Stoke

Upminster Windmill

Upminster Bridge · 18 miles

A smock mill of considerable age stands on the edge of Upminster Bridge, its four-storey tower and single-storey brick base dominating the local skyline. Designated a Grade II* listed building, the windmill was erected in 1803 for James Nokes of Hunt’s Farm and originally drove three pairs of millstones with four common sails. Over the following decades steam power was introduced, the number of millstones expanded to six, and the mill passed through the hands of the Nokes and Abraham families before being acquired by the county council in the late 1930s. A 35-year lease was granted to the Upminster Windmill Preservation Trust in 2004, and a restoration programme between 2016 and 2023 returned the mill to working order and added a visitor centre. The structure comprises a 52-foot-high smock on a brick base, a boat-shaped cap with an external gallery, and a six-bladed fantail that automatically turns the cap into the wind. Four patent sails are mounted on a cast-iron windshaft, and the internal machinery drives four pairs of millstones – three of French Burr and one of Peak – by wind alone. The visitor centre, built alongside the mill during the recent restoration, is open to the public at selected times, allowing guests to view the restored sails and learn about the mill’s engineering. Access is via the surrounding footpaths; no admission fee or on-site car park is mentioned in the available information.

Deangate Community Parkland

Lodge Hill · 4.3 miles

Deangate Community Parkland, formerely known as the Deangate Ridge Golf Course, is a large-scale public open space currently under development on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent, England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Deangate_Community_Parkland

Salt Fleet Flats Reserve

Swigshole · 4.3 miles

Created by DP Ports to compensate for land lost when building the London Gateway port

Gillingham Town Centre (High Street)

Gillingham · 5.6 miles

Gillingham High St is a main commercial thoroughfare in Gillingham, Kent. It features a mix of shops, cafes, and services, reflecting the town's development over the centuries. The area serves as a central point for local commerce & community activities.

Memorial to General Gordon

Sally Port Gardens · 5.6 miles

Equestrian statue, 1890. Bronze figure of General Gordon (d. 1885) on a camel with a tasselled saddle, atop a Portland stone plinth with moulded detailing and a bronze cartouche. Aligned symmetrically with the Institute, memorial arches, and barracks.

The Paddock

Chatham · 6.2 miles

Edwardian public park in central Chatham, originally reclaimed marshland and later a War Department defensive field. Converted into a civic green space in the early 19th century