What to do in Gravesend...
From creative spaces to iGolf, we have picked out some great places to visit
From the picturesque and buzzy Heritage Quarter to the creative spaces of its Cultural Quayside, Gravesend has so much to talk about. The town still has that edgy quality that most of us Kent folk grew up with and still harbour a craving for. The diversity of its residents and its ‘stuff to do’ list, coupled with a flourishing arts scene, means that a trip to the heart of Gravesham should be high on your agenda.
CULTURAL QUAYSIDE
On the side of the Thames, Gravesend’s riverside hit the news last year when it was confirmed that the Clipper service had bought the town pier and pontoon, with plans to start up regular Uber Boat runs from Gravo, via Tilbury (Essex), into London.
But for this visit the boat we were looking for was far easier to find. Some 40 metres and 500 tonnes of steel, the LV21 is a very large, red, vessel as a quite literal beacon for culture in the area.
Once a lightship, protecting boats from running aground on the shifting sands off the coast of Deal and Dover, LV21 is being transformed into a floating art space and performance facility.
Run by creative partner Päivi Seppälä, who specialises in community participatory cultural projects, and Gary Weston, owner of video production company Spaghetti Weston, LV21 is a unique venue, with surely the only galley performance area (complete with sing rope benches) in Kent and probably well beyond.
Housing artists in residence up in the Lookout space, putting on live theatre across the deck or even sound art down among the chains and the steel chambers in the bowels of the vessel, it really is one of the most amazing spaces you will come across. The riverside grass area forms a natural bowl for outdoor performances, while new overnight facilities are being constructed in the old cabins to add flexibility for artists. Decommissioned in 2008, the vessel retains all its historic charm and there are some amazing tales and historic nuggets in every nook and cranny you can find.
Head over to St Andrew’s Art Centre if you want to blow your mind with a bit of out-there thinking.
Fourth Portal could choose to be a cosy pop-up arts café, complete with carbon-neutral crisps and specialty coffee roasted by prisoners at HMP The Mount, but it offers much more. Designed as a ‘gathering space’ both physically and digitally, Fourth Portal aims to mix the past with the future.
Set in St Andrew’s Church, complete with resident artists, musicians and an intriguing mix of tech artefacts like Nokia 3210s and gramophones, Fourth Portal is led by John McKiernan, whose entrepreneurship saw him grow a chain of coffee bars featuring live theatre and music in the 90s. But John’s ever-evolving quest for ‘what’s next?’ has seen Fourth Portal develop the Virtual House, which allows people to visit the centre digitally to have meetings, chat and even listen to music together.
It’s worth a drop-in, whether it’s to discuss the future of AI over a cuppa or to play a round of Street Fighter on one of the old machines. Hadouken!
There are a number of new projects all under way for the Cultural Quayside, so watch (and visit) this space.
HUNGRY FOR HERITAGE
The old High Street is filled with independent shops and places to sit, eat and drink.
From the ever-present Marie’s Tea Room to quirky cellar bar the Mole Hole, complete with ukulele nights, to the Insta-friendly Vegan Antics cake shop and the Toxic Angel Fashion Boutique, there’s a little bit of everything. At the river end of the street, the Three Daws (possibly Kent’s oldest pub - circa 1450) is known for its live music and events, while the stunning Rum Puncheon has great waterside views.
Halfway up the High Street is the Old Town Hall, with its majestic columned frontage, leading to a great lunchtime gem in the Borough Market. With different events and trader days throughout the year, the covered chartered market spends most of its time as the best social snacking spot in town. While there are still a few empty units, the street-food slingers that are there show just how brilliant this place will be.
Grab a patty and bun at Gravesend Burger Kiosk or a chicken paprikash stew at the Hungarian-based Laszlo’s Kitchen.
On our visit we took on the beautifully spicy curried mutton with jollof rice and light fried dumpling from Ms Earlyn’s Caribbean food stall, plus a homemade Guinness Punch with nutmeg and condensed milk - pow that’s sweet!
We also tried the spectacular chicken drunken noodles at Pad Thai Live, cooked fresh right in front of your face and devoured in among the hustle and bustle of the market. It’s banging - no wonder they’ve now got venues in Maidstone and Chatham, too.
Outside the Borough Market, one of Gravesend’s many claims to fame stands proud - the iconic phone box from The Jam’s 1980 album cover for Sound Affects. Artist Duncan Grant has taken this theme and created an amazing installation in the phone box using inspiration from the original album. Have a scout about for something up your street… for example the Mug & Meeple popular boardgame cafe and the brand-new Elephant Music, which is bringing quality vinyl and a fully equipped rehearsal studio to the neighbourhood
NEW LIFE AT ST GEORGE’S
We cannot possibly talk about this area of the town without mentioning the statue of legendary Native American Pocahontas in St George’s churchyard. Go see it! But once you’re done, there’s a lot more to discover. So many of the places we visit in Kent have a mid-town shopping centre, often with too many closed units for our liking. But, finally, there is work under way to bring the creative industries into these spaces, injecting new life and energy.
St George’s Arts Centre is doing exactly that, with a new exhibition and arts space complete with its own drop in-space and cafe.
Artist in residence Mona Whitton - who won Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas on Channel 4 in December 2022 - hosts workshops in her studio, while there are local artists’ works on show in the main space, including from Duncan Grant, who has been championing community art and local creative projects - including allowing the use of his works on the cans of nearby Northfleet brewery Iron Pier.
Elsewhere at St George’s is the interactive and family-friendly Panic Room Entertainment Centre, from the creators of the revered escape room pioneers at Gravesend’s Panic Room (just down the road).
Not only are there more escape rooms in addition to the impressive array already available at the sister site, but there is a laser tag arena, retro gaming arcade and augmented reality air hockey. However, for us, the star of the show was the minigolf.io, which brings the worlds of digital and physical golf together. With more than 100 holes, the floor and obstacles move and alter depending on the choice of hole from your video screen. Fore!
NIP TO NORTHFLEET
A short walk from Gravesend’s centre into Northfleet, you will find one of the finest examples of a working brewery taproom at Iron Pier.
Named after the town’s pier (it is the oldest iron pier in the world, after all!), it is set on a working business park and customers can pop in for a pint or two at the source of the beery goodness. At just six years old, the brewery has gone from strength to strength, with many Kent pubs stocking the Iron Pier range. But the taproom is the perfect place to soak in the sounds and smells of the brewing process. The bar is decked out with exposed wood and steel, while there is even an outside seating area. It’s a crafty’s heaven, but it’s fantastic for us mere casual drinkers, as well.
In the opposite unit you’ll find Clubb’s Yard, home to Artist Surfaces, who specialise in producing museum-grade surfaces for artists to work with. Plans are also well under way to open new artist studios on site.
EXTRA, EXTRA!
Of course, there are many other places to go and see in the town, but we can only mention a few, one of course being the Woodville Halls theatre, which hosts everything from live theatre and music to blockbuster movies and stand-up comedy. Across the road is the trendy Invicta Bar, which offers a room on tap for independent breweries from Kent and beyond.
Lastly, a newcomer to the town, ORB VR is a virtual reality space offering all sorts of experiences, including a full-motion racing simulator, complete with steering wheel and pedals! Zoom!
