🏨 Charles Dickens Rochester and Kent Day Tour Activity

Charles Dickens Rochester and Kent Day Tour

» London » London » London

From $377.53

Price varies by group size

Lowest Price Guarantee

Pricing Info: Per Person

Duration: 7 hours

Departs: London, London

Ticket Type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance.

Learn more

Overview

This private tour from London by car takes us the short distance to the county of Kent - The Garden of England. He will visit locations that were central to the life of Charles Dickens as well as others which became the inspiration and settings for some of his wonderful literature.

What's Included

Private transportation

Traveler Information

ADULT: Age: 15 - 99

Additional Info

Guides required to regularly wash hands
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Guides required to regularly wash hands
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

What To Expect

The Leather Bottle Bar

The local Pub is called The Leather Bottle Inn. This is the Pub that is featured in Pickwick Papers and the pub where Dickens took his secret lovers!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St Mary Magdalene Church

The best kept secret in the County of Kent is next to the local Church, St Mary Magdalene; The New College of Cobham. It was built in 1360 to house the new priests who were studying there and were accommodated little cottages. However, in 1531 Henry VIII dissolved the Monasteries and the Monks were killed. The College remained empty for many years until Lord Cobham made them into Arms Houses, for the poor of the Parish of Cobham.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Gad's Hill Place

This was first seen by Dickens when walking with his father when he was a small boy. He announced to his Father that one day I will live here and he did!

His study in the house and where he died remains as it was. Dickens built a wooden Swiss chalet in grounds over the main road from his house. This become his place of solace where he could write. He penned here Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations, A Tale of two Cities to name but a few.

This house is currently a private school.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

St James' Church Cooling

Built in the 1200s, it still has some original pews remaining which, Dickens would have most definitely used. The graveyard was where he based the opening scenes in Great Expectations, where Pip has his first encounter with Magwitch, who escaped from the prison ship taking prisoners to Australia. You can still see the Thames from here from the graveyard. Pip was laying some flowers at the grave of his Mother and his five brothers.

In fact, there are Thirteen babies’ graves, these are from two families. They all died of marsh fever, now known as Malaria.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

We finish the tour visiting the wonderfully historic city of Rochester and its Dickensian main street full of connections to the life and works of Charles Dickens.

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Eastgate House

Dating from 1590, this townhouse was a family home, then a Boarding School and now a Museum. It features in his first and last novels. The house appears as Westgate house in
The Pickwick Papers and as Miss Twinkletons Seminary for young ladies in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. At the back of the house in the gardens is Dickens, original Swiss Chalet, which has now been moved here from Gads Hill Place.

Opposite Eastgate house is Mr Pumblechooks house featured in Great Expectations and The Mystery of Edwin Drood as the offices of Mr Sapsea, the Auctioneer. This building dates to 1694.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Restoration House

The home of Miss Havisham was based on this house. King Charles II stayed here in 1660 on his return from exile from France just before he was crowned King.