AN English town right on the River Thames has an unusual link to an iconic Disney princess.
Gravesend, in Kent, is a commuter town thanks to its fast trains to London taking less than 25 minutes.
Gravesend has an unusual tie to the inspiration behind a Disney character[/caption]
The grave of the real Pocahontas is in Gravesend[/caption]
It has since been dubbed as the “Gateway to Kent,” due to being one of the first towns to go through before travelling onto destinations like Whitstable and Canterbury.
But most tourists won’t know about one of its little-know attractions – a statue of the real-life Pocahontas.
The Native American woman Pocahontas, who inspired the Disney movie, was captured by English colonists in what is now Virginia back in the early 1600s.
She was then taken to London, but died at the age of around 21, during her return journey to Virginia while waiting at Gravesend.
Now, her statue (built in 1922) is outside St George’s Church although her real grave and cause of death are still unknown.
She isn’t the only famous visitor in history – Charles Dickens stayed while his house in Higham was being renovated, with the town then mentioned in both David Copperfield and Great Expectations.
It was also mentioned in the Frankenstein novel after Mary Shelley visited, as well as some of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.
Another claim to fame in Gravesend is for having the oldest cast iron pier in the world that is still in use.
Built in 1832, it was refurbished back in 2004 and now has a bar and restaurant.
It even welcomes Uber Boat once a week, travelling to London and seeing sites such as The O2 and Canary Wharf along the way.
Other attractions include Gravesend Clock Tower, based on Big Ben, as well as Windmill Hill, with views over the Thames.
It is also home to the largest Sikh temple outside of Europe, the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.
Even if visiting with the family, there is more than enough to do including the outdoor Cyclopark for kids to learn to ride bikes as well as laser tag and panic rooms.
The fastest trains travel to London St Pancras in 23 minutes.
You could even once travel to Tilbury in Essex by ferry, although this was paused back in April 2024 until further notice.
The town is also home to the UK’s oldest market[/caption]
What is it like to live in Gravesend?
The Sun’s Assistant Technology and Science Editor Jamie Harris explains what its like to be a local in Gravesend.
I’ve called Gravesend home for several years now and there’s plenty for all the family to enjoy throughout the year – and many free activities.
The town has an annual light festival in January with various spots illuminated along with street performers.
Each summer there’s the Riverside Festival too with free live music and activities – one year Peter Andre performed.
And if you’re looking for a bite to eat, don’t miss Hatch hosted in Gravesend Borough Market, one of the UK’s oldest surviving markets, operating under a Market Charter since 1268.
It was recently transformed into an indoor street food market with delicious Caribbean, Nepalese, Thai, Italian and more – not to mention a bar serving Bierkeller for the beer lovers, and augmented reality darts.
Gravesend is also super speedy to get to by train, served by the Southeastern High Speed service that only takes 23 minutes from London St Pancras International.
And if you’re looking to stay, there are limited hotels but there are options such as Premier Inn and Travelodge for as little as £30.
Kent is home to other amazing towns as well.
The town of Folkestone was named both one of the top places to live as well as the best place to visit by Time Out.
There is also Faversham, also on the river between Sittingbourne and Canterbury but often overlooked as a day trip destination.
Otherwise Banksy fans can head to both Whitstable and Margate, both of which have art pieces.
Margate – often dubbed Shoreditch-on-Sea – has even featured in a huge Hollywood blockbuster.
The world’s oldest cast iron pier is also in Gravesend[/caption]
The town is less than 30 minutes from London[/caption]
