Featured
Independent Shops
Payless Builders Merchants
Rochester builders merchant on Laker Road: building materials, timber, fencing, landscaping, plumbing, decorating supplies and tools, with delivery across Kent.
Verified Oct 2026
Rochester
Rochester is a historic town on the River Medway in Kent. Browse local businesses, events and things to do in and around the town, and see what is nearby and what is on, whether you live here, work here or are visiting for the day.
Businesses in Rochester
Astute Management
Local digital partner for Kent businesses: websites, AI and automation to help you get found, win customers and save time.
Verified Nov 2026
Removals
Bravo UK Removals
Rainham-based removals firm: house removals, packing, house clearance, commercial moves and storage units across the Medway Towns and beyond.
Verified Oct 2026
Removals
Regal Moving & Storage
Removals and storage company with its head office in Sheerness: house and office moves, packing, self storage and specialist items.
Verified Oct 2026
Cleaners
Astute Clean
Exterior cleaning across Kent from Gravesend: driveways, patios, roofs, gutters, render, windows, solar panels and graffiti removal.
Verified Oct 2026
Taxis
Chauffeur Star
Gravesend chauffeur-driven car hire for weddings, proms, corporate events and special occasions, with classic and executive cars.
Verified Oct 2026
Taxis
Kent Taxi Services
Taxi and private hire booking service in Gravesend covering Kent: airport and seaport transfers, school runs, hospital trips and wheelchair accessible taxis.
Verified Oct 2026
ElectriciansPlumbers
Plumbing & Electrical
Plumbing and electrical call-outs for homes and businesses across Kent and Medway, from Gravesend: boilers, drains, rewires, EICR and EV chargers.
Verified Oct 2026
What's on in Rochester
Heritage & History, Theatre & Comedy
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at Eastgate House
£12.50
Family Friendly
Things to do in Rochester
Places to visit
Castles & History, Museums & Galleries
Eastgate House
Grade I listed townhouse on Rochester High Street, built in 1590, with Charles Dickens' Swiss chalet in its gardens.
Family Friendly
Parks & Walks
Esplanade Gardens
Riverside gardens below Rochester Castle with a play area, outdoor gym and the last stretch of the Medway Valley Walk.
Family Friendly
Free
Castles & History, Museums & Galleries
Guildhall Museum
Medway Council museum in Rochester's 17th century Guildhall, covering local history, the River Medway and the prison hulks.
Family Friendly
Parks & Walks
Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve
Plantlife's largest nature reserve in England: a working farm and woodland near Cuxton, open at any time on marked footpaths.
Castles & History
Rochester Castle
Medieval castle and keep on Castle Hill above the River Medway, run by Medway Council and free to English Heritage members.
Family Friendly
Castles & History
Rochester Cathedral
Rochester's historic cathedral beside the castle, with free admission and donations welcome; Visit Medway says no booking is needed.
Free
Guides
GuideFamily Days Out
Family days out in North Kent and Medway: outdoor days and rainy days
Family days out across North Kent and Medway, split into outdoor days in parks and woods and rainy days at museums.
GuideMuseums & Galleries
Museums and galleries in North Kent and Medway
Museums, galleries and collections across Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Dartford and Eynsford, sorted by what you want to see.
GuideBeaches & Coast, Parks & Walks
Riverside walks on the Thames and the Medway
Riverside walks and waterfront parks on the Thames from Dartford to Cliffe and on the Medway from Rochester to Rainham.
Food & drink in Rochester
Farm Shops & Producers
Austen’s of Rochester
Rochester High Street shop selling produce from Kent farms, with a veg box delivery service across the Medway Towns.
Verified Nov 2026
Farm Shops & Producers
Court Farm Butchery and Country Larder
Farm butchery and country larder at Upper Halling: farm-reared beef and lamb, pies, preserves, local drinks, online shop.
Verified Nov 2026
Farm Shops & Producers
Kent Cider Co
Faversham cider maker with an online shop: traditional, sparkling and fruit ciders, mixed cases, and stalls at Faversham and Rochester markets.
Verified Nov 2026
Farm Shops & Producers
Bramble Farm Bees
Kent honey, beeswax candles and gift sets from a bee farm in Detling, plus beekeeping experience days.
Verified Oct 2026
RestaurantsTakeaways
Cumin Club
Indian restaurant on Rochester High Street since 2001, with a vegan menu, licensed bar, function room, collection and delivery.
Verified Oct 2026
Restaurants
Don Vincenzo
Family-run Italian restaurant on Rochester High Street since 1998, with gluten-free options and private parties for up to 100.
Verified Oct 2026
Running
B2R Running Club Wainscott
A sociable, non-competitive running group that takes complete beginners through to 5K and beyond, with volunteer team leaders at every session. Runners start and finish together, so nobody gets left behind.
Volunteering
Friends of The Vines
A volunteer group, founded in 2009, that looks after The Vines gardens in the heart of Rochester alongside Medway Council and Kent Wildlife Trust. Volunteers help with planting and run community events such as the summer Cherry Picnic and bat and bug days.
Games & Hobbies
Medway Chess Club
The main chess club for the Medway towns, meeting weekly in Frindsbury and playing in the Kent county leagues. It is a good home for anyone wanting regular over-the-board games against friendly local opponents.
Arts & Crafts
Rochester and West Kent Art Society
A friendly art society, almost a century old, for local painters and art lovers, with monthly evening meetings and member exhibitions. All are welcome to come along, whether you paint yourself or just enjoy seeing what others create.
Music & Choirs
Rochester Choral Society
A long-established, friendly choir that sings everything from big choral works to traditional folk songs, with regular concerts in Rochester Cathedral. New singers are welcomed, and the society is inviting singers to join a Verdi Requiem performance in March 2027.
Books & Writing
Rochester Library Book Club
A relaxed monthly reading group at Rochester Library, run by Medway Libraries for adults who enjoy talking about books. It is an easy way to discover new titles and meet fellow readers over a morning chat.
Local news
Rochester
Rochester Castle and the siege of 1215: the history behind the keep
Explore Rochester Castle's origins, King John's siege of 1215 and the surviving architecture that helps explain the castle's history.
Town guide
About Rochester
Rochester sits on the River Medway and is part of the Medway unitary authority. Medway Council runs local services, and has done since it became a unitary authority in 1998.
Rochester Castle’s Norman keep was built about 1127, according to English Heritage. Since 1995 the keep and the castle gardens have been managed locally, first by the City of Rochester and now by Medway Council. Rochester Cathedral says it was founded in 604 AD by Bishop Justus.
Charles Dickens is closely tied to the area. Visit Medway says he spent his childhood here and later came back to live, and it points visitors to the places that inspired his work. Medway’s events calendar includes the Rochester Sweeps Festival, revived by local historian Gordon Newton in the 1980s and held over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend, and the Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival in December. Dates change each year, so check Visit Medway’s events pages.
Getting there and around
Southeastern runs trains from Rochester to London, so check its journey planner for current routes, times and fares.
Medway Council lists its car parks on its website. In Rochester these include Blue Boar Lane, Corporation Street, King Street and the Rochester multi-storey. Blue Boar Lane and Corporation Street use number plate recognition. Blue Boar Lane, Corporation Street and the multi-storey take payment through the Go Mobon app rather than RingGo, and the multi-storey does not take cash. Check the council’s parking pages for how to pay, current tariffs and closures.
Use this page to browse local businesses in Rochester, check what is on and find things to do nearby. Every listing is researched and checked by us before it goes live. You can switch to a neighbouring town from the Explore Kent menu.
Map of Rochester
Nearby places
Questions about Rochester
Which council covers Rochester?
Rochester is in Medway, which is a unitary authority, so Medway Council provides local services such as car parks and events. Medway became a unitary authority in 1998. At the 2021 census it had about 279,800 residents, according to the Office for National Statistics.
What is there to see in Rochester?
Two landmarks are Rochester Castle, whose Norman keep English Heritage dates to about 1127, and Rochester Cathedral, which says it was founded in 604 AD. Visit Medway also points visitors to places that inspired Charles Dickens's writing.
Where can I park in Rochester?
Medway Council lists Rochester car parks including Blue Boar Lane, Corporation Street, King Street and the multi-storey. Blue Boar Lane and Corporation Street use number plate recognition. Those two and the multi-storey take payment through the Go Mobon app rather than RingGo, and the multi-storey is cashless and takes card. Check the council's parking pages for tariffs and closures.
What is the Rochester Sweeps Festival?
The Rochester Sweeps Festival is a spring festival of folk music, dance and tradition with free performances, held every year over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend. Local historian Gordon Newton revived it in the 1980s. The 2026 festival ran from Saturday 2 to Monday 4 May, and Visit Medway's events pages list dates for the next one.
How do I get from Rochester to London?
Southeastern runs trains from Rochester station to London. Journey times depend on the service and the London station, so use Southeastern's journey planner for current times, routes and fares rather than relying on a fixed figure.
_(28267449787).jpg){kind=link}