ROCHESTER, a city of England, in the county of Kent, is situated on the east bank of the Medway, on a bend of the river, where it falls into the Thames. A continuous row of buildings connects it with Chatham, and by a bridge over the Medway it communicates with the i;illage of Stroud. The town consists principally of the high street, along which passes the great road from Canterbury to Dover. The streets are wide, well paved, and lighted with gas ; and the houses are in general well built. The principal public buildings and establishments are the castle, the cathedral, the churches, the town hail, the hospital, a grammar school, and alms-house for poor travellers, and a free school.
The castle is situated at the south-west angle of the city, and is defended on the west by the Medway, from which it rises abruptly, while a broad and deep ditch protects it on all other sides. The external walls, which once formed an irregular parallelogram about 300 feet long, were strengthened with round and square towers, which, with the walls themselves, are in a state of ruin. The keep has the form of a quadrangle, seventy feet square at the base, with the angles directed to the four cardinal points, and upon which angles there were four elevated towers. The interior of the keep is divided into two nearly equal parts by a strong wall, with arched doorways on each floor. At the north-east angle is a circular winding stair-case, which ascends to the summit.
To the east of the castle, and a little to the south of the high street, stands the cathedral. Its shape is that of a cross, and it has a low tower and spire rising at the intersection of the nave and great transept. The Nyest entrance is particularly fine. The roof is of tim ber frame-work, in imitation of vaulting. The great tower is supported by four obtusely pointed arches, rest ing on pieces of solid masonry, which are surrounded by slender columns of Petworth marble. The chapter house, which contains the library, is entered by a rudely sculptured dcorway. In a large hollow between the inner mouldings, is a range of human heads and flowers alternating ; and beyond them are six whole length figures, two of which are supposed to be Henry I. and Matilda, and the rest bishops. There are several valu able MSS. in the library.
The cathedral is 306 feet long from east to west, 150 tclonging to the nave, and 156 to the choir. The
breadth of the nave, and also that of the choir, is about 75 feet. The western transept is 122 feet, and the east ern one 90 feet long. The west front is 94 feet wide, and the height of the great tower 156.
Besides the cathedral on the south are the remains of the chapter-house and cloister belonging to the priori, which are very beautiful. There were formerly four churches at Rochester, viz. those of St. Nicholas, St. Margaret, St. Clement, and St. Mary. The last of these is demolished, and St. Clement's forms part of some houses near the bridge. The church of St. Nicholas, built in 1421, consists of a nave, aisle, and chancel, and has an embattled tower at the north-west angle. St. Mar garet's is finely situated on a lofty eminence south of the high street. The town-hall, erected in 1687, and situ ated on the north side of the high street, is an elegant building of brick, ornamented with Doric columns. The city jail is in the lower, and the town-hall in tbe upper part. A spacious room in the area behind, con tains full length portraits of King William and Queen Anne. The bridge over the Medway, which is remark able for its height, strength, and elegance, consists of about eleven arches, the largest of which is about forty feet span, and the others thirty. It is 560 feet long, and 24 broad.
The principal charitable institutions in Rochester arc St. Catharine's hospital, a grammar school, an almshouse for the relief of poor travellers, and a free school. The hospital was founded in 1316, for the mainte nance of twelve poor people, by Simond Potyn. The grammar school was founded by Henry VIII. for twenty scholars ; and the almshouse and dormitories for the relief of poor travellers, were built in the reign of Eli zabeth, by the proprietor of Satis, who left estates for its support. The free school was founded by Sir Joseph Williamson, who bequeathed to it, in 1701, £5000. Rochester is governed by a mayor, twelve aldermen, twelve counsellors, a recorder, town-clerk, two cham berlains, a principal sergeant at mace, a water bailiff, and other inferior officers. The oyster fishery in the Medway is managed by a company of dredgers. Tho spawn is often brought from foreign parts, and after be ing laid in proper beds, soon arrives at maturity. The inhabitants are principally occupied in trade and mari time pursuits.