When was gravesend named

There is also the aforementioned Riverview Park estate built on the old RAF field in the south-east, in the s, and Singlewell, which is adjacent to the A2 in the South. Part of the southern built-up area of the town was originally two separate rural parishes: viz , Cobham and Northfleet. Gravesend today is a commercial and commuter town, providing a local shopping district, including the St Georges shopping complex and a regular farmers' market.

Gravesend market hall, in the heart of the town, was first chartered in Gravesend has the world's oldest surviving cast iron pier, built in It is a unique structure having the first known iron cylinders used in its construction.

The pier was completely refurbished in and now features a bar and restaurant; with public access to the pier head when the premises are open. Map Hotels Places.

Toponymy Recorded as Gravesham in the Domesday Book of when it belonged to Odo, Earl of Kent and Bishop of Bayeux, the half-brother of William the Conqueror, its name probably derives from graaf-ham : the home of the reeve or bailiff of the lord of the manor.

History Stone Age implements have been found in the locality since the s, as has evidence of an Iron Age settlement at nearby Springhead.

A permanent military presence was established in the town when Milton Barracks opened in Governance Gravesend is part of and is the principal town of the Borough of Gravesham. Geography Gravesend is located at a point where the higher land — the lowest point of the dip slope of the North Downs — reaches the Thames. There is also the aforementioned Riverview Park estate built on the old RAF field in the south-east, in the s, and Singlewell, which is adjacent to the A2 in the South Part of the southern built-up area of the town was originally two separate rural parishes: viz , Cobham and Northfleet.

Shopping Gravesend today is a commercial and commuter town, providing a local shopping district, including the St Georges shopping complex and a regular farmers' market. Landmarks Gravesend Town Pier Gravesend has the world's oldest surviving cast iron pier, built in Places Gravesend Brands Hatch.

Rochester Castle. Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. Tilbury Fort. Tilbury power stations. Dartford Crossing. Coalhouse Fort. Ebbsfleet United F. All Saints Church, Frind….

Chiswick Bridge. Gravesend—Tilbury Ferry. Ham House. Thorpe Park. London Heathrow Airport. Hampton Court Palace. Church of St Margaret of…. Bat and Ball Ground. Before the Dartford Crossing came into being there was a vehicle ferry here as well. Rowing matches have been taking place on the river Thames at Gravesend since from at least the year of , and the first organized Regatta was in The first Borough Regatta began in , setting the pattern for an annual event on the Thames that is carried on to this day.

The popularity of the early events have recently begun to return, thanks to much Borough Council publicity. The journey by road was more hazardous, since the main Dover road crossed the notorious Blackheath , with its highwaymen. In there were no fewer than 17 coaches picking up and setting down passengers and changing horses each way per day. Stagecoaches had been plying the route for at least two centuries: Samuel Pepys records having stopped off at Gravesend in Gravesend now stands on the new Eurostar main line, and when the connection is opened to St Pancras station in London in there will be a railway station at Ebbsfleet , to the west of the town.

The Thames and Medway Canal was opened for barge traffic in the year ; by it had proved too difficult a route for navigation between the Thames and Medway and was left to silt up until the tunnel was rescued to provide a route for the railway.

The reasons for this change of use generally because the canal had suffered from the problems caused by the differing tides between the two rivers to such an extent that a steam engine had to be used often in pumping water into the Higham tunnel to compensate for low tides. A steam tug was also used in assisting with the pulling of the barges through the tunnel. Today the Canal Basin at the Gravesend end of the Canal is used for pleasure craft: the lock is still in use.

At the present time December it is being dredged and restoration and strengthening works will be carried out to the basin walls as part of regeneration of the area. The Gravesend Hospital was opened in , following the donation of a site by the Earl of Darnley in ; it had its origin on 2 December , as a dispensary on the Milton road 'to assist the really destitute poor of Gravesend and Milton and vicinities By such people had benefited by its presence. In the original building is being demolished to make way for a new local health centre.

Windmill Hill named for its erstwhile windmills , offers extensive views across the Thames, and was a popular spot for Victorian visitors to the town, because of the Camera Obscura installed in the old mill and for its tea gardens and other amusements.

The hill was the site of a beacon in , which was instituted by Richard II , and still in use years later at the time of the Spanish Armada , although the hill was then known as 'Rouge Hill'. A modern beacon was erected and lit during , the th anniversary. It was during the reign of Elizabeth I that the first windmill was placed on top the highest point in Gravesend, ft above the high water mark of the river. One mill burnt down in , but was replaced the following year and that too demolished in The last surviving windmill was destroyed by fire during Mafeking Night celebrations in During the time General Gordon was in Gravesend the composer Rimsky-Korsakov was an officer in the Russian navy and was posted to Gravesend, where he wrote part of his first symphony, said to be the first ever such style of composition attempted by a Russian composer.

On land by the river, close to Northfleet , at what became the property of the imperial paper mills their was once a pond which had the curious tendency of draining when the river was at full tide and filling again when the tide subsided.

This strange behaviour was explained by the submerging of the springs that fed the pond with the tidal waters, when the tides receded the springs were once again able to drain into the pond. In August , it held the record as the place to have recorded the highest temperature since records began in the United Kingdom , with a reading of This record high was surpassed in , however, by another recording station.

One explanation for the phenomenon was the large amount of earthworks in connection with the Channel Tunnel works, which had exposed a great deal of the local sandy soil, which reflected more sunshine! During the 70s and early 80s, the town was the home of a very successful youth marching band, the "Gravesham Corps of Drums" latterly the "Gravesham Corps" who's biggest sucess was to finish 3rd in the British Championships in The last surviving windmill is reported as having been destroyed by fire during Mafeking Night celebrations in During World War I an Imperial German Navy airship passed over Windmill Hill, dropping bombs on it; today there are three markers indicating where these bombs struck.

The Thames has long been an important feature in Gravesend life and may well have been the deciding factor for the first settlement here.

One of the town's first distinctions was in being given the sole right to transport passengers to and from London by water in the late 14th century. The "Tilt Boat" was a familiar sight on the Thames. The first steamboat plied its trade between Gravesend and London in the early 19th century, bringing with it a steadily increasing number of visitors to the Terrace Pier Gardens, Windmill Hill, Springhead Gardens and Rosherville Gardens.

Gravesend soon became one of the first English resort towns and thrived from an early tourist trade. Gravesend "watermen" were often in a family trade; and the town is the headquarters of the Port of London Authority Control Centre formerly known as Thames Navigation Service , [46] supplying both river and sea pilots. Today radar plays an important role in the navigation of shipping on the River Thames.

In the film, Mills plays a character living in poverty on a derelict fishing boat stranded in the mud flats. Gravesend also has one of England's oldest regattas retained from its strong maritime links with the Thames. Although the origins of the regatta are unknown it dates back at least to Tudor times.

The races are traditionally competed by Gravesend Skiffs , foot-long 6. In these and other situations, rescue and intelligence gathering were severely hampered by a lack of centralised command and control, and lack of detailed "picture".

De Neumann resigned his command after returning Vigilant from the Spithead Review and joined the PLA, immediately suggesting in a report to them, submitted in , that a feasibility study of such a system be commenced.

He then oversaw its development and ultimate installation at Gravesend. Until the building of Tilbury Docks on the opposite side of the river, between and , Gravesend was the Thames' first port of entry.

Thousands of emigrants, as well as large numbers of troops, embarked from here. Tilbury Docks have expanded considerably since with the closure of all the London Docks. The entrance to the Docks is somewhat awkward, situated as it is on the sharp bend of the river, and often need tugboat assistance, as do the larger ships moored at Tilbury landing stages. East Indiamen traditionally stopped here at a point known as Long Reach to lighten their loads before sailing up the Thames to moorings at Blackwall.

For some years after war steamer excursions were run on the MV Royal Daffodil down the Thames from Gravesend to France, but they ceased in The cross-river passenger ferry to Tilbury provides a long-established route to and from Essex. Before the Dartford Crossing came into being there was a vehicle ferry at Gravesend too. The Thames and Medway Canal was opened for barge traffic in Although seven miles long it had only two locks, each 94 ft by 22 ft in size, one at each end.

Its most notable feature was the tunnel near Strood which was 3, yds long, the second longest canal tunnel ever built in the UK. The great cost of the tunnel meant that the canal was not a commercial success. After only 20 years most of the canal was closed and the canal's tunnel was converted to railway use.

Initially canal and railway shared the tunnel, with the single track built on timber supports, but by canal use was abandoned and a double track laid. Today Gravesend Canal Basin is used for the mooring of pleasure craft. Gravesend Sailing Club which was founded so that working men could participate in the sport while still having to earn a living is based here. The lock has been dredged and restoration and strengthening works have been carried out to the basin walls as part of regeneration of the area.

The main roads through the town are the west-east A road from Dartford and beyond to Rochester ; and the A road to Tonbridge. The A2 road passes two miles 3 km south of Gravesend town centre; a mile stretch of it was rerouted in the early s to take the traffic away from the south end of the town. Gravesend railway station lies on the North Kent Line , and was opened in The Gravesend West Line , terminating by the river and for some time operating as a continental ferry connection, closed in Gravesend is the primary north Kent interchange for high speed and metro rail services.

In December , the full high-speed timetable between London and Kent came into force and passenger usage from Gravesend has exceeded expectations. Gravesend is served by several Arriva Kent Thameside bus services connecting the town with other areas in Kent including Dartford , Bluewater and Sevenoaks and to the Medway Towns. Gravesend is also served by Fastrack bus services connecting the town with Bluewater, Darent Valley Hospital and Dartford.

The Saxon Shore Way , a long distance footpath , starts at Gravesend and traces the coast as in Roman times as far as Hastings , East Sussex ; miles km in total. The Wealdway also starts at the Town Pier, and continues almost due south over the Weald to Eastbourne in East Sussex where it links with South Downs Way , a distance of 80 miles km. This Georgian building is a tourist attraction because of its association with Princess Pocahontas, as well as being the parish church.

Gravesend has three other Church of England parishes and Roman Catholic , Methodist , United Reformed and Baptist churches as well as other smaller chapels.

Gravesend has a significant Sikh population. Its first gurdwara was founded in by Bhat Sikh Santokh Singh Takk off Pelham Road South in Edwin Street with a second one opening, ten years later, in a former Congregationalist church, but this gurdwara closed in There are also primary age schools such as Whitehill Primary School, special schools and several independent schools. Gravesend Hospital was opened in , following the donation of a site by the 6th Earl of Darnley in ; it had its origin on 2 December , as a dispensary on the Milton Road "to assist the really destitute poor of Gravesend and Milton and vicinities By , 4, such people had benefited by its presence.

In the original building, and parts of the newer buildings were demolished to make way for a new community hospital. It also has a Stroke Ward and offers inpatient care. The outpatient department provides care for much of the local area and is separate from those offered at Darent Valley Hospital. In addition, Gravesend emergency doctors out of hours service as well as podiatry are offered. In the town centre is a large medical clinic at Swan Yard, next to the Market car park, and several other doctors' surgeries are located in the area.

Ivo Bligh , later 8th Earl of Darnley in the mid 19th century. Established in the s, Gravesend RFC have been the towns senior club since league rugby was established in the s. This is the highest level attained, in their year history, and only four leagues below The Aviva Premiership. They were also successful in retaining the Kent Cup, beating Tonbridge Juddians in a close fought final. The team also saw players in the victorious Kent team who won the County Plate at Twickenham.

Old G's have had some of their best success in recent seasons reaching six Kent Plate Finals winning two of these and achieving promotion to London League rugby in Old G's put out three sides with the first team playing in Kent 1. The latter facilities with seventeen international size pistes are some of the best in the south of England, and can with a width reduction to 3 metres accommodate 48 teams.

Rowing races have been held on the River Thames at Gravesend since at least , with the first organized Regatta recorded in The first Borough Regatta began in , [56] setting the pattern for an annual event on the Thames that is carried on to this day. To the south of Gravesend on the ancient site of Watling Street on 43ha of land adjacent to the A2, Cyclopark , a venue for cycling events and other activities has been developed.

The Gravesend Historical Society meets regularly and produces a biannual magazine on its activities. Charles Dickens lived at Gad's Hill Place , 2 miles 3. In David Copperfield Mr. Peggotty, Ham and the Micawbers say their goodbyes and sail away from Gravesend to begin a new life in Australia. In Great Expectations , Pip, with accomplices, rows Magwitch from London downriver in expectation of waylaying a regular steamer whilst under way in the Lower Hope, off Gravesend bound for Hamburg.

Gravesend is briefly mentioned in two other novels: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley during Victor's travels through the United Kingdom with Clerval; ultimately culminating in Victor's residence in the Orkney Islands ; and also in the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. The The War Game was a television drama-documentary film depicting a nuclear war. It will, however, be shown to invited audiences Despite this decision, it was publicly screened and shown abroad, winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in The film was eventually broadcast on 31 July on the BBC, during the week before the fortieth anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, the day before a repeat screening of Threads.