The Medway Towns

Medway is the largest free-standing urban area in the South East, comprised of a series of towns along the River Medway, including Chatham, Rochester, Strood, Rainham and Gillingham. The Medway Council, a unitary authority, was formed in 1998. Rail services and road links between Medway and London are good, with shortest rail journey times to the capital of approximately 45 minutes (less once the High Speed domestic services are fully operational).

Medway’s current population is 251,000, making it comparable in size to Newcastle. Projections by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that its population will increase to 278,000 by 2020. There are currently 13,000 businesses with 85,400 jobs, predominantly in public administration, retail and distribution, but also a significant financial service sector and high levels of specialist manufacturing and engineering, including BAE Systems - Medway's biggest single private sector employer.

The area benefits from 11km of riverside with a strong naval heritage, centered on the old dockyard at Chatham Maritime. Rochester has a castle and cathedral, while Medway as a whole has over 800 listed buildings. The countryside surrounding the Medway area includes Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Ramsar sites on the Hoo Peninsula. Three universities share a campus on the large site of the former Royal Naval College at Chatham Maritime, and these are known collectively as the Universities at Medway.  The campus is also home to the new premises of Mid Kent College which transferred to the site in September 2009.  Also, the University of Creative Arts has a campus in Rochester.

Regeneration across Medway is well underway. Chatham Maritime is now a well established residential and business location. The Historic Dockyards is a popular tourist attraction.  Key sites include mixed-use development at Rochester Riverside, retail led expansion of Chatham Town Centre and Waterfront, plus a several major mixed-use riverside sites.

Click here to visit the Medway Renaissance Partnership website (link will open in a new window)