Medway Towns
Unitary authority in southeast England, created in 1998 by combining the former city council of Rochester upon Medway with Gillingham borough council, both formerly in Kent.
Area
194 sq km/75 sq mi
Towns and cities
Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham,
Strood (administrative headquarters)
Features
River Medway flows through Rochester; River Thames forms northern border of authority; reclaimed estuarine mudflats form the Isle of Grain; Charles Dickens Centre (Rochester) is housed in a 16th-century mansion; Royal Naval Dockyard (Chatham); Royal Engineers Museum (Chatham); Upnor Castle (16th century) at Upper Upnor
Industries
education and health, distribution, manufacturing, banking, financial services, insurance, transport and communications, engineering, Thamesport (privately-owned deep-water container port), avionics, information technology
Population
(2001) 249,500
Famous people
William Jenner
