The Rochester Bridge Trust

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The Rochester Bridge Trust

Providing passage over, under or across the River Medway from medieval times to the modern day. Welcome to the website of The Rochester Bridge Trust.

Since Roman times a bridge has crossed the River Medway at Rochester, and since medieval times the Wardens and Assistants of Rochester Bridge have maintained this strategic river crossing. Today the Trust owns and maintains the two road bridges and the service bridge over the Medway at Rochester, crossings as important for today's traffic and modern life as at any time in our history. Over the cen

turies the Trust has also contributed toward the cost of bridges at Tonbridge, Yalding, East Peckham, Wateringbury, and Maidstone, and more recently took a leading role in the construction of the Medway Tunnel. In addition to this core purpose of funding crossings over or under the River Medway, the Trust makes grants for engineering and agricultural education, for repair of historic structures and historical research projects within the area of the ancient county of Kent and other locations where the Trust owns property. The Trust’s income is derived from 14th century land and financial endowments and its services are provided free of cost to the public.

03/06/2026

*Open today: 11am-4pm*

Our Bridge Chapel and Chamber will be opening today from 11am-4pm. Entry is free and you don't need to book, so if you're out and about in Rochester today, do pop in!

Come and see a rare surviving medieval bridge chapel and the adjoining Victorian meeting place of the Rochester Bridge Trust, all beautifully restored in 1937 by renowned architect Sir Herbert Baker.

One of the artworks on display this year is an early work by Tracey Emin, showing Rochester Bridge.

The Bridge Chapel and Chamber will also be open every Saturday (11am-4pm) from now until the end of August.

More about the opening hours of the Chapel and Chamber and our free lecture series can be found on our website: https://rbt.org.uk/events-resources/forthcoming-events/

02/06/2026

Confident in all things health and safety? There's a voluntary opportunity open for someone with Medway Aircraft Preservation Society Ltd (Mapsl), who restored the Short Scion Floatplane exhibited in Rochester Cathedral last summer 👇

28/05/2026

A lecture by Professor Liz Rideal

27/05/2026

Did you catch Great British Architecture's video about The Rochester Bridge Trust's Bridge Chapel and Chamber over on Instagram?

Soon, you'll be able to explore these historic buildings yourself.

The Bridge Chapel and Chamber will be opening for the summer season in two weeks' time and there will be an early painting by Dame Tracey Emin on display.

From 11am-4pm on the first Wednesday of each month (starting 3 June) and every Saturday, the historic home of the Trust will be open to the public - free of charge, with no booking required.

Come and see the medieval Chapel and Victorian Bridge Chamber, both restored by Sir Herbert Baker in 1937.

For more information, and to find out about this year's lectures at the Chapel, visit https://rbt.org.uk/events-resources/forthcoming-events/

21/05/2026

Bridges in Art - Free talk - 6.30-7.30pm, Thursday 11 June

We're happy to be starting our 2026 programme of free lectures at the Bridge Chapel with a look at the close relationship between bridges, art and life.

Artist and academic Professor Liz Rideal's talk, 'Bridges in Art, and how they connect to life and history' will look at how bridges like Rochester Bridge have shaped our lives and experiences over the centuries.

Places are free but must be booked: get your place via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bridges-in-art-and-how-they-connect-to-life-and-history-tickets-1989897691562?aff=oddtdtcreator

20/05/2026

***Update: Please note our Hard Hat Tours are now fully booked. You can still ask to be added to a waiting list for future tours by emailing [email protected].***

Want to explore rarely-seen parts of the Rochester Bridge crossing, on a tour led by our Bridge Engineers? We’re now taking bookings for this year’s Hard Hat Tours.

These free tours take in the Old Bridge, constructed in 1914, the New Bridge (1970), and the Service Bridge, which carries utilities between Strood and Rochester. You will get to see areas not normally open to the public and hear all about the history and upkeep of this historic crossing.

As the name suggests, you will need to wear a hard hat and other protective clothing for the tours. This will be provided for you.
Places are given on a first come, first served basis.

**You can ask to be added to the waiting list for future tours by emailing [email protected], with the subject line ‘Hard Hats Tour’, and including your name.**

14/05/2026

It’s happy birthday to the Old Bridge. The bridge, with its distinctive bowstring-shaped trusses, first opened 112 years ago today.

The Old Bridge is one of two road bridges that cross the River Medway at Rochester, with the other, eastbound bridge (the New Bridge) opening in 1970.

When it first opened, the Old Bridge was the only road crossing, and it also carried tram lines which you can see in this picture when work on the bridge was near completion.

You can also see, in the foreground, one of the two ornate street lights which were restored at the entrance to the Esplanade Gardens in 2025. One stood at each end of the bridge originally, before being moved when the approaches were reconfigured with the construction of the New Bridge.

You can find out more about the history of the Old Bridge on the Trust’s website: https://rbt.org.uk/bridges/current-bridges/the-old-bridge/

12/05/2026

Do you know an aspiring engineer aged 14-15?

If so, bookings are now open for the The Smallpeice Trust's Explore Engineering residential at the University of Bath in August.

This three day residential course invites year 10 students to take part in hands-on workshops and engineering challenges. It's a fantastic opportunity for those interested in engineering.

The Rochester Bridge Trust is sponsoring this residential as part of its efforts to attract the next generation of engineers.

You can read more on The Smallpeice Trust’s website: https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/course/explore-engineering/

11/05/2026

Happy to see grant funding from the Rochester Bridge Trust (via Kent Community Foundation) being put to good use last week by Medway Watersports Centre, with some brand new kayaks. And they were lucky with the weather!

08/05/2026

Yesterday, filmmaker Rob Bell paid a visit to the Rochester Bridge Trust, speaking to the Trust's Bridge Team about the hard work that goes into maintaining the historic crossing.

The Bridge Team and FM Conway keep a constant eye on the bridge - daily cleaning doubles as a chance for a thorough look at every part of the complex historic structure.

Find out more about the Trust's role in maintaining Rochester Bridge on its website: https://rbt.org.uk/bridges/

Address

5 Esplanade
Rochester
ME11QE

Telephone

01634 846706

Website

http://www.rbt.org.uk/

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