Gravesham

Gravesham is a district in north‑west Kent on the south bank of the River Thames, centred on Gravesend and including Northfleet plus villages such as Meopham, Higham and Shorne. The riverfront is a long feature of the area: Gravesend Town Pier, opened in 1834, is one of the oldest surviving cast‑iron piers and sits beside a line of quays and former shipyards that record centuries of trade. St George’s Church in Gravesend marks the burial of Pocahontas, who died in the town in 1617 and is commemorated by a plaque and memorial there.

The district also reaches into the North Downs, where Meopham’s linear village runs along the chalk escarpment and farmland stretches inland. Shorne Woods Country Park provides forested trails and viewpoints over the estuary. Northfleet’s shoreline carries traces of the cement and shipping works that shaped local settlement and later redevelopment. The A2 and rail services from Gravesend link to London and Kent, so the area combines river access, industrial heritage and countryside within commuting distance.