Medway

Rochester sits at the heart of Medway, its high street of timber-framed buildings and antique shops running up towards the castle and cathedral. It is the natural place to start any visit, and a good base for exploring the wider area, which stretches from the historic dockyard at Chatham out through the towns of Gillingham and Strood into the chalk farmland beyond.

For somewhere quieter to stay, the cottages at Decoy Farm offer a different side of Medway altogether. The Cart Shed, The Haybarn and The Stable are all self-catering conversions on the same farm, well suited to those who want countryside around them rather than town streets. Oakwell Lodge and Cottage Annex round out the self-catering options, giving visitors a choice between a working farm setting and something closer to the towns themselves.

Chatham's dockyard is the big draw for anyone interested in the area's naval past, and Rochester Castle and Cathedral give the city a real sense of depth, with centuries of history layered into the same few streets. Beyond the obvious landmarks, Medway rewards a bit of wandering, whether that is along the riverside at Chatham or through the older lanes of Rochester itself.

Whether you base yourself in a farm cottage outside town or head straight into Rochester or Chatham for the day, Medway works well as either a short break or a stop on a longer tour of Kent. The mix of dockyard history, cathedral city streets and genuinely wide choice of places to eat makes it an easy area to fill a few days without having to travel far.