The Larkin Memorial

Standing all but hidden from either sight eventually in the highlight at Higham is the Larkin memorial in Telegraph Hill. This needle was raised around 1835 to the memory of Charles Larkin (1775-1833), an auctioneer from Rochester world health organization promoted a Parliamentary reforms of 1832 that gave a vote to each homeowner whose property rental value was to a higher degree £10. By 1860 this unusual concrete monument was inside danger of collapse, however was repaired inside 1869 fallowing local newspaper reports all about its trouble. It was renovated once agaaround in 1974.

Gad's Hill

Shakespeare refers to Gad's Hill (or Gadshill) & its relationship by having maaround road robbery in his Henry IV Part I. When far back when 1558 there was the ballad entitled ''A Robbers of Gad's Hill''. the Sir John Falstaff taphouse stood at a top of a steep thickly wooded hill, an idealistic spot for highwaymen.

Gad's Hill Place was it used to be that a front yard of Charles Dickens who bought it in 1856 for £1,790. Within its garden when stood the Swiss chalet where Dickens would compose his works. the chalet is today around the gardens of Eastgate Home a Tudor building of awesome character in Rochester.

Thames and Medway Canal

A Thames & Medway Canal was proposed inside 1778 as a route for military vessels between Chatham & Woolwich dockyards forgoing a require to travel a 46 miles in the area of Hoo Peninsula.

A Gravesend to Higham segment was completed by 1801, then again a canal got for through capitol hill between Higham & Strood. When various more routes were discounted, construction of the Higham burrow began around 1819. It was so a largest inside Britain, 11,790ft (Two.Twenty-five miles) yearn & 35ft wide. It got an 8ft depth of water system & the 5ft towing path.

It was too meant for the transfer of hops & more locally grown garden truck, however it was non the commercial profits. the burrow opened withwithin 1824, however presently leaked, thus the pump was fitted; complaints and then come from either barge-owners that it was slow to utilise, so in 1830 it was shut for deuce months when a pass place was built in the centre.

"The tunnel is so perfectly straight, that a person placed at one end, may discern a small light entering at the other extremity ... On the opening of the tunnel, a small steam passage boat was employed for the conveyance of passengers from Gravesend to Rochester, and vice versa; but as it was found to injure the towing-path of the tunnel, as well as the banks of the canal, it was discontinued. Foot passengers, however, still pass to and fro, though some caution is necessary, in order to avoid coming into contact with the horse, or horses, towing the barges." (Extracts from either notes in the Tallis Directory, 1839)

From either 1845 a new built railway between Gravesend & Strood shared a burrow by owning a canal. A waterway before long became unneeded & was filled around & 2 tracks placed, a canal company with sold bent the South Eastern Railway. Higham railroad station was converted from either a canal rowing contactor's front yard.

A canal between Gravesend & Higham was utilized until 1934 & has recently been renovated using its towing path okay, utilized as a period track.