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Places to visit Medway has a great selection of heritage and family fun attractions just waiting to be explored. No matter what you enjoy, we’ve got so many different ways for you to spend your time, everyone is sure to find what they are looking for to suit their interest and budget.
Diggerland
Restoration House
Diggerland is an adventure park based on diggers and small dumpers. It offers visitors the opportunity to drive real construction machinery under the guidance of trained staff (no driving licence required). This exciting adventure park is the perfect place to bring the family and friends for an action day out. Experience a wide variety of rides and drives on offer – whether it’s to enjoy the view from the Sky Shuttle, hanging tight on Spin Dizzy, or digging dirt with a six ton digger. Open: Weekends and during school holidays between 10am to 5pm. Admission prices apply.
A unique example of an ancient city mansion, Restoration House derives its name from the stay of Charles II on the eve of the Restoration. Beautiful interiors with exceptional early paintwork are home to a fine collection of English furniture and portraits. The house has an unusually large walled garden covering some three quarters of an acre with formal hedges, parterre, pond and vegetable gardens. Charles Dickens used the house as the home of Miss Havisham and Estella in Great Expectations. Open: May to September (Thursdays and Fridays only from 10am to 5pm). Admission fee applies.
Fort Amherst
Buckmore Park International Kart Circuit Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent ME5 9QG 01634 201562 Email: sales@buckmore.co.uk www.buckmore.co.uk
Fort Amherst, an impressive fortress showing how soldiers of the Napoleonic period lived and fought. The fort was built in 1756 to protect the naval dockyard from a landward attack, and houses a fascinating network of underground chambers and tunnels that lead to the upper batteries where spectacular views of the surrounding area can be enjoyed. Special events, daily tunnel tours and regular ghost tours take place at the fort throughout the year. Open: Parkland grounds are open daily dawn to dusk (free of charge). Charges apply for tours and special events.
It is advisable when planning your visit to contact the attractions in advance to check their opening times and prices.
Buckmore Park International Kart Circuit Karting is fast, furious and fun. To experience high speeds with sharp bends, head for Buckmore Park International Kart circuit where famous British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and many others learnt their trade. This beautifully situated floodlit venue is the UK’s market leader when it comes to karting for all ages and driving abilities. With seven fleets of karts plus quad bikes, powerturn buggies and laser warfare, Buckmore Park is definitely the place to go. Open: Circuit is open all year round, seven days a week. Phone or visit website for hours and prices.
Dickens World Dickens World is an exciting (indoor) themed visitor attraction based around the life, books and times of one of Britain’s best-loved authors, Charles Dickens. Highlights include The Great Expectations ‘indoor tour’, The Haunted Man, Dotheboys (a Victorian school room), Peggoty’s Boathouse (4D high definition cinema show), the Britannia Theatre animatronics stage show and Fagin’s Den (a soft play area). A range of performances take place in The Courtyard and the Britannia Theatre. Open: Throughout the year on selected days (please phone or check website for details). Admission fee applies.
Guildhall Museum The Guildhall, built in 1687, is one of the finest 17th century civic buildings in Kent. Colourful and informative displays record more than 250,000 years of Medway history. At the centre of the museum is a reconstruction of a Medway prison hulk of the Napoleonic period. This walk-through experience illustrates the terrible conditions in which prisoners were kept. Learn about the life and work of Charles Dickens in the Dickens Discovery Room and audio-visual theatre and don’t miss the Medway gallery – it’s great fun for kids. Open: Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 4.30pm (last admission 4pm). Closed Mondays. Admission free.
Dickens World Leviathan Way, Chatham, Kent ME4 4LL 01634 890421 Email: enquiries@dickensworld.co.uk www.dickensworld.co.uk Diggerland Medway Valley Leisure Park Roman Way, Strood, Rochester Kent ME2 2NU 0871 2277007 Email: mail@diggerland.com www.diggerland.com Fort Amherst Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4UB 01634 847747 Email: info@fortamherst.com www.fortamherst.com Guildhall Museum High Street, Rochester, Kent ME1 1PY 01634 332680 Email: guildhall.museum@ medway.gov.uk www.visitmedway.org Restoration House Crow Lane, Rochester, Kent ME1 1ER 01634 848520 Email: robert.tucker@ restorationhouse.co.uk www.restorationhouse.co.uk
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