Field-work in Rochester.
Tuesday 19th June and the day promises to be one of the few in the month to be dry and sunny. Ideal then to spend it studying the central area of Rochester in Kent. The High Street has changed over the years, perhaps reflecting the need to develop a more distinctive character than the "clone town" so often seen these days. Although banks have closed and some of the more unusual shops have disappeared, there is a general smartening in the shops and a wider range including delicatessens and coffee bars and pizza restaurants. the chain store is rare here, maybe because Bluewater is just 15 minutes away via the A2. Few high streets can compete with such a large concentration of national names, so Rochester seems to be reinventing itself as a quirky tourist destination, even if the references to Charles Dickens come thick and fast.
The castle's Norman keep provides an ideal platform from which to assess the site of teh city. Built on the Medway, just a few kilometres from the sea, the spot chosen by the Romans to cross the river is still the site of the modern city. The view from the keep looks out over the double meander that must have been an obstacle to any invader trying to wend their way inland. Look the other way and the M2 and the high speed rail line to the Channel Tunnel can be seen crossing on high bridges to the south.
