Gravesend is a riverside town in Northern Kent, perfect to visit for a day out with so much to see and do, as well as experience, especially if you are a foodie! If you are a beer lover you can even go on a Beer trail!
Intrigued? Keep reading!
Firstly, getting to Gravesend is so easy! If you hop on a high speed train you can be there in just 24 minutes from St Pancras International! You can also drive, which is what we did, and with traffic it took us just over an hour from North London, and on the way back literally under an hour and there were so many parking spots available everywhere so it was very stress free and seamless.
Gravesend has historically been a popular day trip destination from London, with records showing that in the first half of the 19th Century, with the coming of the steamboats and the construction of the piers at Northfleet and Gravesend thousands of day-trippers poured in from London. After experiencing it for a day trip myself, I can definitely see why and hope this inspires you to visit!
Here is my suggested itinerary:
Gravesend Pier
Contents
I would start the day with a lovely stroll along the Gravesend Pier, especially if the weather is pleasant. The Gravesend Pier is actually the oldest remaining cast iron pier in the world! It was designed by William Tiernwey Clark, and constructed by William Wood of Gravesend, at a cost of £8,700. It occupies the same site as the original Town Quay mentioned in the Domesday Book.
It opened on 29th July 1834 and between 1835 and 1842 was used by three and a quarter million passengers.
Moored at the Pier you will also find The LV21, a 40 metre steel-hulled lightship which has been transformed into a floating arts space in Gravesend.
In St Andrews Gardens, in the same vicinity, you will find a Statue to honour Squadron Leader Mohinder Singh Pujji, the first Indian Sikh pilot to volunteer for the Air Force in WW2.
Marie’s Tea Room
You have to visit Marie’s Tea Room, located on the High Street, for Afternoon Tea, or Cream Tea if you wish! The best way to spend an afternoon in Gravesend.
The cakes were scrumptious and the sandwiches were filled to the brim with so much flavour. You also can’t beat a good scone with generous dollops of cream and jam too!
With advance notice, gluten free and vegan options can be arranged.
Find out more: https://mariestearoom.co.uk/
High Street
After your Afternoon Tea I recommend browsing the charming stores on the high street including Marie’s Emporium, which has a wonderful selection of teas as well as other fabulous items.
High Street
Princess Pocahontas Statue
While you are in the area, take a short walk to St George’s Church to visit the statue of Princess Pocahontas.
If you are wondering if this is the same Pocahontas as featured in the animation by Disney, yes it is and it is thought that Pocahontas died at Gravesend of unknown causes aged as young as either 20 or 21. She was buried in St George’s Church, but her grave’s exact location is unknown because the church was rebuilt after a fire destroyed it.
Fun fact: You will find an exact replica of this statue in her hometown in Jamestown, Virginia!
Riverside Leisure Area
Take a walk along the waterfront promenade at the Riverside Leisure Area in Gravesend. It is a lovely place to relax, soak up the views, breathe in some fresh air and just chill!
I particularly loved visiting Gordon Lake, which was so serene and beautiful and located in Gordon Gardens, named after General Gordon who lived at Fort House from 1865-1871. It was so picturesque and family friendly with soft play areas around.
Iron Pier Brewery and Taproom
If you are a beer fan, you are in for a real treat when visiting Gravesend. I would recommend checking if the Beer Trails are on and booking yourself on to it.
If not, still definitely make time to visit the Iron Pier Brewery & Taproom to try their ale and craft beer to either drink in or take away, especially as it is made fresh on site! The brewery, which opened in 2018, is named after the Gravesend town pier.
It is also the first brewery in the area for approximately 90 years since Russell’s Gravesend Brewery started in 1858, when the Russell Family acquired an existing brewery. Truman’s Brewery then took it over in 1930 and brewing stopped on-site not long after. It’s so wonderful that this has been re-ignited back into the town!
The brewery is run by James Hayward, who is the head brewer, and his business partner Charlie Venner.
It is all very high tech with state of the art machinery, including a laboratory to ensure quality and consistency of the craft beers produced on site.
If you are on the beer trail, you will be able to go behind the scenes and get a glimpse of the beer making process with a tour given by James as well as be able to taste some of their beers in the taproom. He is really fascinating and knowledgeable and we learned so much!
Taproom
If you are just popping in, the taproom is superb and such a great space to taste the beers, with some visibility of the brewery. Literally hop to glass! They have a wide selection of craft beers to try.
Find them:
Iron Pier Brewery,
6&7 May Industrial Estate,
Northfleet,
Kent
DA11 8RU
Website: https://ironpier.beer/
There is parking available on site and they open at 5pm.
If you are part of the Beer Trail, you will be able to go on a walking tour from here with one of Gravesham’s Accredited tour guides and learn more about Gravesham’s history, which is really fascinating!
The next stop on the Beer Trail is then the multi award winning Compass Alehouse.
The Compass AleHouse
The Compass Alehouse, located in Manor Road, is a genuine micropub which opened its doors in 2014. They offer at least four gravity drawn Real Ales, which the Alehouse keeps to the highest standard.
Their ales are chosen from select Kent and UK breweries, and are constantly changing once they run out, like a rolling beer festival! I love that as there will always be something new and different for you to try whenever you visit and it is such a fantastic way to display local beers and get everyone to try new things!
It is a fantastic venue and even if you don’t fancy beer, I would still recommend visiting as they also have one of the widest selection of whiskies available locally, including all the Scottish regions, Irish, Indian, Japanese, American and more, as well as an excellent selection of Gins, Rums, Tequilas and Vodkas all chosen from bespoke and artisan distillers.
I actually really want to go back and visit for one of their whisky tastings sometime in the near future as John, the owner, is so passionate about it!
Find it:
7 Manor Rd, Gravesend DA12 1AA
Website: https://thecompassalehouse.co.uk/
To book any upcoming tours check the Gravesham Tourism website – www.visitgravesend.co.uk. They will also be bookable via the Visitor Information Centre in Gravesend Borough Market.
Book Gravesend Tours here
Getting to Gravesend
By Car
There are plenty of NCPs and other parking spots available around Gravesend. Here are a few with postcodes that we used.
- West Street Carpark (postcode: DA11 0DJ)
- Lord Street Carpark (postcode: DA12 1AW)
- Rathmore Carpark (postcode: DA11 0HP)
By Train
High speed Southeastern Trains services from St Pancras International to Gravesend, quickest journey being 24 mins.
There are also train services available from London Charing Cross and London Victoria.
This post is in collaboration with Visit Kent but all views and photos are my own.
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