Chatham is a historic town in the unitary authority of Medway in north‑west Kent, sitting on the south bank of the River Medway. It grew up around the great naval base at the Chatham Dockyard, whose dry docks, workshops and defence works dominated the town for centuries and still define much of its character and street pattern.
Today Chatham blends that dockside heritage with ongoing regeneration: the Historic Dockyard is a major visitor attraction alongside museums, cultural venues and regular events, while retail and housing renewal and good rail links from Chatham railway station to London support a mixed economy and diverse local community. The result is a place where industrial history, civic pride and contemporary development sit side by side.
Postcode districts covering Chatham
Most populated places nearby
- Southend-on-Sea 15.4 miles
- Bexley 18.1 miles
- Basildon 14.5 miles
- Maidstone 6.2 miles
- Gillingham 2.2 miles
- Grays 12.1 miles
- Royal Tunbridge Wells 19.2 miles
- Ashford 21.2 miles
- Barking and Dagenham 21.9 miles
- Dartford 14.8 miles
- Canterbury 24.8 miles
- Gravesend 7.8 miles
Neighbouring places
- Princes Park Ward 0.5 miles
- Wayfield & Weeds Wood Ward 0.5 miles
- Luton Ward 0.8 miles
- Fort Pitt Ward 1 mile
- Fort Horsted Ward 1.2 miles
- Lordswood & Walderslade Ward 1.3 miles
- Rochester East & Warren Wood Ward 1.4 miles
- Chatham Central & Brompton Ward 1.4 miles
- Gillingham South Ward 1.6 miles
- Watling Ward 1.7 miles
- Hempstead & Wigmore Ward 1.9 miles
- Walderslade Ward 1.9 miles
Example postcodes in Chatham
ME4 4PT, ME5 0HR, ME5 8JG, ME5 9AU, ME5 8RT, ME4 6QA, ME5 8RH, ME5 0AX, ME4 4LX … See all
Transport links
- London Southend Airport 16.1 miles
- London City Airport 22.8 miles
- Chatham Railway Station 1.4 miles
- Rochester Railway Station 1.9 miles
Hotels in Chatham Ad
- Holiday Inn Rochester Chatham 4
- King Charles Hotel 3
- Bridgewood Manor Hotel & Spa 4
- St George Hotel Rochester - Chatham
- The Charles Hotel
Schools in Chatham
- All Saints C of E Primary School Primary
- Blue Skies School Independent - special
- Bradfields Academy Special
- Chatham Grammar Secondary
- Fort Pitt Grammar School Secondary
- Greenvale Primary School Primary
- Holcombe Grammar School Secondary
- Horsted Infant School Primary
- Horsted Junior School Primary
- INSPIRE Free Special School Special
- Kingfisher Community Primary School Primary
- Lordswood School Primary
- Luton Primary School Primary
- Maundene School Primary
- New Horizons Children's Academy Primary
- New Road Primary School Primary
- Oaklands School Primary
- PGW Partnership of Greenacre and Walderslade Further education
- Phoenix Primary School Primary
- … See all
Local points of interest
- Spotlites at Kings Theatre Theatre 1.2 miles
- University for the Creative Arts - Rochester University 1.5 miles
- Priestfield Stadium Stadium 2 miles
- MidKent College - Medway College 2.4 miles
- University of Greenwich - Medway University 2.5 miles
- Boxley Hills Hill 3.3 miles
- Boxley Abbey Historic site 4.2 miles
- University for the Creative Arts - Maidstone University 6.4 miles
- Yantlet beach Beach 9.8 miles
- Boughton Place Estate 10 miles
- Sheerness Harbour Harbour 10.6 miles
- Yalding Gardens Gardens 11 miles