OLD HIGH STREET - NEW LOCATIONS
FILMING PHOTOshoots EVENTS PROMOTIONS
Intra is the Creative Quarter of the Old High Street in Rochester. The historic haunt of Admirals and sea Captains like Nelson and Sir John Hawkins, plus shipbuilders, architects, brewers, river workers and shopkeepers, The Old High Street, Rochester, is now the perfect location for today’s photographers, filmmakers, events and promotions.
Lying on the border of Rochester and Chatham, (known as Intra) and looking out north to the river Medway across to the historic Chatham dockyard, this cluster of industrial buildings in old Rochester is a thriving creative quarter - home to photographers, artists, designers, musicians, artisans, independent retailers and a flourishing gay community.
Featuring classic Georgian architecture, 17th & 18th century weatherboard buildings, cobblestone lanes, waterfront warehouses, houseboats, bridges and pier landings, plus The Ship, which lays claim to being the UK’s oldest LGBTQ+ public house, this conservation area - which stretches from Sun Pier to Star Hill - is a focus for Historic England who wish to preserve its unique heritage.
All these inspiring locations are in a block along the High Street and on the bend of the river Medway.
cHATHAM HOUSE
Fronting the High Street opposite the historic St Bart’s Hospital, Chatham House boasts a complete exterior restoration, with an interior being sensitively restored for business use.
This was the mansion house for the Lion Brewery and the Bonded warehouse behind, which occupy the whole block from the High Street to the riverside. Best known as the home of James Hulkes, formerly mayor of Rochester and fellow brewer Charles Arkoll.
CHATHAM HOUSE DETAIL
The grand portico entrance with yorkstone paving and cast-iron railings, opens into a panelled hallway with a spectacular staircase to the first floor and an original WC.
Interior original features include sash windows, shutters and fireplaces in all rooms and full paneling in the first-floor double reception room.
The ground floor double reception room faces south onto the High Street with high ceilings and cornices.
Short stairs off the panelled room lead to a little chapel with stained glass window and cupola.
On the lower ground floor, the old kitchen and scullery maintain their original ranges, stone sink and panelling.
More steps lead down to a small, vaulted brick wine cellar with shelves from the paved hallway.
The rear stairs lead up to the second floor where there are two fully panelled sitting rooms, plus a large, light open space with views over the river, the traditional tiled roofs and St Bart’s water tower.
LION BREWERY
This building is set to be sympathetically restored and re-opened as an inspirational craft brewery / restaurant. The original brewery closed in 1912, when the building became Featherstones’ carpet and furniture shop.
LION BREWERY Detail
The brewery features large open galleries with high walkways, a traditional goods hoist and a number of smaller limewashed, wooden grain-store rooms which have already been used in a number of films.
The lower ground floor workspaces feature cast iron columns and strong acoustics with a double door entrance at ground level.
The building is accessed from the cobbled Hulkes Lane running down from the High Street to the Riverside with a door opening to the narrow Ship Lane to the rear.
Featherstone house
Partly in state of restoration, this was the original location of the Featherstone family’s first department store.
Constructed over the top of an Elizabethan mansion house (thought to have belonged to the Pett family and used by Sir John Hawkins) and a row of Georgian town houses on the High Street.
Featherstone house dETAIL
The front of the house is stuccoed to give the look of a single shop. However, many original features are still in situ, including the 1912 office with impressive American filing system and furniture, the 1912 tea-room with paneling, the unique painted directors’ room, the original Ashenden staircases in each townhouse, windows and fireplaces. With a rear elevation of weatherboarding looking out over the back yard to the river Medway.
At the end of this row is the maritime arch house, which leads down to what was Central wharf for paddle steamers. It is now the home of a number of small businesses.
medway waterfront
MEDWAY WATERFRONT dETAIL
A mix of 18th century warehouses and cottages, plus houseboats, wharfs, piers and floating piers with ample parking for location equipment.
A recording studio and vinyl record store are based in the old timber framed, cast iron chandlery.
This building enjoys a spectacular view up to the town and to buildings on the hill, across the river to the historic dockyard, with its industrial activities and river birds enjoying the tidal mud. This north facing view has wonderful light.
