Rochester - Historic Dickens Town

Before you set off on your awesome adventure, there are a few things you need to know...

This Trail has not been marked as wheelchair friendly due to some steep hills and steps but would be manageable for Trailers with pushchairs.

Bring your four-legged friends along! This Trail is along a dog-friendly route.

This Trail takes you through Rochester Castle Grounds, which opens from 6am and closes at dusk (the earliest closing time is 5pm during winter months). Please check the website below to see Rochester Castle's opening times and to see if any events are happening.

The closest pay and display car park to the Trail start point is at Blue Boar Lane (ME1 1PD); however, there are lots of car parks around Rochester to choose from if this car park is full.

There are some fantastic events held in Rochester throughout the year. The castle grounds play host to live concerts through the summer and stunning Christmas markets in the winter, alongside the annual Dickens Festival in early June and Dickensian Christmas in early December. Although these would be unmissable times to visit Rochester, especially for literature and history lovers, you may find that several of the clues on this Trail are obscured or difficult to access.

There are public toilets available in the Visitor Centre during opening hours, and the route passes several pubs and a few cafes along the way.

Why not make a day of it and spend some time at the Huguenot Museum or Rochester Castle to get your history fix, or take your time whilst strolling through Rochester's beautiful parks and riverside?