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During the Georgian period, London unquestionably became one of the most important cities in the world. Its presence close by would have increasingly affected life in Medway, especially as new turnpike roads and stage coaches increased the speed and ease of travel. Smaller roads, however, could soon become impassable in the winter and heavy goods were generally moved by sea and up and down the Medway. This meant that, by the end of the 18th century, Rochester was a thriving port, dealing with perhaps 200 large boats a year. In 1824, the Thames and Medway Canal was cut through from Strood to Gravesend. This linked the two estuaries, eliminating the need for a long journey around the Hoo peninsula but the venture was never a commercial success. There was fishing too, of course. The Medway was full of fish, including smelt, sole, flounder, herring and eel. The oyster fishery was controlled by an Act of Parliament in 1729, which limited the season and the amount each licensed fisherman could take. The growth of the Dockyard meant that lines of ever more complex fortifications were constructed in the area to protect this vital naval base from attack by sea or land. Many of these fortifications survive in Medway. The most extensive example, Fort Amherst, is now restored and open to the public. People would have become accustomed to the presence of soldiers in the towns, especially during the Napoleonic Wars (1793–1815), when new barracks were built at Brompton. Chatham in particular began to take on a decidedly military character. Related pages
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Prehistoric Medway
350,000 BC – 43AD Roman Medway
43 – 410 Anglo-Saxon Medway
410 – 1066 Medieval Medway
1066 – 1485 Tudor Medway
1485 – 1603 Medway in the 17th century
1603 – 1700 Georgian Medway
1714 – 1830 Victorian Medway
1837 – 1901 Medway in the 20th century
1901 – 2000 Medway in the 21st century
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