Part of the Creative Estuary Co-Commission Programme, Sun Pier House and Tiller & Wheel are proud to launch 300 Steps to the River, a vibrant new arts programme reconnecting Chatham’s town centre with the River Medway through creativity, community and celebration.

Located just 300 steps from Chatham High Street, the River Medway is a vital part of our town’s identity — and it’s time to celebrate it! Through 300 creative events and activities, we’ll bring new energy to the riverfront and invite everyone to explore, imagine and connect.

Look out for exciting new workshops and events, as well as Sun Pier House classics with a twist – we’ll wrap up the project with a joyful, riverside celebration of everything we’ve created together at the Festival of Chatham Reach – full of colour, community and river pride.

You can join in straight away with these activities!

Creating a community video

We’re putting together a joyful community video to celebrate the River Medway — and we’d love for you to be part of it!

Do you have a favourite photo or short video clip from the river? Maybe a peaceful walk, a stunning view, or a special memory? Whatever it is, we’d love to see what the River Medway means to you.

Share your photo or clip with us via a google form and we will bring them all together to create a special piece of art that will be shown at the Festival of Chatham Reach.

Design a Pennant

Sharing your thoughts about the River Medway

Help us understand how you feel about the river by completing this quick survey!

More coming soon!

Chatham Carnival

5th July

BIG DRAW little people

28th July – 20th September

Sticks n Stones Festival

30th August 11am – 5pm

Festival of Chatham Reach

20th September

Tiller & Wheel

Tiller & Wheel CIC was formed in 2019 by Sun Pier House’s very own husband and wife team, Ed Gransden and Heather Burgess.

As the custodians for four historic sailing vessels; three Thames Sailing Barges – Edith May, Lady Daphne and Ardwina and a Whitstable Oyster Smack – Thistle F86, Tiller and Wheel aspire to create a sustainable business model to ensure their ongoing preservation. To do this they aim to inject arts & culture at the core of the business and redefine their purpose, from industrial working craft to cultural platforms.

Tiller and Wheel is dedicated to promoting the historic East Coast fleet of smacks and barges and providing high quality experiences and events aboard these historic vessels, and as the first to offer FREE sailing trips and an affordable subscription model, making sailing an option for all.

Creative Estuary

Creative Estuary’s ambition is simple: To transform 60 miles of the Thames Estuary across Essex and Kent into one of the most exciting cultural hubs in the world.

Creative Estuary is a consortium of public sector and cultural organisations, working together to support the TEPC. They include the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), Kent and Essex County Councils, the Greater London Authority, 11 local authority areas represented by Thames Gateway Kent Partnership and Opportunity South Essex, South East Creative Economy Network (SECEN), University of Kent, University of Essex, Locate in Kent, and cultural organisations Metal, and Cement Fields.