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Rochester Castle

Castles & palaces ·Rochester
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#5Things to do in Rochester Kent EnglandMost reviewed in RochesterTravelers' Choice 2025
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About

Rochester Castle is a medieval fortress ruin in Rochester, on the east bank of the River Medway beside Rochester Cathedral.

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Rochester Castle

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Why go

  • The exceptionally well-preserved 12th-century stone keep, 113 feet high with three floors above a basement.
  • In 1215, King John used fat from 40 pigs to burn mine supports beneath the keep, bringing down its southeast corner.
  • The ruins featured in Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Don't miss

  • Roman wall remainsThe castle’s circuit wall incorporates remains of Rochester’s Roman town walls.Castle enclosure
  • ForebuildingThis projecting defensive structure protected the keep’s original first-floor entrance.Beside the keep
  • Eastern mural towersThe two towers on the eastern curtain wall survive from repairs made between 1367 and 1370.Eastern curtain wall

Know before you go

  • Dogs must be kept on leads in the grounds. Assistance dogs may enter the whole site.
  • Dogs other than assistance dogs are permitted only in the grounds.

Tips for your visit

  • Look across the Medway for a view of the castle and cathedral together.
  • Toilets are in the castle gardens.

With kids

  • The extensive grounds have grassy banks where families can picnic.

Interesting facts4

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  1. 1086

    The castle is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

    Rochester Castle - Wikipedia

  2. Rochester’s 13th-century town seal depicted the keep.

    Rochester Castle - Wikipedia

  3. The castle is protected as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Monument.

    Rochester Castle - Wikipedia

  4. The keep was built from Kentish ragstone.

    Rochester Castle | English Heritage

Shorts

History

The first castle probably stood beside the river outside the town walls, on the site later known as Boley Hill. After its garrison surrendered in 1088, it was abandoned. Castle Gardens occupies the former courtyard.

  1. 1087–1089William II commissioned Bishop Gundulf to build a new stone castle on the present site.
  2. 1127Henry I granted the castle permanently to the Archbishop of Canterbury; William de Corbeil began the great keep.
  3. 1215Rebel barons held the castle against King John for over seven weeks. After a corner of the keep collapsed, defenders continued behind its stone cross-wall. They surrendered on 30 November as supplies dwindled.
  4. 1216–1237Prince Louis captured the castle in 1216. It returned to royal control in 1217, followed by extensive repairs through 1237.
  5. 1264Rebels captured the outer enclosure, but the royal garrison retreated into the keep and held out until the siege was abandoned. The hall and royal chambers were never rebuilt.
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  1. 1381The castle saw military action for the last time when it was captured and sacked during the Peasants’ Revolt.
  2. 1599Elizabeth I allowed parts of the curtain wall to be dismantled for stone to reinforce Upnor Castle.
  3. 1870–1884Rochester Corporation leased the castle in 1870. The public park opened in 1872, and the Corporation bought the castle in 1884.

How to get there

  • CarRoad access is via Rochester Bridge (A2), M2 junction 1 or M25 junction 2.
  • ParkingThere is no on-site parking; nearby pay-and-display car parks are available.
  • ParkingFree coach parking is on Corporation Street, with drop-off behind the visitor information centre.
  • BusArriva and Nu Venture buses stop on Corporation Street, a short distance from the castle.
  • TrainRochester railway station is half a mile from the castle.

Accessibility

  • Keep access The keep’s condition restricts public access, and protective netting is installed.
  • Pushchairs Pushchairs are allowed, but access inside the keep can be difficult.

On the same route

  • 5 min on footRochester Guildhall Museum

Sources: Rochester Castle - Wikipedia · Rochester Castle - Wikipedia (part 2) · Rochester Castle - Wikipedia (part 3) · Rochester (England) - Wikivoyage (see) · Rochester Castle | English Heritage · Directions | English Heritage · Rochester Castle Facilities | English Heritage · Rochester Castle - Wikipedia · Château de Rochester - Wikipedia · checked 27 Sep 2026

Where
Castle Hill, Rochester

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

Is there a café at Rochester Castle?

There is no café. The ticket-office shop sells drinks, snacks and souvenirs.

Did Henry VIII visit Rochester Castle?

Yes. In 1540, he visited in disguise to surprise Anne of Cleves, who did not recognise him.

Did Turner paint Rochester Castle?

The ruins inspired one of J. M. W. Turner’s first oil paintings in the late 18th century.

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