This guide plans a day on foot around Gravesend’s Thames waterfront and its history, with an optional second half in the woods south of the town. The cards below link to each place’s InKent page, where the practical detail is kept up to date.
St George’s Church and the Pocahontas statue
Start at St George’s, the parish church in the town centre on Church Street. Pocahontas was buried in the chancel of the earlier church in March 1617. That building burned down in 1727 in a fire that destroyed much of the old town, and the present church opened in 1733. The churchyard became the Princess Pocahontas Garden in 1958, when a life-sized bronze statue was unveiled. It is a replica of the 1907 Jamestown sculpture by William Ordway Partridge.
Services are held on Sundays and Wednesdays, and tours can be arranged with the Rector, so contact the church if you want to see inside. It suits anyone interested in the Pocahontas story.
The Town Pier
The Town Pier is on the waterfront and is a landmark you can see without paying or booking. Historic England lists the cast iron pier at Grade II* and dates it to 1831 to 1834. It is a good place to look at the river before you walk along it.
The Riverside Leisure Area and Gordon Promenade
The Riverside Leisure Area follows the river front. It takes in Fort Gardens, where New Tavern Fort and the Milton Chantry stand, Gordon Gardens with its lake and statue of General Gordon, the Gordon Promenade and the Canal Basin marina. There is a children’s play area by the lake and a privately run cafe on the promenade. Public toilets are by the cafe and by New Tavern Fort.
- Cost: free.
- Opening: Fort Gardens is locked half an hour before sunset. New Tavern Fort and the Chantry Heritage Centre open on weekends from April to September and on bank holiday Mondays, so they will be shut on a winter visit.
- Suits: families, walkers and cyclists, since National Cycle Route 1 runs along the promenade.
Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara
The gurdwara opened in November 2010. It has three prayer halls and two langar halls, along with a library, lecture theatre and sports facilities. It is a place of worship, and the gurdwara’s website has a visitor guide, so read it before you go. The website also gives the published hours.
If you have a car: the woods near Cobham and Shorne
Several wooded places lie south of Gravesend. They are better suited to a second day, or the second half of a long one.
- Shorne Woods Country Park is run by Kent County Council. It covers almost 300 acres of woodland, wetland and meadow that were once part of the Cobham Hall estate and later clay pits for the cement industry. It has a visitor centre with a cafe, an easy access trail and a children’s play area. Parking is pay and display, and the park is closed on Christmas Day.
- Cobham Wood is National Trust woodland, open from dawn to dusk, with the Darnley Mausoleum at its heart. The mausoleum opens on limited days only and is closed for the winter. There is no car park on site; the National Trust points visitors to Shorne Woods, about a two-mile walk away. Paths are rough, with kissing gates.
- Jeskyns Community Woodland is a Forestry England woodland on Henhurst Road, Cobham, just off the A2. It has surfaced trails, play areas, a cafe and a dog activity trail. Parking is charged by RingGo or card, with no cash taken, and Forestry England members park free.
- Ashenbank Wood is a 74-acre Woodland Trust wood with a waymarked circular trail and a small free car park off Halfpence Lane. Paths can be muddy and steep in places.
A tea room on the way
Marie’s Tea Room is at 22 High Street. It serves breakfast and afternoon tea, and its website has a page for booking afternoon tea.
Getting there
Southeastern gives 24 minutes from Gravesend to London St Pancras International on its high-speed service. Check its journey planner before you travel, because times change.
Gravesham Borough Council runs the public car parks in the town. Charges apply Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm, including bank holidays. Some are pay on arrival and others use number plate recognition and charge when you leave, so check the council’s car parks page for the one you choose.
One thing to leave out of the plan: Gravesend Borough Market’s main building has been closed since its operator stood down in November 2025, and in October 2026 Gravesham Borough Council advertised for a new leaseholder. The council’s news pages have the latest.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the Gravesend waterfront without a car?
The church, the pier and the riverside gardens are in the town centre and on the waterfront, and the station is in the town. The woods listed above need a car, or a bus journey you should check with the operator.
Is there anything to do in Gravesend in winter?
Fort Gardens, Cobham Wood, Jeskyns and Shorne Woods stay open in winter, though Shorne Woods closes on Christmas Day. New Tavern Fort, the Chantry Heritage Centre and the Darnley Mausoleum are not, so check their pages first.
Is Pocahontas buried at St George’s?
The church says she was buried in the chancel of the earlier church in March 1617. That building burned down in 1727, and the present church dates from 1733.