This neighbourhood, pleasantly situated along the south bank of the River Thames, is a largely residential area, offering excellent transport links to central London from nearby Gravesend station, with trains to St Pancras taking just over 20 minutes. The houses are mainly terraced in form, with many clustered around the Riverside Leisure Area, which is highlighted as a particular attraction in this neighbourhood; with a children’s play site, a promenade leading to a marina, and the opportunity for rowing and sailing – there is something for people of all ages to enjoy here! And if this wasn’t enough, on a typical weekend, residents can enjoy a short stroll to a local eatery, including the Canal Tavern, situated on the edge of the marina, or one of the many restaurants located along the Milton Road, found to be offering a fine selection of international cuisines.

One of the most historically rich parts of this neighbourhood is the Riverside Leisure Area; the oldest surviving building of Gravesend, Milton Chantry, can be found here. This building is grade II* listed, and dates from the 14th century, when it was established as a chapel. But its history does not begin here, as prior to this, and existing on the original site, was a leper hospital, which was formerly founded in 1189! Another building of particular historical significance in this park is the New Tavern Fort, which was built slightly later in the 1780s. It now exists as the Chantry Heritage Centre, which is a partly open-air museum, offering people the opportunity to learn about the local areas of Gravesend, Northfleet, and other surrounding villages, through a series of exhibitions.

The Royal Terrace Pier, built in 1844, received its ‘Royal’ prefix in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark after she arrived in Gravesend at this pier, on her journey to marry the future King Edward VII.

One of the downsides of this area is the big industrial site located to the east of the neighbourhood, which is largely devoid of greenery and presents itself as a bit of an eyesore. Despite this, because it is isolated from the rest of the neighbourhood area, residents find that it does not interfere with their everyday life, and there are plenty of green spaces that are easily accessible to the west.

There are major plans in the pipeline for Gravesend Town Centre and the St George’s Shopping Centre, which is adjacent to the town centre. Plans were unveiled in 2020 for the land around St George’s Church, near the shopping centre, and West Street. The land would be turned into a new 500-seat theatre which would replace the existing Woodville auditorium. An 88-bedroom hotel, 7,000 sq ft of commercial and retail space, a new St George’s Church Hall, 155 residential units and a 250-space extension to the St George’s Centre car park have all been proposed as well as part of this scheme. Development company Reef will spearhead the regeneration scheme following the completion of its other development in the area, which also aligns itself with the town centre’s regeneration, The Charter, a development of 242 homes in blocks of flats on the current Horn Yard and Market Square car parks. Specific plans for the shopping centre have not been made clear but permission for its enhancement and refurbishment has already been granted.