Southeastern - Gravesend

Trains to Gravesend

From the historic town of Gravesend on the river Thames to quintessentially Kentish villages, set in some of the county’s most beautiful countryside - this is a borough to experience with plenty to offer every taste and budget!

Gravesend with its famous piers and cobbled High Street full of independent shops, artisan makers and atmospheric tea and tap rooms is the perfect place to start. This is also a town of myth and legend with stories to tell at every corner – including the last resting place of Pocahontas and the home of famous author Charles Dickens.

Getting here: Gravesend station is just 24 minutes from London St Pancras International on our highspeed service or just over an hour via our mainline service from London Bridge and London Charing Cross.

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Discover local heroes – from Pocahontas to Charles Dickens

A great way to discover an area is to walk in the footsteps of people who left their mark and it’s easy to build a picture of the lives they lived and the legacy they left through the places they lived or worked, the old pubs they frequented, and all the other reminders that remain to this day. These are people whose stories are weaved into the fabric of the place and still remembered through street names and blue plaques, festivals and events, statues and memorials, parks and churchyards.

Beautiful countryside, parks, and outdoor activities

Nestling between the River Thames and the North Downs, the countryside to the east and south of Gravesend is an exceptional Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, containing Ancient Woodland and Country Parks, and historic villages of windmills, award winning vineyards, country houses and cricket on the green. With a cluster of country parks, community woodlands, historic parklands and the CycloPark, there is so much more to see on foot or by bike in Gravesend and the villages around.

Maritime and defence heritage

Gravesend has a fascinating cluster of historic defences that have been a feature of the Lower Thames and its estuary since the Iron Age. Each of the sites listed sheds a fascinating light on how Britain’s protected its shores over the centuries. Take the Crossfire Trail between Gravesend New Tavern Fort and Tilbury Fort to appreciate the thinking that lay behind these defences – a walk through the different technologies and approaches put in place for an enemy attack, that more often than not, never came. The Cold War bunker in Woodlands Park, Gravesend is also a compelling example of the steps taken in the middle of the 20th Century when the fear of nuclear war was at its height.

Arts and Culture Scene

Gravesend is a place buzzing with creativity and home to a growing community of creatives and artists, events and activities, workshops and wonderful things to enjoy throughout the year. The annual Gravesham Light Festival in January and the Fringe Festival in June are events not to be missed. Today, Gravesham is one of the South East’s most dynamic centres for the arts with the area’s riverside heritage, urban renewal and a diverse cultural landscape providing plenty of inspiration. Visit the Woodville Theatre and St George’s Arts Centre in the town centre, and the Fourth Portal in St Andrew’s Arts Centre by the River, for some amazing cultural experiences.