The official website for Visit Gravesham
Welcome to the Borough of Gravesham
Gravesham is a place of history and legend that rises on the North Downs and gently flows to the river Thames, a place rich with community, culture and connections.
This is a borough to experience with plenty to offer every taste and budget! It's also one of Kent's best kept secrets - from the historic town of Gravesend on the river Thames to quintessentially Kentish villages, set in some of the county’s most beautiful countryside.
If you’ve been looking for places like this to visit or stay a while, look no further.
Gravesham enchants, illuminates and pulses with epic events and experiences throughout the year, that not only provides a welcome but brings everyone together.
Gravesend with its famous piers and cobbled High Street full of independent shops, artisan makers and atmospheric tea and tap rooms is the perfect place to start. With Vaisakhi, the Fringe, Light and River Festivals, it’s a place that loves a celebration.
Just 24 minutes from London St Pancras by high-speed train or a scenic boat ride aboard the Uber Boats by Thames Clipper service, this well-connected town makes for a great base for day trips and long weekends away.
Gravesend is a Thameside town of myth and legend with stories to tell at every corner – from the life of Pocahontas to the streets and buildings frequented by Charles Dickens, the world’s most famous writer, who lived in nearby Higham. You’ll be creating stories and memories of your own too – the only challenge will be deciding what to do first.
Beyond Gravesend and Northfleet, there are exceptional areas of outstanding natural beauty to discover including ancient woodland, country parks and historic villages, windmills, country houses, charming pubs, artisan bakeries like White Finch in Meopham and cricket on the green.
Wine tours at Silverhand Estate and Meopham Valley Vineyard provide another reason to stay even longer. There’s so much to enjoy.
For days like you want them to be: Easy to get to. Everything to experience. Impossible to forget.
You’ll be wanting to stay longer or come back soon.
From lightships and stunning views to away day experiences
Gravesham has a vibrant arts scene centred on St George’s Arts Centre and the Fourth Portal in the historic Thameside town of Gravesend.
If you’re looking for more arts and culture like this, you’re in the right place with the borough home to a packed calendar of performance, events and activities for all to enjoy.
If you just want to escape from it all, Gravesend was one of the first places in Kent to welcome the Escape Room phenomenon and the town continues to attract a growing list of experiential activities to enjoy, including axe throwing for those with a good aim.
For a more relaxing experience take a stroll along The Promenade, once the town’s beach for panoramic views of the Thames estuary, verdant walks through the gardens with trails and space for all the family to explore. Don’t forget a visit to the magnificent Sikh temple too, one of the largest in Europe.
No visit to the town is complete without a lunch stop at HATCH @Gravesend market, one of the oldest in Kent and today something of a foodie destination offering a global melting pot of delicious street food.
A place to explore, stay a while and return to
If you are feeling active jump on the bike to CycloPark or out into the countryside to explore the borough’s traditional Kentish villages, including Cobham and Higham with their connections to Charles Dickens the world’s most famous author. Add in ancient woodland, areas of outstanding natural beauty and cosy country pubs and a short stay may not be enough.
If you’re looking for places like this in Kent to explore, you’re welcome to wander here.