Rochester, Strood & the Hoo Peninsula From Old Photographs examines a diverse and fascinating area. Rochester, with its medieval castle and cathedral, Tudor buildings and Dickensian associations is a busy and vibrant tourist destination. Across the bridge from the ancient city, but far less well known is the town of Strood. Originally a medieval fishing village, which played host to Knights Templar travelling to the Crusades, it evolved over the centuries into a Victorian industrial and commercial hub. To the north of Strood, extending eastwards to the Thames Estuary is the Hoo Peninsula. Its marshes and isolated villages led the area to be denigrated by travellers who stumbled across it. Brian Joyce and Sophie Miller explore the entire area from Rochester to the Isle of Grain, using a unique collection of photographs, prints and postcards. In doing so, they have at last done justice to parts of Kent that have been neglected by historians for so long.

Brian Joyce was born in Chatham. He holds degrees awarded by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Middlesex University. Brian is a retired teacher who researches and writes on all aspects of the history of the Medway Towns and has been a frequent speaker at meetings of local clubs and societies. Brian is the President of the Chatham Historical Society and has sat on various committees concerned with Medway’s rich and varied history. He has his own collection of photographs, which he uses for his local books, also drawing on images from the collection of his co-author Sophie Miller. Sophie Miller is a graduate in Education. After leaving London for Kent, she’s spent many years researching various aspects of the rich and diverse history of the county. She has a keen interest in the history of the county and can often be found at one of the many talks being given by Brian, who she has co-authored some local history books with.