Kent’s Medway Towns are home to three key universities; University of Greenwich, University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University.
The Medway campus is situated on the mouth of the River Medway. The Medway towns; Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester have been known as the historic capital of maritime Kent and the university site was once a Royal Naval barracks.
Medway Towns have good access to London but there is so much going on in Kent you might not need to travel that far. Here is what students in the Medway Towns have to say about their second home...
The Loft
34C Gabriels Hill, Maidstone, Kent
www.theloftnightclub.com
The Loft is widely known as a dance-music club and on Saturday nights you'll find big name DJs on the decks. However, I would urge new students to visit on a Friday night for Subsonic, which plays
host to a more indie crowd with alternative, skate and a bit of retro punk for your listening pleasure. The cheap drinks promotions are the icing on the cake.
Daryl Stewart
Project Blue
70 Bank Street, Maidstone, Kent
Tel: 01622 685811
This café / bar/ restaurant is one of my favourite meeting places in Maidstone. Depending on your mood, you can head down on a Thursday night for live jazz or sip cocktails on a Summer evening in the courtyard or have a full slap-up meal. The great cocktails and extensive wine list make this less of a beer-monsters hang-out and more of a stylish setting for a girls night out.
Erica Dutton
Cumin Club
188 High Street, Rochester, Kent
Tel: 01634 400880
If you love Indian food, there are plenty of places to try in Rochester but my personal recommendation is Cumin Club. It's not a
cheap and cheerful option, but the quality of the food and the chic surroundings are worth a couple of extra pounds. Head for the Gourmet menu if you're feeling fancy or pile in to one of their banquets with your friends. Delicious!
Ian Dain
Gulbenkian Theatre Café Bar
University of Kent at Canterbury, Canterbury, Kent
Tel: 01227 823842
This is the best place to go for a coffee, a bite to eat and to get your daily dose of culture too. I often grab a coffee and read the newspaper for a bit of peace and quiet, it’s also a good place to meet and talk about assignments because of the laid back atmosphere (and comfy sofas). All the drinks served are Fairtrade and that gets a big thumbs up from me. Most people eat or drink there before the theatre, which means it can get busy at times.
Rob Green
Pentagon Shopping Centre
Pentagon Centre, Chatham, Kent
Tel: 01634 405 388
My favourite shopping centre in Medway is Pentagon in Chatham. It has almost all the high street shops such as Dorothy Perkins, HMV, Miss Selfridge and Debenhams where students can get discounts with a valid NUS card. There are lots of eat-outs including fish and chip shops, a Chinese take away and plenty of coffee shops and Pentagon has a bowling centre where students can chill-out after a hard day’s work at University. There are also opportunities for students to get part-time jobs in the variety of shops here.
Esther Afetorgbor
Maidstone is a beautiful town with stunning sights such as the Archbishops Palace and the All Saints Church. There is a huge selection of shops and over 80 places to eat and drink so you’ll be spoilt for choice. Maidstone also holds a great river festival every year on the River Medway and the Hazlitt Theatre is another highlight.
Jane Smallwood
Museum of Canterbury
Stour Street, Canterbury, Kent.
Tel: 01227 475 202
The Museum displays much of the history of the city from pre-Roman to present day and also has various exhibitions all year round. Well worth a visit is the Joseph Conrad collection and the Wartime exhibition. For those of you just like me who can’t avoid the child inside visit the Rupert Bear Museum and the Bagpuss and Clangers display – great stuff!
Christopher Jones
