Rosherville Gardens: Quay & Drawdock

Constructed in the 1830s having been designed by architect H.E.Kendall (1776-1875) and his son Henry Edward Kendall, Junior for Jeremiah Rosher's Rosherville New Town, this quay and drawdock was built in hope of taking advantage of Gravesend's popularity as a resort town with Londoners who were visiting via steamboat or buying a house within the area. Originally there were plans for a grand concrete pier as well but due to costs a wooden one was erected instead.

Unfortunately Jeremiah Rosher's vision wasn't successful and in 1837 he leased his nearby excavated chalk pit, the quay, drawdock and pier to George Jones for a period of 99 years. Mr Jones formed the Kent Zoological and Botanical Gardens Company and thus Rosherville Gardens were formed. With the help of the quay, drawdock and pier due to day visitors arriving via steamboat from London, Rosherville Gardens was a success from 1842 onwards. By 1878 the pier saw a decline in visitors worsened by the sinking of the paddle steamer Princess Alice with great loss of life this was further worsened by now affordable trips via train to the seaside. In 1886 a railway station called Rosherville Halt was built specifically to bring visitors back to Rosherville Gardens and with this more trade was taken from the pier.

Rosherville Gardens went bankrupt in 1900 and despite reopening in 1903 following changes it never recovered continuing to lose money, the pier was disused by 1910 and eventually the gardens followed and were closed in 1913 and never reopened.

During the 1960s the steps down to the beach from the quay were enclosed in concrete leaving only the quay walls, drawdock and steps that would have lead up to the gardens and the impressive Rosherville Hotel remaining although this was subsequently demolished as well.