Heritage Open Days – The Old High Street Intra

For three years 2022 -2024, Sun Pier House led the development and coordination of The Old High Street Intra Heritage Open Days Trail, a dedicated “one-stop” listings page and map showcasing events, historic sites, and hidden histories across Chatham Intra.

Created as part of the national Heritage Open Days festival, the trail helped visitors explore the rich cultural heritage of Medway’s Creative Heritage Quarter, connecting people with local stories, buildings, and community-led events.

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture. Held in September, it sees thousands of heritage sites, landmarks, and organisations open their doors to the public, offering free events, tours, and experiences that celebrate England’s history and communities.

The Chatham Intra trail was produced by Sun Pier House in partnership with the Cultural Consortium for The Old High Street Intra (now the Intra Community Trust). The project was supported by Historic England and Medway Council through the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme, helping to highlight and revitalise this unique historic high street.

What is ‘Chatham Intra’?

“Into Rochester or Chatham… Because if anybody knows to a nicety where Rochester ends and Chatham begins is more than I do!”
CHARLES DICKENS, The Seven Poor Travellers

Chatham Intra, also known as Medway’s Creative Heritage Quarter, is the historic stretch of the Old High Street that links Rochester and Chatham. Once a little overlooked, it has grown into one of Medway’s most characterful and creative areas.

Over time, artists, makers, designers and performers have naturally been drawn here, alongside independent cafés, bakeries, pubs and restaurants. Together, they’ve helped shape a lively neighbourhood full of creativity, culture and community spirit.

Today, the area is home to a unique mix of studios, galleries and welcoming social spaces. You’ll find live music, comedy and performance sitting comfortably alongside local history, independent fashion, and a diverse food scene. It’s also a place with fascinating heritage, including links to one of the UK’s earliest known LGBTQ+ pubs.

The name “Intra” comes from the Latin meaning “within,” reflecting its position between Rochester and Chatham. The area is generally considered to run from the railway bridge at the Rochester end of the High Street, near the Nags Head, through to the Chatham boundary by the former St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

Historically, this was a place that sat between two towns, with residents often connected to both. Today, it officially falls within Rochester, but it still retains that distinctive in-between identity.

With ongoing investment and care, Chatham Intra continues to evolve as a vibrant cultural hub, bringing new life to historic buildings and creating space for a growing community of creatives, businesses and visitors.

Sites and Venues

Chatham House – 351 High Street

Explore the history of this beautiful Brewery mansion.

JT Featherstone came to Intra in 1904 with his innovative idea which resulted in departments all along the High Street. Also known as Chatham House, this Georgian building was built as a mansion for Isaac Wildash in 1740, complete with a working brewery behind it. James Hulkes (MP for Rochester), continued the Lion brand brewing. Come and see him in his parlour. Brewing stopped in 1912 when Arkolls sold up and the complex was used for furniture storage and sale. Featherstones Ltd added a fine shop front and offered furniture and carpets in room settings from here – you may remember it?

Retailing ceased in 1983, and this beautiful building was neglected and placed on the Historic England ‘at risk’ register. Historic England and Medway Council have partnered with Featherstones Ltd to revitalise this building as part of the Intra rejuvenation and Heritage Action Zone. On the 13th of December 2021 the scaffolding was erected for Phase 1 – to renovate the front elevation. It was removed in June 2022 revealing a restored front portico.

Hospital of Sir John Hawkins

Built on the site of Kettle Hard, a part of Bishop Gundulph’s Hospital of St Bartholomew, the almshouses today are a square of Georgian houses dating from the 1790s. They replaced Hawkins’ Tudor period buildings.

The Governors of this Elizabethan naval charity invite visitors to see the boardroom that contains artefacts relating to the history and career of Sir John Hawkins, an important English admiral in the 1580s and 1590s, and to the establishment and continuity of the charity which provides homes for needy and disabled mariners and shipwrights and for other ex-service personnel. The charity has been providing accommodation on this same High Street site to eligible service personnel and civilians since 1594. The precincts of the Almshouses occupy a corner of the former St Bartholomew’s Hospital and the delightful small garden gives a good prospect of the River Medway, making a pleasant spot in which to enjoy some refreshments.

Chatham Memorial Synagogue

Visit this unique and exceptional historic Grade II listed site; experience the finest substantial example of a late 19th Century British Synagogue in the Romanesque style with its exceptionally richly decorated interior and unique attached cemetery

Chatham Memorial Synagogue is considered to be of exceptional significance, and is, quite literally, the only one of its kind in the world! It is exceptionally beautiful inside with its blaze of colour and distinctive stained glass windows including the renowned Holocaust Memorial Window designed by Hilary Halpern.

The finest surviving example of HH Collins’ work, the current Synagogue sits on the site of an earlier building. The cemetery predates even this earlier building with graves going back to the mid-1700s. This is the only Synagogue in the UK which has an attached cemetery, making the site even more significant.

Learn about the Jewish community in Medway, compare religions, look at “Leper’s Walk”, or just admire the beauty of this wonderful building- just don’t miss this rare opportunity to visit!

St John’s Chatham

St John’s Chatham is a ‘Waterloo Church’ with important artefacts including war memorials and stunning stained glass. The church reopened in 2021 after a long period of closure. Heritage Tours will explain the heritage and history of this site

St John’s Chatham is one of the most prominent buildings in Chatham. We are pleased to introduce its delights to a new generation of residents and visitors and to welcome long term residents back into the building. The scale and heritage of the building is something that we want to share with the whole community particularly through the Heritage Open Days.

A church congregation is established in the building, opening the place multiple times every week and reaching out to the local population. It is a magnificent building built 200 hundred years ago. It was the first electrically lit public building in Chatham and it houses important war memorials as well as some beautiful stained glass windows. Come and visit St John’s Chatham.

Featherstone House – 375 High Street

JT Featherstone’s invention of credit, the Featherstone Way led to 351 as ‘everything for the home’ department of Featherstones Ltd. Meet Squire Hulkes in his parlour and explore the history of this beautiful Brewery mansion.

JT Featherstone came to Intra in 1904 with his innovative idea which resulted in departments all along the High Street. Also known as Chatham House, this Georgian building was built as a mansion for Isaac Wildash in 1740, complete with a working brewery behind it. James Hulkes (MP for Rochester), continued the Lion brand brewing. Come and see him in his parlour. Brewing stopped in 1912 when Arkolls sold up and the complex was used for furniture storage and sale. Featherstones Ltd added a fine shop front and offered furniture and carpets in room settings from here – you may remember it?

Retailing ceased in 1983, and this beautiful building was neglected and placed on the Historic England ‘at risk’ register. Historic England and Medway Council have partnered with Featherstones Ltd to revitalise this building as part of the Intra rejuvenation and Heritage Action Zone. On the 13th of December 2021 the scaffolding was erected for Phase 1 – to renovate the front elevation. It was removed in June 2022 revealing a restored front portico. Come and learn the story of renovating this historic building and Featherstones and share ideas of what could happen next. Brewery tours may be available (no brewing).

Chatham Unitarian Church – Hamond Hill

Chatham Unitarian Church is a Victorian rebuild of the previous chapel with high ceilings and impressive east and west windows. A small alcove and handpump can be found beside the old organ. This non-designated Heritage building is the latest (1889) evolution of a church that started life in a private home on Hamond Hill in 1650. Its history is tied in with that of the Medway Towns: the fire in 1800 necessitated rebuilding the 1703 church; the Tool Chest of Benjamin Seaton was built by Joseph Seaton, a minister of this church; Dickens and his father frequented the Mitre Inn whose landlord attended the church and with whose children Dickens played; and much more…

Events & Activities

History Tours

History walks developed for the Old High Street Intra Heritage Open Days Trail by Robert Flood, local historian, Chair of the City of Rochester Society and Vice-Chair of the Friends of Medway Archives.

Heritage trail map

Download a guide to Chatham Intra featuring archive photographs and packed with revealing facts about the past and present of the area. Written by Rob Flood and designed by Mark Barnes.

Festival of Chatham Reach

As part of Heritage Open Days and The Intra Heritage Trail, The Festival of Chatham Reach revives the historic river and Pier in Chatham. The event creates a country fayre atmosphere, focusing on the heritage of the River and historic river vessels.

History Films about Chatham Intra

When The Circus Came to Town

A History of The Old High Street Intra

The Great Fires of Chatham