Hoo Medway Shore Walk: Rochester to Grain Crossing (13 miles)

The Walk: Previously, I walked the England Coast Path (ECP) along the Medway shore of the Hoo Peninsula in two sections (Upnor to Kingsnorth, and the Stoke Marshes Reserve). In this walk, I cover the whole shore from Rochester to the Grain Crossing in one go, using the 191 bus to connect the start and finish. Historic Rochester, centuries of fortifications, from a 17th century castle to WW2 pillboxes, epic cranes on a coal jetty, big views along the Medway estuary, the call of oyster catchers on lonely marshland and a backdrop of modernity in the form of a complex of liquid gas storage tanks.

Cockham Wood Fort (on the beach route between Lower Upnor and Hoo Marina)

Route

NB The map shows my route, with various diversions and excursions which you may not wish to follow precisely. You can download the Google map info, as a KML/KMZ file, then convert to GPX using a site like GPS Visualiser.

Starting from Rochester Bridge (close to Rochester station), cross the Medway on said bridge. The ECP is well signed from here. It follows the Strood riverside, then climbs up to All Saints Church and skirts Frindsbury (though sadly the climb is not rewarded by views). Cross the busy A289 Medway Tunnel Approach Road, and follow the high fence of the Royal Engineers Holdfast Camp and then walk along the foreshore to arrive at the attractive village of Upnor.

Continue and reach the waterfront road at Lower Upnor. The default route is on the beach to the Hoo Werburgh Marina. At very high tides the beach may be impassable, in which case there is a signed alternative along the neighbouring high ground, rejoining just beyond the Marina (see this walk for more details of the alt route).

Then move into open country next to the Hoo mudflats and follow the embankment till the path moves inland to get around the Kingsnorth Industrial Estate. Between the hamlet of North Street and the village of Upper Stoke, the path is through more open, elevated, farmland, with good views down the Medway as far as the Sheppey Crossing road bridge..

From Upper Stoke the path descends to rejoin the embankment around Stoke Marshes. You eventually emerge on the A228 Grain Road, in the shadow of various gas storage tank complexes. A short walk up the ECP beside the road takes you to the 'Grain Crossing' bus stop just before the road crosses the freight railway, where you can catch (or alight from) the 191 bus to (from) Rochester. (The ECP ends here, and continues on the other side of Grain village.)

Why do it?

The Hoo Peninsula probably doesn't conjure up images of an enjoyable walk, but actually this walk is full of historical and contemporary interest.

The old Rochester Bridge has heraldry adornments, and an impressive view on the upstream side of the Medway and the historic river frontage, including Rochester Cathedral and the imposing keep of Rochester Castle. NB for this view, you need to deviate from the official ECP, which is signed along the downstream pavement (views from which are in any case blocked by the adjacent railway bridge), and use pelican crossings to cross the road to reach the upstream pavement.

Rochester Cathedral and Castle from Rochester Bridge over the Medway

At Strood waterfront, a former Soviet Foxtrot-class Submarine is moored, 'awaiting restoration'.

Soviet Sub

A short deviation from the ECP takes you to All Saints Church (Grade 2*), Frindsbury. I went, hoping that the grounds might afford a view back over the Medway, but alas, all views on this high ground seem blocked by hedgerows and houses.

All Saints, Frindsbury

The attractive village of Upnor features old weatherboarded houses lining the High Street, as well as Upnor Castle beside the shore, which dates from the late 16th century. The castle speaks to the fact that this stretch of coast was vital to the defence of Chatham dockyard. Later, you walk beside the massive brick walls of the former Upnor Ordnance Depot. On the beach route, there is an old concrete pillbox and the ruined red-brick Cockham Wood Fort, which was built in 1669 following the Dutch raid and abandoned in 1818. Victorian forts can be seen on Darnet Island and Hoo Island, though being low profile, they can be difficult to make out, which was the point, I guess.

Guns at Upnor Castle

Along the Lower Upnor promenade, visitors can see the City of London obelisks (which delineated fishing rights on the Medway) and the figurehead of the Arethusa training ship, which trained 'ragged' (=poor) children for a career at sea (now the building itself seems semi-derelict).

Arethusa figurehead

The area is home to a complex of marinas. The main one seems to be the Werburgh Marina, which provides residential moorings, including many picturesque vintage craft. Beyond the Marina, there is a striking pile of wrecked barges and several additional pillboxes scattered along the shoreline.

Pile of wrecked barges

There are excellent views along and across the River Medway towards Chatham Historic Dockyard, St Mary's Island, and other landmarks (visited on this walk). The higher-level alternative route offers particularly good views across the Medway Estuary as far as the Sheppey Crossing Bridge. This upper route also passes through the village of Hoo St Werburgh, whose striking church spire is visible from the lower route and can also be seen from this walk on the opposite side of the estuary.

Spire of Hoo St Werburgh Church seen from the Hoo Marshes

The Hoo marshland and mudflats, between the Marina and Kingsnorth, provide important habitats for wading birds and wildfowl. Ahead, stands Damhead Creek Power Station, which is fuelled by liquid natural gas. The old coal jetty of the now-demolished Kingsnorth Power Station remains intact, with its impressive cranes still standing at the far end, a landmark for miles around.

Cranes on the coal jetty of the former Kingsnorth Power Station

An extensive estate of warehousing etc has grown up around the power station (judging by the number of Amazon Vans parked up, there is an Amazon logistics site here somewhere.).Following the rather dreary slog around this Kingsnorth industrial estate, the path between the hamlet of North Street and the village of Upper Stoke is through more open elevated farmland, with more good views down the Medway to the Grain industrial complex and, beyond, the Sheppey Crossing road bridge over the Swale.

View from high ground on the inland section near Upper Stoke village

A freight railway still operates to the Isle of Grain: it is crossed twice on pedestrian crossings: just after the Kingsnorth industrial estate, and on the descent from Stoke village, next to Stoke Medway Airfield.. The railway is all that is left of the original railway: passenger services ended in 1961.

Railway crossing

Where the path returns to the marshside embankment at Stoke, is the Stoke Medway Airfield, with a grass runway which would do justice as a putting green. According to a sign, the runway is the only one in the UK with a curve in it. There is also a cafe here, 'The Halt'.

Stoke Medway Airfield (the ECP runs right by it on the grassy embankment)

Stoke Marshes are part of the Medway Marshes Special Protection Area, another haven for wildfowl and waders. The Grain gas storage complex and cranes of the London Thamesport are first seen from the high ground on the inland path around North Street and Upper Stoke, and the walk ends up-close along the Stoke Marshes embankment.

Grain gas storage tanks and Thamesport cranes

Logistics:

Start: Rochester. The station is close to Rochester Bridge. There is also pay parking in the multistory next to the station (an adjacent Costa Coffee with good opening hours provides a good pitstop at the start of the walk).

Finish: at Grain Crossing bus stop. Use the 191 bus to return to the start (about one bus per hour, 50 minutes to one hour journey time, depending on which rather tortuous route the bus takes around the Hoo villages). See bustimes.org for timetable details, plus real time bus tracking

Grain Crossing bus stop (NB there is only one bus stop sign, on the Eastbound side. The westbound bus to Rochester stops opposite, even though there is no actual bus stop.)

Some 191 buses call at Hoo Marina, which might make for a break point if you're tired, check timetable.

There is also a dirt layby where the ECP emerges onto the A228 next to the Grain gas storage complex. You could park here, do the walk to Rochester, and get the bus back. Or straightaway get the bus to Rochester, and walk back to your car.

Where the ECP emerges onto the A228, layby in the background

Distance:

Rochester to Grain Crossing bus stop: 13 miles

Challenges: The enclosed nature of the path over the hill at Frindsbury means you don't get any views in return for your efforts.

The path passing the Royal Engineers Holdfast Camp is hemmed in by the latter's high barbed wire fence.

On the beach route, the upper beach is firm shingle, but lower beach is muddy and slippery and best avoided. The beach will be covered at high tide, so check tide times carefully, and use the alternative route if necessary.

Beach route between Lower Upnor and Hoo Marina

The alternative upper route is on a metalled farm road; the descent to the shore is on earth paths which may be muddy after rain.

Expect mud after prolonged rain on the embankment paths around the marshes.

The route around the Kingsnorth industrial estate is rather dreary, with an almost dystopian sense of emptiness on the Saturday I passed by.

Damhead Creek Power Station (lots of Amazon Prime vans were parked around the estate)

I encountered two sections of the ECP which, according to notices, were closed due to works on the overhead electric cables running on a line of pylons from Damhead Creek Power Station to Grain. No prior warning of these closures was given earlier in the journey, which, if enforced, would have made for an impossibly long set of diversions. Fortunately, it was a Saturday and no work was going on, so I ignored the ban and was able to get through no problem.

ECP closed notice

Refreshments:

Usual establishments in Rochester. Costa Coffee next to the station multistory car park, or try nearby Rochester High Street.

Two pubs in Upnor and two more on the waterfront at Lower Upnor.

Polish/Portuguese (!) restaurant in the Ordnance Yard, in between Upnor and Lower Upnor.

Identity Crisis Restaurant at the Depot

Pub and Taggs cafe in Hoo St Werburgh (just off the alt route).

The Halt Cafe at Stoke Medway Airfield, right on the route (closes at 3pm).

The Halt Cafe at Stoke Medway Airfield

Nearby walks

For a listing of all my coastal walks, see this page.

For a listing of all my walks in Medway, see here, including a further 3 more on the Hoo coast.

The two best sections of the path (Upnor to Kingsnorth, Stoke Marshes to Grain Crossing), are covered in this blog, as two stand-alone 'there and back again' walks.

Rochester to Rainham coast walk here.

More Photos

Midsummer, sunny day