Old Historical Photographs of Rainham Kent Rainham is one of the Medway Towns in North Kent which also includes Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester. More updates and requests for info can be found on the Rainham History Facebook page, click Like to get updates. Rainham has a number of distinct areas such as Parkwood, Wigmore, Rainham Mark, Twydall along with Meresborough and Lower Rainham. The aim of this site is to create an archive of historical information and photos about the history of Rainham, Kent and the surrounding areas.
Links to Other Local History or Related Sites
Local Websites
Photographic Portfolio-Medway & Maidstone Kent Photographer - Studio for Family Portraits | Wedding Photographer Kent
| Priestfields | Mobile Phone Reviews - iPhone 3Gs | Porsche 911-996 Owner Blog | Parkwood Camera Club | | IT Consultancy and Advice Blog | Kent Wedding Photography |VW Golf Mk4 Reviews
Other Sites of Interest
Heart FM - Whos On Heart List of Wrong Guesses
Kent Weather: Upcoming weather forecasts for Kent are all hand written based on the forecast data available at time of forecast
Friends of Berengrave Nature Reserve
Friends Reunited (Contact School Friends)
Visit Broadstairs - Kent Seaside Town
Kent History
Kent Wedding Photography
Wedding cake ideas - inspiration for your wedding cake
St Margaret's Church, Rainham
Rainham Solar Panels Electricity/PV generation
Premier Travel, Rainham
Upchurch Matters
Porsche 911 Owner Blog (996 Carrera Coupe)
Using a Classic 1980s Car Icon - Daily driving a VW Golf Mk2 GTI 16V
Horn not working on VW Golf Mk2
Fitting MP3/iPod Connector to VW Golf Mk4
VW Golf Mk4 - Remote Central Locking only opens drivers door
Kent Cages
DTI Warning on Internet Scams
South Rainham Parish
Bygone Kent Magazine
Rainham Bookshop Kent Genealogy Resources
Medway Towns Online
Medway Links
Rainham Theatrical Society
Trolleybus.net (Photos of Maidstone transport)
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Any photos or information would be most welcome. Your memories about the history of Rainham, Kent or surrounding areas would also be extremely useful and can be formatted for web use if emailed through. Please contact by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The concept for this site originally dates from 2000 as a personal project when looking through my grandmother's collection of old photos. She had lived in Wigmore all her life and had many images depicting the changes over that time. This site went live in 2001 and I am very grateful to all those people who have provided photos of Rainham and Wigmore to use.
I understand that material from this site is now being used for teaching in local schools and it is gratifying that this collection of photos and documents is proving useful for teaching new generations about the history of the local area. You can see Freddie Cooper talking about life in Rainham in the last century
Change in the urban environment is continual and even in the short time that this site has been running significant changes have been seen. The main change within the Rainham area is the continual infill of new housing. Due to the properties built before the Second World War with large gardens particularly in Wigmore there is a ready supply of old bungalows that are being demolished to be replaced by multiple detached houses. In addition the decision to abandon the bypass of the centre of Rainham has led to the release of land retained for the road between the A2 at Holding Street to Orchard Street through to Mierscourt Road for new housing. There are also many areas on the outskirts of Rainham where new estates are being build to infill and expand the footprint of Rainham
In addition I would like to thank Action Forum, local magazine for Rainham who have agreed to let me use articles on the site. I would also like to thank Hales & Moore fishmongers of Station Road Rainham who have provided publicity for the site with a display in their window.
Any photos or information would be most welcome. Articles or reminiscences about the history of Rainham, Kent or surrounding areas would also be extremely useful and can be formatted for web use if emailed through.
Please contact by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you are looking for more information about Rainham and local Kent history then you may be interested in Rainham Historical Society which has monthly meetings at the Millennium Centre in Rainham Kent - click for details.
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- Category: Front Page
Rainham is one of the Medway Towns in North Kent which also includes Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester. Rainham has a number of distinct areas such as Parkwood, Wigmore, Rainham Mark, Twydall along with Meresborough and Lower Rainham. The aim of this site is to create an archive of historical information and photos about the history of Rainham, Kent and the surrounding areas.
Wigmore Road/Woodside junction 2003 & 1910 |
Manor Farm, Maidstone Road/A2 junction 2003 & 1930 |
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Hop & Vine, Rainham Mark
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Hoath Lane, Wigmore 2003 & 1910
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Orchard Street ex Car Sales site 2003 & 2002
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Woodside/Bredhurst Road 2003 & 1916 |
Bredhurst Road 2003 & approx 1920 |
Woodside/Bredhurst Road 2003 & 1974 |
Hempstead Hill 2003 and approx 1930 |
Station Road, Rainham 2003 & 1994 |
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W& R Durell - Motor Garage and Car Repairs Rainham Kent
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282 hits29 September 2023Cover picture is of a class at Rainham Secondary School for Girls in around 1939. -
Anchorians War Memorial plaque in their clubhouse in Gillingham Kent
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Action Forum - May 2023
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Action Forum - March 2023
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Rainham Post Office 1870 Postmistress Mary Ann Brearey
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Miss Rainham Spectacular 1978 Melanie-Jane Webb
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Action Forum - November 1999 Number 339
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Action Forum - October 1999 Number 338
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