Gillingham (Kent) - town in Kent, England

Gillingham is a town on the River Medway in the north of the English county of Kent. Together with its neighbouring towns of Rochester and Chatham it forms a large urban area known as the Medway Towns.

There is also a town of Gillingham in Dorset.

Get in

By car

• From London, take the A2 arterial road (32 mi, 51 km).
• From Canterbury, take the A2 and the M2 to Junction 3 for the Rochester exit (32 mi, 51 km, about 40 min).

By train

Trains are operated to Gillingham station 📍 by SouthEastern from London Charing Cross (via Dartford) (typical journey time 60 - 65 minutes) and London Victoria (typical journey time 45 - 60 minutes). Trains from Ramsgate and Dover also serve Chatham. The Javelin high speed service operates every 30 minutes from London St Pancras with a journey time of 45 minutes. There is a supplement for using this service unless travelling from outside of the London region.

When buying a rail ticket, make clear that it is Gillingham in Kent that you want (not the one in Dorset).

Get around

Local buses are operated by Arriva Medway Towns and Nu-Venture

See

• Royal Engineers Museum, Prince Arthur Road, ME4 4UG, 51.39184°, 0.53616°, +44 1634 822839. Tu-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su 11:30AM-5PM. Adult £6.99 for a ticket that allows you to come back for further visits within a year (children's and concessionary tickets also available). Museum on military engineering and the history of the British Empire. A quite extensive collection that takes about half a day to see. Of most interest to fans of British and military history or civil engineering. The outside collection of tank mounted bridges etc can be seen for free. There is also an extensive series of themed special event weekends, admission to which is included in the cost of the annual ticket.

Do

• Football: Gillingham FC, Priestfield Stadium ME7 4DD, 51.3842°, 0.5610°. "The Gills" were relegated in 2022 so they now play soccer in League Two, England's fourth tier. 2022-05-01
• John Nike Leisuresport (Chatham Ski & Snowboard centre), Capstone Road, ME7 3JH, 51.35569°, 0.55963°, +44 1634 827979, jnl-chatham@nikegroup.co.uk. M-F 10AM-10PM, Sa Su 10AM-6PM. Outdoor dry ski slope and the longest toboggan track in the UK. 2018-05-21
• Silver Blades Gillingham, Ambley Road, Gillingham Business Park, ME8 0PU, 51.3674°, 0.5764°, +44 1634 388477. Indoor ice skating rink. £5 - £8

Buy

The main shopping area is the pedestrianised part of the High Street between the railway station and the library. This has a mixture of independent and lower end chain shops. There is an Aldi supermarket on Duncan Road, near the station.

On Saturdays and Mondays an open air market is held on the High Street. This has various food, clothes and hardware stalls.

Eat

Gillingham has a range of places to eat.

• Hollywood Bowl, 4 High Street, ME7 1BB, 51.38937°, 0.54270°. A lively restaurant located in the high street, an American Hollywood style restaurant beautifully decorated with old photos and a great menu including burgers and ribs.
• Thai Won Mien, 59-61 High Street, ME7 1BJ, 51.38753°, 0.54423°, +44 1634 856128. Really popular oriental restaurant with a mixture foods including noodles, duck and other oriental staples.
• Ossie's Fish and Chips, 75 Richmond Road, ME7 1LS (On Richmond Road (continuation of James Street) about 1/2 mile north of the High Street.), 51.39243°, 0.54977°, +44 1634 582000. Excellent fish and chips.

Drink

• The Frog And Toad, 38 Burnt Oak Terrace, ME7 1DR, 51.3908°, 0.5499°. Nice backstreet pub, hidden amongst the terraced houses. Nothing special, but a good selection of draught and bottled beers.

Sleep

• Medway Youth Hostel, Capstone Road, ME7 3JE, 51.35785°, 0.55818°, +44 870 770 5964. 40-bed summer hostel about 3 miles from Gillingham, housed in a districtive converted Oast House in a semi-rural setting.
• The King Charles Hotel, Brompton Road, ME7 5QT, 51.39104°, 0.53700°, +44 1634 830303. Single room £44 per night
• Premier Travel Inn, Will Adams Way, ME8 6BY, 51.37047°, 0.56962°, +44 8701 977 105. Chain hotel in a location that may not be convenient if you don't have a car. Rooms from £56 per night

Connect

As of May 2022, Gillingham has 5G from EE, O2 and Three, and 4G from Vodafone.

Go next

• Chatham
• Rochester
• Strood