Town Hall Gardens, Chatham, Rochester, England

Site is open to the public. Opening may be limited, please check Visitor Information for any restrictions.

Brief description of site

Town Hall Gardens are 19th-century public gardens in the town centre. The site was previously used as the cemetery for St Mary's church. Elements of the early C20 design, which was conventional, probably survive in the tree planting, as do a number of early C19 trees which contribute to the aesthetic of the Gardens by reflecting, with the headstones, their earlier use as a burial ground.

Brief history of site

The site, formerly the Rope Works, was developed as a burial ground and opened in May 1828 when the existing churchyard at St Mary’s in Dock Road became overcrowded. Burials continued until 1870 when a new cemetery opened in Maidstone Road. Following the erection of the Town Hall (adjacent to Rope Walk in central Chatham) in 1900, the closed burial ground was considered for use as open space. The minute book for the Highway and Works Committee records on 14 January 1905 the name was changed from the Old Burial Ground to Town Hall Gardens; they were formally opened on 14 June 1905.

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