Gravesend

Northfleet and Gravesend - Our banner reflects the rich cultural heritage of the area blending together the diversity of Gravesham with its people, places and traditions. The walk from industrial Northfleet through to the picturesque views from Windmill Hill identifies the history of Gravesend and its ability to shape and shift with each passing incarnation.

Industry - "Paper making factories, like Bowater's, employed hundreds of people from different backgrounds in Gravesend and Northfleet. It brought wealth to the area and the local chalk was part of the production process. My Dad worked there from 16 to retirement".

The Boats and Promenade - "The fishing boats came in at Bawley Bay to unload their fish and the buyers would come and buy fresh shrimps. When I was a boy, everybody you knew was tied in some way to the Thames". "The Thames sailing barges no longer work on the river but each July they gather at dawn and race from Gravesend Reach and return to cannon fire from St. Andrews Mission House". "Everyone would be down at the promenade. On Sundays, there was music on the bandstand, we would put our best clothes on and walk along the riverfront with our parents."

Gurdwara/Sikh Community - The Gurdwara is testament to Gravesend's thriving Sikh community who first began settling in the riverside town at the turn of the 20th Century. Its 5 elaborate domes and design are inspired by the Golden Temple at Amritsa. Jit Singh arrived in Gravesend in 1955 to work at the Oxide Foundary in Dartford. His happiest memory of Gravesend is the trams as they reminded him of Mumbai and Calcutta.