary and Palace Wood...
. It starts on the Saxon Shore Way
Saxon Shore Way
The Saxon Shore Way is a long-distance footpath in England, starting at Gravesend, Kent and traces the coast as it was in Roman times as far as Hastings, East Sussex, in total.-History:...
at Rochester. The North Downs Way
North Downs Way
The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Kent Downs AONB.East of Boughton Lees, the path splits...
crosses the river using the Medway Viaduct
Medway Viaduct
There are three Medway Viaducts, two of which carry the two carriageways of the M2 motorway. The other viaduct carries High Speed 1 across the River Medway near Rochester in north Kent, England.-M2 Motorway viaduct :...
or motorway bridge. The Greensand Way
Greensand Way
The Greensand Way is long distance walk of in southeast England, from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent. It follows the Greensand Ridge along the Surrey Hills and Chart Hills. The route is mostly rural, passing through woods, and alongside fruit orchards and hop farms in Kent and links...
crosses the river at Yalding
Yalding
Yalding is a village and part of Yalding civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England.The village is situated six miles south-west of Maidstone at a point where the Rivers Teise and Beult join the River Medway....
. At West Peckham
West Peckham
West Peckham is a village in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. The River Bourne flows through the extreme west of the parish, and formerly powered a paper mill and corn mill . The Wateringbury Stream rises in the parish...
, it is joined by the Wealdway
Wealdway
The Wealdway, Kent and East Sussex, is a public footpath that runs from Gravesend, Kent on the Thames estuary, to the A259 at Eastbourne, 3 km north of Beachy Head....
which continues through Tonbridge, thus linking with the Eden Valley Walk. Maidstone Millennium River Park is a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) walk from Teston Country Park to the Museum of Kent Life
Museum of Kent Life
Kent Life is an open air museum located at Sandling, next to Allington Locks on the east bank of the River Medway.- History :...
at Sandling
Sandling, Maidstone
Sandling is a suburb to the north of the town of Maidstone, Kent, England. Within the area is the headquarters of the Kent Wildlife Trust at Tyland Barn. Beside the River Medway is an eating place called The Malta Inn. Sandling is also home to the Museum of Kent Life...
. The park, built between 1998 and 2001 has reansformed 18 acres (7.3 ha) of wasteland and led to the construction o three new footbridges over the river.
History
Much of the information in this paragraph is taken from Frank Jessup's bookAncient sites abound throughout the length of the River Medway. The area around Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
is a particularly important Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
site: the Medway megaliths
Medway megaliths
The Medway megaliths or Medway tombs are names given to a group of Neolithic chambered long barrows and other megaliths located in the lower valley of the River Medway in the English county of Kent...
are a group of Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
chamber tomb
Chamber tomb
A chamber tomb is a tomb for burial used in many different cultures. In the case of individual burials, the chamber is thought to signify a higher status for the interree than a simple grave. Built from rock or sometimes wood, the chambers could also serve as places for storage of the dead from one...
s including the Coldrum Stones
Coldrum Stones
The Coldrum Stones are the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Trottiscliffe in the English county of Kent.The monument has been greatly affected by 19th century treasure hunters and chalk extraction but the kerb of 31 peristaliths largely survives, meaning that it is often mistaken...
and Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House or Kit's Coty is the name of the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow on Blue Bell Hill near Aylesford in the English county of Kent. It is one of the Medway megaliths....
. Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
ornaments and beakers have been found all along the river; and burial sites and other finds come from the pre-Roman Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
. The Romans have left evidence of many villas in the lower Medway Valley; and burial sites of the Jutes
Jutes
The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutæ were a Germanic people who, according to Bede, were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of their time, the other two being the Saxons and the Angles...
have also been found.
The Domesday Book records many manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
in the Medway valley. Castles became a feature of the landscape: Rochester, Allington, Leeds, and West Malling
West Malling
West Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
being some of them.
Two military actions are named after the river: the Battle of the Medway
Battle of the Medway
The Battle of the Medway took place in 43 AD on the River Medway in the lands of the Iron Age tribe of the Cantiaci, now the English county of Kent...
(43 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
, during the Roman invasion of Britain; the other, the Raid on the Medway
Raid on the Medway
The Raid on the Medway, sometimes called the Battle of the Medway, Raid on Chatham or the Battle of Chatham, was a successful Dutch attack on the largest English naval ships, laid up in the dockyards of their main naval base Chatham, that took place in June 1667 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War...
, took place in 1667 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
.
In the eighteenth century Samuel Ireland
Samuel Ireland
Samuel Ireland , British author and engraver, is best remembered today as the chief victim of the Ireland Shakespeare forgeries created by his son, William Henry Ireland.-Early life:...
published an illustrated book about a journey up the River Medway, although he travels no further than the River Bewl
River Bewl
The River Bewl is a tributary of the River Teise in Kent, England. Its headwaters are in the High Weald, in Sussex between Lamberhurst, Wadhurst and Flimwell. The valley is deeply incised into Tunbridge Wells red sandstone, with a base of alluvium on Wadhurst clay.Between 1973 and 1975, a was...
at Bayham Abbey. The book contains a map, which shows some of the tributaries (unnamed). The illustrations of the river include the castles at Queenborough
Queenborough
Queenborough is a small town on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in South East England.Queenborough is two miles south of Sheerness. It grew as a port near the Thames Estuary at the westward entrance to The Swale where it joins the River Medway...
, Upnor
Upnor
Lower Upnor and Upper Upnor are two small villages in Medway, Kent, England. They are in the parish of Frindsbury Extra on the western bank of the River Medway...
, Leybourne
Leybourne
Leybourne is a small village in Kent, England situated off Junction 4 of the M20 Motorway. Leybourne is adjacent to Larkfield and West Malling....
, Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
and Hever
Hever Castle
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever near Edenbridge, Kent, south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century...
; Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place is a historic building near Tonbridge, Kent, south east of London, England. It is the ancestral home of the Sidney family, and was the birthplace of the great Elizabethan poet, courtier and soldier, Sir Philip Sidney. The original medieval house is one of the most complete examples...
; and the bridges at Teston
Teston
Teston is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It is located on the A26 road out of Maidstone, four miles from the town centre. There is a narrow stone bridge over the River Medway here....
, Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
, East Farleigh
East Farleigh
East Farleigh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Maidstone, Kent, England. The village is located on the south side of the River Medway about two miles upstream of the town of Maidstone...
, Barming
Barming
Barming is a civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It lies to the west of Maidstone, the county town, and had a population of 2234 persons . The eastern end of the parish is part of the built-up area of Maidstone, although the remainder is much more rural...
, Branbridges
Branbridges
Branbridges is a village in Kent, England, on the River Medway. It is near East Peckham and the nearest railway station is Beltring....
and Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
. The hop fields
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
in the vicinity of the latter are also described; and the course of the River Len, which then supplied Maidstone with its water supply. The book states that Within about two miles of Tunbridge the Medway branches out into several small streams, five of which unite at the town”)” ... having each its stone bridge. (the river is of course flowing in the opposite direction).
The Thames and Medway Canal
Thames and Medway Canal
The Thames and Medway Canal is a disused canal in Kent, south east England, also known as the Gravesend and Rochester Canal. It was originally some long and cut across the neck of the Hoo peninsula, linking the River Thames at Gravesend with the River Medway at Strood...
, linking the Medway at Strood to Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
was completed in 1824, but it was a not commercial success: by 1849 the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
had taken over the tunnel. the western part of the canal remained in use until 1934.
Operation Pluto
Operation Pluto was a World War II operation by British scientists, oil companies and armed forces to construct undersea oil pipelines under the English Channel between England and France. The scheme was developed by Arthur Hartley, chief engineer with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company...
.
Culture and the river
The Medway's 'marriage' to the Thames is given extensive treatment by Edmund SpenserEdmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
's Faerie Queene in the 16th century (Book IV, Canto xi). Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad was a Polish-born English novelist.Conrad is regarded as one of the great novelists in English, although he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties...
describes the view up the Medway from the Thames Estuary
Thames Estuary
The Thames Mouth is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea.It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary, although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary...
in The Mirror of the Sea (1906).
For the 1999 film The Mummy
The Mummy (1999 film)
The Mummy is a 1999 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Kevin J. O'Connor, with Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film features substantial dialogue in ancient Egyptian language, spoken...
the river was filmed at Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
, in an imitation of a “port at Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
”. The scene is brief but involves the main protagonists departing on their mission to the city of the dead.
Every year a festival is held in Maidstone to celebrate the River Medway. Maidstone River Festival, which has been running since 1980, is held on the last Saturday of July. It features events on and around the river and attracts thousands to Kent's county town. The Maidstone River Festival is celebrated during the last weekend in July every year. In 2009, the festival celebrated its 30th anniversary.
"Medway Flows Softly" is a song by local man George Gilbert; it was written in the mid 60s and is often played in local folk clubs and at festivals in Kent.
The River Medway is featured at Maidstone in the studio backdrop of the ITV1 regional news programme Meridian Tonight
Meridian Tonight
Meridian Tonight is a regional television news and current affairs programme, produced by ITV Meridian , serving the South and South East of England , and usually broadcast at 6pm and 10.30pm every weeknight. Other bulletins are branded as Meridian News...
.
At 7.15 p.m. on 1st May each year, local morris dancers Kettle Bridge Clogs dance across Barming
Barming
Barming is a civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It lies to the west of Maidstone, the county town, and had a population of 2234 persons . The eastern end of the parish is part of the built-up area of Maidstone, although the remainder is much more rural...
Bridge (otherwise known as the Kettle Bridge) to mark the official start of their morris dancing season.
Recreationally the river is used by many. For example individuals and many clubs have trips to paddle along many different parts of the Medway (e.g. Bewl Canoe Club). Individuals and clubs members paddling on the Medway and most other rivers should be members of the BCU.
The Medway, "Kentish Men" and "Men of Kent"
The Medway is said to divide the county of KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
into two parts: this may allude to the fact that, since AD 604, there have been two dioceses: Canterbury and Rochester, whose jurisdiction covered much of everyday life. The tradition has grown up, and today is kept alive by the Association of Men of Kent and Kentish Men, that those born in West Kent
West Kent
West Kent and East Kent are one-time traditional subdivisions of the English county of Kent, kept alive by the Association of the Men of Kent and Kentish Men: an organisation formed in 1913....
- the area north of the river, but including Maidstone, Gillingham (other than Rainham), Rochester and Chatham - are labelled Kentish Men (or Maids); while those born in East Kent are Men of Kent (or Maids). This labelling applies equally to those born in those parts of the traditional county absorbed into London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the 1880s.
Watermills
Man has harnessed the power of the Medway for a millennium or more. Waterwheels and turbines powered by the waters of the Medway and its tributaries have been used by man to mill corn, make paperPaper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, make cloth
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
, smelt iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, pump water and generate electricity. There are over two hundred sites on the Medway where such usage is known. Today, only one mill is working for a commercial trade.
See Medway watermills
Medway watermills
The River Medway, its tributaries and sub-tributaries have been used as a source of power for over 1,150 years. There are over two hundred sites where the use of water power is known...
, Medway watermills (upper tributaries), Medway watermills (middle tributaries) and Medway watermills (lower tributaries) for details of the watermills.
See also
- Tributaries of the River ThamesTributaries of the River ThamesThis article lists the tributaries of the River Thames, in England. It also includes significant backwaters and waterways which also have confluences with the main stream of the River Thames.Most of the tributaries are natural, but a few were man-made...
- List of rivers in England
- Rivers of KentRivers of KentThere are four rivers draining the county of Kent, England.- River Medway :This is the main river, whose catchment area covers almost 25% of the county...
- Gillingham
- ChathamChatham, MedwayChatham is one of the Medway towns located within the Medway unitary authority, in North Kent, in South East England.Although the dockyard has long been closed and is now being redeveloped into a business and residential community as well as a museum featuring the famous submarine, HMS Ocelot,...
- Rochester
- The London Stones in UpnorUpnorLower Upnor and Upper Upnor are two small villages in Medway, Kent, England. They are in the parish of Frindsbury Extra on the western bank of the River Medway...
External links
- Map of the Medway catchment area
- Detailed navigation information
- Leigh Flood Barrier page from the EA
- Flood protection measures
- Medway Valley Countryside Partnership
- Early Norman Churches In and Near the Medway Valley, Rev. Grevile M. Livett, Archaeologica Cantiana, Vol. 20, Kent Archaeological Society, 1893
- Bewl Canoe Club
- BCU Website