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Embark on a beautiful journey on the River Medway's waters.
Join us for the final leg of our Source to Sea River Medway Pilgrimage, hosted by Friends of the River Medway - an epic journey into the estuary, aboard one of three 100-year-old Thames sailing barges from Tiller & Wheel, and Raybel Charters.
This pilgrimage has followed the Medway from its source all the way to the sea, and this last day brings us to where the river finally gives itself over to the tide. We come together to sail, but also to notice: to pay attention to the river that shapes so much of our lives, and to give something back in return.
We will board the barge at Ship Pier, an urban place where the culture reflects the flow of the river - where each new tide once brought sailors from far-flung parts of the world, in and out again.
Under sail, we will pass the Historic Dockyard, where warships built for a different era now stand as museum pieces, a reminder of how much the river's role has changed over time. As we reach Upnor, we'll see a picturesque castle nestled amongst wooded groves - the first sign that the river is shifting from a man-made urban waterway to something more natural.
Drifting past Gillingham, we will watch the river open into a wide estuary of saltmarshes and wilderness, where mudflats become creeks for just a couple of hours each day. The old forts at Hoo will stand as the last sentinels marking the edge of the town.
The river will be truly wild by this point. Signs of industry still line the shoreline, but we'll see nature reclaiming even the mightiest structures; trees sprouting from old cranes, jetties being drawn down into the sea, birds of prey circling overhead, and seals patrolling the waves.
It's in this peaceful setting that the barge will pause for reflection: a chance to take in the big horizons, feel the space around us, and take in the grandness of the river as it reaches the sea.
Here, each boat will be invited to co-create an offering from the Medway, made from flowers and natural materials gathered along the way. Together we'll set it adrift as a gift of thanks - for all that the river gives us, and all that it asks us to protect.
We will then return back to shore for a final closing.
Tickets: £90pp, including:
Sail aboard a 100-year-old Thames sailing barge
Exploration of the Medway's estuary
Stories of the Medway
Co-creating a beautiful offering for the Medway
Light refreshments