The Vines Gardens

The Vines Gardens is a grade II listed park with a rich cultural history.

With an impressive avenue of mature London Plane trees, bordering a central path known as the Broad Walk, the park is a shady and tranquil spot in the centre of Rochester.

The Grade II listed gardens were used by monks in the medieval times to cultivate vines and there are interpretation panels within the park with further information about the park’s origins.

The park has a number of bat, bird and bee boxes, and the mature shrubberies and colourful herbaceous planting supports other wildlife.

Just next to the gardens is Restoration House; the house takes its name from the stay of King Charles II on the eve of the Restoration.

It is also reputed to be the inspiration for Satis House, the home of Miss Havisham, in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.

For further information about Restoration House visit http://www.restorationhouse.co.uk/

You can also explore the surrounding areas of Rochester with a local walking group. For more information about any local groups, you can visit the Medway Health Walks Location list on Medway Council’s website.

The Friends of the Vines are a community group established in 2009 to support the work of Medway Council with The Vines gardens, which lie in the heart of Rochester.  Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers we the team frequently win the prestigious Green Flag award and South-East in Bloom competition.

The Friends Group works in partnership with Medway Council and Kent Wildlife Trust to support planting schemes, and also arranges events such as the Annual fundraising Cherry Picnic, Bug Days for children, and Bat events