ME2 (Rochester) area guide
ME2
Rochester
The ME2 postcode district lies within or includes part of the following towns, counties, localities, electoral wards and stations: Cuxton, Cuxton and Halling, Halling, Higham, Kent, Lower Upnor, Medway City Estate, Rochester, Rochester West, Shorne, Cobham and Luddesdown, Snodland West, Strood, Strood North, Strood Rural, Strood South, Upnor, Upper Halling, Wainscott.
In 43 AD the Romans came over and made Rochester one of their most important towns by building a stronghold and a bridge over the River Medway. In 1088, the Normans invaded and took over and would eventually build Rochester its first stone castle. King Rufus of the Norman Empire had the Stone Castle and eventually an amazing cathedral built for him, which is the second oldest in the country.
Charles Dickens has had a long outstanding connection with Rochester. Many of his novels have included references to areas of Rochester and there are two festivals now held in his honour.
The population of Rochester according to the 2001 Census is 27,000. Nearly 18 per cent of the population consists of retirees, so if you want a place to just sit back and relax, then this would be the place for you.
The streets of Upper Bush and Upnor Road are of elite status, pulling in an average property price of £650,000 and £480,000 respectively. Also, some of the other pricy streets boast an average property value of £350,000. These include Station Approach Road, Crutches Lane and Brasted Court. Then at the other end of the property market, are streets like Merrals Wood Court, North Street, Nightingale Court, and Cypress Court , where homes can be bought for under the £100,000 mark. The average price for a Rochester home is around £180,000. Almost half of the homes in the town are terraced.
As mentioned earlier, Charles Dickens is a favourite to the people of Rochester, because several of his books mention areas of the town. There was once a building called the Eastgate House, but after the death of Charles Dickens, it became the Charles Dickens Centre. There is also a new library that was built in 2006.
There are primary schools in the area but the closest to the centre of Rochester are Cuxton Community Junior School, The Pilgrim School and Bligh Junior School. The secondary schools include the Chapter School, all girls, Temple School, all boys, and Rochester Independent College which is mixed.
There is a local airport in Rochester. It only has two grass runways, but is definitely important for those who need to travel a greater distance. Another source of transportation is the train station on the Chatham Main Line.
The two big sports here are cricket and football and even though there isn’t a football club in Rochester, Gillingham F.C. has typically been regarded as the Medway area football club. Rugby is also played and their team, Medway RFC played their matches at Priestfields.
Lastly, Rochester is the home of many historically important buildings. Some of these are the Guildhall, the Corn Exchange, Restoration House, Rochester Castle, Rochester Cathedral and Eastgate House. The Corn Exchange was built back in 1698 and currently serves as an event hall. The Restoration House is the combination of two medieval buildings joined in the early 17th century. It is also the Satis House of Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations’, the home of Miss Havisham. Rochester is a very nice place for those who like history as well as the work of Charles Dickens.