The photos kindly sent in show the serious quantity of snow that fell in January 1987. You can see how deep the snow is on the roads and how they are totally impassable. The whole of Medway as well as the wider Kent area were majorly affected by the snow and the amount of snow cut off various areas enough to warrant army food drops in some places.

I remember when trying to clear the snow from paths and the road was the problem of where to put it. There had been so much snow fall in a short time that if you cleared the paths you had to block part of the road and if you cleared the road the paths ended up getting blocked.

I can also recall driving from Bredhurst to Boxley after the snow had been cleared and being amazed how high the snow was at the sides of the road where the snow ploughs had cleared the way through. The snow was so high & deep that there was still snow melting months later at the top of Boxley Hill.

Thanks to Tony Gutteridge for these fantastic pictures

1) Looking up Hempstead Hill towards Gillingham Business park (tunnel would be to the right hand side of the photo)

1987 Snow - Looking up Hempstead Hill towards Gillingham Business park (tunnel would be to the right hand side of the photo)

2) Looking down Hempstead Hill towards Hempstead. Spekes Road to the left in the dip

1987 Snow - Looking down Hempstead Hill towards Hempstead. Spekes Road to the left in the dip

3) Hoath Lane looking north towards Courtney Road

Hoath Lane looking north towards Courtney Road

4) Hoath Lane looking South towards Woodside and Wigmore Road

Hoath Lane looking South towards Woodside and Wigmore Road

5) Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

6) Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

7)  Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

8)  Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

9)  Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

10) Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

11) Slightly lighter snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Slightly lighter snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

12)  Snow at 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Snow in the garden of 27 Wigmore Road in 1987 

 13) Snow in the garden of 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

 14) Snow in the garden of 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

Snow in the garden of 27 Wigmore Road in 1987

 

Add new comment
Details
Category: Photos

I've been experimenting with showing old and new photos together with a slider to compare them. Unfortunately I've had to create a separate webpage to host the Time Machine in order to get the coding to work

Click here to view the Rainham Time Machine

This one of Hoath Way in around 1930

 

Add new comment
Details
Category: Photos

These photos of the Rainham bed race were kindly sent in by Trish Vinten and Margaret Daniels

These photos were from 1982/3. The race ran from the Cricketers pub to The Angel – calling in at The Macklands Arms of course.  Raising money as they went...

 

The rocket took part in the bed race down Station Road and it is taken just before the junction with Ellison Way. 

 

This was the Macklands Way team in The Rainham Cart Race organised by The Macklands pub
Left to right ...
Ray Poll, Pierre Cousins,
Trevor ??

Rennie Daniels 
Silver Rocket Suit Bill Douglass (My Dad) & sitting in cart is Paul Harris

 

 

 

These additional photos were kindly provided by Margaret Daniels 

 

 

This earlier photo was taken near Rainham station further up Station Road around 1981 of the Rainham Bed Race

 

Add new comment
Details
Category: Photos

Jas has kindly sent in this edited image of the Oast Community Centre in Rainham combining a current photo with one showing the hops being loaded from approx 1930s

Add new comment
Details
Category: Photos

Gillingham Northern Relief Road/Medway Tunnel/Wainscott Bypass Kent Photos

Gillingham Northern Relief road (A289) was constructed in the late 1990s and opened in 1999. It joins the A2 near Strood and routes to the north of the Medway towns via a new Medway tunnel to link up with the A2 Watling Street at Gillingham Business Park between Gillingham and Rainham. It was built to allow traffic an easier less congested route avoiding the delays caused by travelling through the Medway towns. The new Medway tunnel allows an alternative route of crossing the River Medway avoiding the A2 at Rochester and the M2 at Cuxton. It also allows access to the housing developments on St Marys Island Chatham and the industrial development of Chatham Maritime as well as Medway City Business Estate. All photos taken approx 1995, prior to construction starting, thanks to Eddy Newport for providing them.

 Photo of Strand Gillingham Prior to Northern Relief Road

The Strand, Pier Road Gillingham 1995

Photo of Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction Photo of Lower Rainham Road The Ship Inn, Pier Road, Gillingham

The Ship Inn, Pier Road, Gillingham

Photo of The Good Intent pub, Pier Road, Gillingham

The Good Intent pub, Pier Road, Gillingham

Photo of Lower Rainham Road Pier Road, Autoyachts Ford & Fiat car dealer

Pier Road, Autoyachts Ford & Fiat car dealer

Photo of Strand Gillingham Prior to Northern Relief Road

Strand, Gillingham (Lower Rainham Road)
(Photo: Eddy Newport)

 Photo of Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction

Lower Rainham Road
(Photo: Eddy Newport)		 Photo of Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction

Lower Rainham Road

(Photo: Eddy Newport)

Akzo Nobel & Good Intent, Gillingham (Lower Rainham Road)
(Photo: Eddy Newport)

The Good Intent & Autoyachts
(Photo: Eddy Newport)

 

 Photo of Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction

View to Chatham/Lower Rainham Road

(Photo: Eddy Newport)
Photo of Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction
Lower Woodlands Road/ Lower Rainham Road
(Photo: Eddy Newport)		    
Photo of Plough & Chequers Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction
Plough & Chequers/Lower Rainham Road
(Photo: Eddy Newport)		 Photo of Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction
Lower Rainham Road

(Photo: Eddy Newport)		 Photo of Plough & Chequers Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction
Plough & Chequers/ Lower Rainham Road
(Photo: Eddy Newport)
Photo of Short Lane/Lower Rainham Road prior to Northern Relief Road construction
Short Lane/Lower Rainham Road

(Photo: Eddy Newport)
Add new comment
Details
Category: Photos
  1. Old Aerial Photos of Rainham from 1930 & 1990
  2. The Railway Pub Football Team, Station Road Rainham
  3. Photo of Locomotive 73088 BR Standard 4-6-0 at Rainham Station
  4. Rainham & District Co-op Share Book

Subcategories

Rainham Roads

Roads around the Rainham - old photos of how roads used to look in days gone by

Decades - Old Photos

Old photos by decade