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Georgian Medway 1714 - 1830
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.
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