Special events

In 2012, Medway will be celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens. The year will bring many activities and events to commemorate the 200^th anniversary of one of Britain’s best loved authors.

Charles Dickens moved to the area when he was five and spent the happiest years of his childhood around Chatham, where his father worked as a clerk in the Royal Navy pay office. 

Historic Rochester inspired the author so much that he featured it in his work and many buildings than can found on the historic High Street carry plaques giving details how Dickens incorporated the site into his novels, while a gentle stroll around local sites and graveyards reveals where he found the names of many of his characters.

Two large festivals are staged each year in June and December to celebrate Medway’s connections with Charles Dickens, and in 2012 Medway will play its part in a year of international celebrations to mark the bicentenary of the writer’s birth.

A full calendar of Dickens Bicentenary events can be found on this website.