Gravesham’s longest festival launches

Guided walks, historical talks, children’s workshops and tours of some of the borough’s most treasured buildings, form just part of the biggest festival to come out of Gravesham this year.

Organisers of the Discover Gravesham Festival officially launched the month long event today (Wednesday 20 April) at Gravesend Cemetery, one of the many venues part of the festival’s programme. The launch highlighted the many new, as well as the older, much loved events that will be taking place during the annual festival which runs from Sunday 1 to Tuesday 31 May.

Members from 10 different heritage groups in the borough have teamed up with Gravesham Borough Council to put on a number of great events throughout the month of May which include tours of Gad’s Hill (former home of Charles Dickens), performances by Gravesend Theatre Guild and The Matinee Singers, a variety of waterfront and country walks, and visits to the newly reopen and refurbished New Tavern Fort. The programme also includes family friendly activities such as crafts, storytelling and an archaeological fun day.

Towncentric Visitor Manager Virginie Whittaker said: “This year the festival is bigger than ever. We have increased the number of exciting events and activities taking place and extended the festival by two weeks, this will give our visitors the opportunity to enjoy more events.”

The Discover Gravesham Festival is a unique opportunity to showcase and exhibit the wealth of history that Gravesham has to offer. The festival has something to offer people of all ages as well as local residents and people that live further afield.

Many of the events and exhibitions are free and give friends and families a chance to discover something new together.

The festival kicks off on Sunday 1 May at 11am with a walk around Windmill Hill. Walkers can discover the history of Windmill Hill with local historian Tony Larkin, look at the properties and hear about some of the characters who used to reside in this fascinating part of town.

Walk along the waterfront with Tom Baines on Thursday 5 May to discover sites where the old inns and taverns stood, including West Street, East Street, The Terrace and the Queen Street area. The walk begins at Town Pier Square at 2.15pm and will finish at 4pm.

If theatre’s more your thing, then why not see Gravesend Theatre Guild perform ‘Copenhagen’ on Thursday 5 May at 8pm? This production is the Guild’s entry in the Kent Drama Association Full Length Play Festival.