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The Collections
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The museum is owned and funded by Medway Council. Admission to the museum is free of charge.
Donations boxes are located in both buildings if you would like to make a financial contribution toward the work of the museum.
The museum’s varied collections are displayed in two fine listed buildings – the Guildhall (1687) and the former Medway
Conservancy Board building (1909).
If you need any additional information about the museum, its buildings and exhibits, please do not hesitate to contact one of our
uniformed duty attendant staff who will be happy to assist you.
 Interesting things to see
Interesting things to see
 
The museum collections span 200,000 years of Medway history and focus
on the history and development of Rochester. Themed temporary
exhibitions are staged on a regular basis.
 
If you only have limited time, we suggest that you view the following:-
 
The Guildhall The Dickens Discovery
Chamber Room

The Hulks The Museum Shop

Experience

The Riverside eye

The Seaton Tool
Chest
A Victorian Drawing
It is recommended that you set aside at least one hour for your visit.
 The Guildhall Chamber
 
The 17th century Guildhall Chamber with wonderful painted
plaster ceiling and chandeliers. This room has been used at
various times as a Council Chamber, Assembly Room and
Court. First Floor.
 
 The Hulks Experience
The Hulks Experience. A dramatic walk-through part-
reconstruction of an early 19th century Medway prison hulk on
three deck levels. Discover the terrible conditions experienced
by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war and civilian convicts.
Entrance on First Floor.
 
 Seaton Tool Chest
The Seaton Tool Chest (displayed in the River Medway
gallery). The most complete example of an 18thcentury
carpenter’s tool chest in the world. This tool chest which
belonged to Benjamin Seaton of Chatham is internationally
famous. First Floor.
 
Temporary Exhibitions

Current Exhibitions

Previous Exhibitions
 Current Exhibitions
Temporary exhibition: ‘Our Medway 2012’
 
The museum will be hosting a new temporary exhibition July – October
2009 entitled ‘Our Medway 2012’. This exhibition will showcase
creative and innovative work produced by local school pupils who are
actively engaging in a groundbreaking new project encouraging young
people to explore life and living in Medway in the countdown to the 2012
London Olympics.

Previous
sports
Exhibits
2008-09
 Previous Exhibitions

Silver 2005-6 Fifties 2004-5 Food & Drink 2003-4

Romans 2002-3

Collections 2006-7
 The Dickens Discovery
Room
The Conservancy Board Building
 
The Dickens Discovery Room (including personal objects owned by
19th century author Charles Dickens). Ground Floor.
 
Our Audio Visual Theatre screening a fascinating and educational
10 minute film about Charles Dickens’ links with the Medway
Towns. Ground Floor.
 
 The Museum shop
 
The museum shop stocking a range of souvenirs. Opening
times vary. Ground Floor.
 
 Rochester Riverside Eye
 
The ‘Rochester Riverside Eye’. A self-operated camera system
giving live views of Rochester’s cultural quarter and regeneration
works at Rochester Riverside. This is a brilliant interactive suitable
for all ages. First Floor.
 
A Victorian Drawing Room
Our Historic Museum
Buildings
The Guildhall

The Conservancy
Building
 The Guildhall
Our historic museum buildings
 
The Guildhall
 
The Guildhall (1687) was originally the meeting place for
Rochester’s Town Council and trade guilds. The building is still
used as a meeting place by the ancient Rochester Oyster and
Floating Fishery. Rochester’s Admiralty Court is held at the
Guildhall once a year.
 
The magnificent Court Hall or Guildhall Chamber on the first
floor of the building was immortalised by Charles Dickens in his
novel Great Expectations. This room is reputedly the finest 17th
century civic interior in Kent. The chamber has, in the past,
been used as a Guildhall, Assembly Room, town hall, court, and
council chamber.
 
The Guildhall Chamber is decorated with impressive oil
paintings, a superb ornate plaster ceiling paid for by former
 The Conservancy Building
 
The Conservancy Board Building was built in 1909 to provide a
headquarters for the committee that supervised trade, shipping,
fishing and recreational use of the nearby River Medway. The
lookout tower on top of the building gave Conservancy Board
members excellent views of the river.
 
The building still retains many original features and has been
refurbished in the style of a late Victorian/Edwardian house interior.
 
 
 Education Service

Schools

School Outreach

Families

Adult Learning
 Schools
The museum’s school’s service is based on the close study of
historic objects, with children allowed to handle artefacts as much
as possible. Sessions are led by the education officer in a separate
teaching room, and are designed to encourage pupils to devise their
own questions using the evidence provided by the museum’s
collections. The service is popular with a wide range of ages, from
Foundation Stage upwards, and is also well used by Special Schools.
 
Sessions are generally themed according to the National
Curriculum, and although many are taught with History in mind,
many others deal with Science and Literacy. Children come to the
museum to study the Roman invasion, or Victorian Britain; but they
also enjoy finding out about different Materials, or about the stories
of Charles Dickens.
 
The museum-based schools service is free to all groups who book in
advance (on 01634 848717).
 Schools outreach
Medway schools are also able to take advantage of an outreach
service that brings objects into the classroom. Most themed sessions
can by brought into school and the education officer can lead a
number of sessions in a school day.
 
There is a charge for this service. Medway schools should call 01634
848717 to find out more and to book.
 Families
Free quizzes are always available in the museum to help adults and
children enjoy their visit together. The museum runs occasional Family
Learning Days and a number of activities during the summer holiday.
 Adult Learning
Any group that wishes to add something special to a museum visit can arrange
object-based talks during opening hours. The education officer also visits many
social, church, community and other groups at venues around Medway. For more
information, please call 01634 848717.
 The Collections
The Collections
 
The museum galleries are packed with thousands of objects that trace the origins and
development of Rochester and Medway. Not all of the collections held by the museum on
behalf of the people of Medway are on permanent display. Other collections are used for
research, education work, and to populate temporary exhibitions. Access to collections not
on permanent display can be arranged by prior appointment (Tel: 01634 848717)
 
Scope of the Collections
 
Museum collections are representative of the following broad subject areas:-
 
Geology
Natural History
Archaeology
Ethnography
Social and Local History
Art
Decorative Arts
Costume
Military History
Numismatics
Local Maritime History (excluding naval history)
 
Further details of the museum collections can be found on-line at
www.medway.gov.uk/tourism 
 How to Contact us
How to contact us
If you have an enquiry, there are a number of ways of contacting the museum staff.
 
In person
Talk to one of the duty attendant staff. Appointments can also be made in advance to meet
with curatorial staff.
 
By completing an enquiry/comments form
Complete one of the museum’s enquiry/comment forms available on request from the
uniformed duty attendant staff. Your written enquiry will be answered quickly. Please
provide full contact details when completing the form.
 
In writing
Guildhall Museum
High Street
Rochester
Kent
ME1 1PY

By telephone
01634 848717 (there is an answer phone facility out-of-hours).
By Email guilhall.museum@medway.gov.uk
Website Information
Museum pages at www.medway.gov.uk/tourism
By Fax
01634 832919
 
Services Offered By The
Museum
Education Services

Object Identification Service

Room Hire

Weddings

Events & Activities

 Education Services
Services offered by the museum
 
Education Services
 
The museum offers a wide range of learning opportunities. Details of the
range of services offered can be found on the Education page on this
touch screen please return to the main Home page.
 
 Object Identification
Services offered by theServices
museum
 
Object Identification Service
 
Curatorial staff are able to offer a free object identification service. If you
have an object that you would like identified please make an appointment
with one of our curatorial staff (Telephone 01634 848717). The museum is
not able to provide valuations.
 
 Room Hire
Services offered by the museum
 
Room Hire
The Guildhall Chamber and adjacent Members’ Room are available for
hire for meetings, talks and seminars. Please contact the museum office
on 01634 848717 for details of the current hourly hire rates and terms
and conditions of hire.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Weddings
Services offered by the museum
 
Weddings
The ornate Guildhall Chamber is a popular local venue for civil marriages
and other formal ceremonies. The Chamber accommodates a maximum
of 70 guests (seated). We regret that the museum is not able to host
wedding receptions, but there are a number of venues close to the
museum that undertake wedding reception catering. Please contact the
Museum Services Officer on 01634 848717 for details of the current hire
fees and terms and conditions of hire.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Events & Activities

The museum service organises special events

and activities throughout the year including
holiday activities and workshops for younger
visitors. Details of planned events and
activities can be found on the Forthcoming
Events page on this touch screen.
 
 Some other local heritage
sites to visit
For details of other heritage attractions in the local area, please
contact the Visitor Information Centre at 95, Rochester High
Street (Tel: 01634 843666).
 
The City of Rochester contains many historic buildings ranging in
date from Norman times to the 21st century. Rochester is probably
best explored on foot.
Visitors interested in Charles Dickens can purchase a self-guiding
‘Dickens Trail’ from the Visitor Information Centre. English, French
and German language versions are available.
 
Some other heritage sites and attractions in the Medway
Towns thatSomeareother
openheritage
to the public
sites (some venues have
and attractions very
in the
Medway Towns
Six Poor Travellers’ House,
Rochester – A fascinating
early Tudor almshouse. The
house, in Rochester High
Street, is the centre-piece of
Dickens’ story ‘The Seven
Poor Travellers’.
Upnor Castle, Upper Upnor –
The castle was built in 1559 as
a gun fort on the orders of
Queen Elizabeth I to defend
her warships at anchor in the
River Medway. Tel: 01634
718742
Rochester Cathedral –
England’s second-oldest
Cathedral. Tel: 01634 401301
Temple Manor, Strood – The
13th century hall was built as a
hostel for the Knights Templar
– a religious order of Knights
who played a significant role in
the crusades.

The Old Brook Pumping

Restoration House,
mansion famed for visit
of Charles II. Tel:
01634 848520
Rochester Castle - One of
the best preserved and finest
examples of Norman
architecture in England. Tel:
01634 402276
Station, Chatham – The
diesel-powered former water
pumping station (1929) is now
an industrial museum. Tel:
01634 842059

Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham – A wonderful museum with exhibits of national and international importance.
Tel: 01634 822839
The Historic Dockyard, Chatham – Set in a stunning 80 acre estate, explore the most complete dockyard of the Age of
Sail. Tel: 01634 823807
Fort Amherst, Chatham – An impressive Napoleonic fortress and tunnel system used in local defences. Tel: 01634 847747
 Forthcoming Events
Forthcoming events
 
Temporary exhibition: ‘Our Medway 2012’
 
The museum will be hosting a new temporary exhibition July –
October 2009 entitled ‘Our Medway 2012’. This exhibition will
showcase creative and innovative work produced by local school
pupils who are actively engaging in a groundbreaking new project
encouraging young people to explore life and living in Medway in
the countdown to the 2012 London Olympics.
 
Summer school holiday activities 2009
 
The museum is once again planning to provide a mix of drop-in
activities and pre-booked workshops for younger visitors and
families during the month of August. Full details will be available in
June 2009.