Timestamps: 1:01 First impressions 1:51 Gravesend Fort and history 4:34 UK riots 5:11 Abandoned buildings 6:13 Highstreet 8:33 Beautiful architecture/memorials 12:24 Reflecting on Gurdwara attack 12:59 Gurdwara
@@DavoInMelbourne i think it's with either Saudi air or direct with air India, place your bets lads hahah. Thanks for your comments by the way I really appreciate it cause the channel is very small
@@EdBrinton I use to go every year as a kid up until my 20s. It's an awesome place. Changed a lot from what I hear with money drugs affluence coming quickly. The langar is one of the most awesome things that Sikhs have got in the to the world. Free food 3 times a day for anyone.
Gravesend born and bred here, town very run down these days, like most uk towns. Was a thriving place in the 80s, streets were jam packed esp on a saturday. Fact for you, there used to be an army barracks where the temple is now. My grandad was stationed there and met my nan before the war,
i wish i knew it then Keith. i moved here last year but came for months on end to stay with friends who are locals. its a great town and nicer than the new town in essex i grew up in.
@@keith.morgan I went to Holy Trinity school. Our classrooms were old temporary buildings and the school field had the old army assault course in it. We saw all of the green goddeses parked up in the 70’s when the firefighters strike was on.
I found Gravesend by accident 10 years ago, always knew it existed but never been there before. After a stroke and messy divorce, I decided to take a long walk in stages from Woolwich along the river to Grain where the Thames meets the North Sea. But needed a new place to live and chose Gravesend with no hesitation. Well done for putting the town I love in a positive light and enjoyable video. You cannot beat Kent and its people, especially in Gravesend. Too many people knock the place buts its diverse with many cultures who all get along with each other. I come from London originally.
The seeks have done and continue to do so much for the local community ... You can go in ..they will feed you snd converse with you no issue ... Absolute heart of the community 🙏❤
Thank you for showing my old home town as a child I spent all my time at the Prom as it is known and had so much fun in the Milton fort. It is not the same place as it used to be with the industry mainly all gone now but it is still a place that I have so many fond memories of
John Greaves built in the centre of Gravesend, a library, church and where McDonald s is, was a very lush hotel in the 1980's,... it held a record for the most pubs in a high street (I think it was 24),.. the camera view over the wall besides the river Thames is the oldest Pier in UK. in Victorian times, the well to do and Royals visited Gravesend for it's fresh air, waters and beach,.(??), Pocahontas is buried in St. George's Church. and in the 1980's Gravesend was the 3rd roughest Town in UK that included the Gravesend Riots,. that temple was built after several Alms / Royal British Legion houses were flattened to make way for the temple. outside Gravesend is some historical places, like Cobham (Kent) where Charles Dickens lived and wrote, also Meopham village (the longest village in UK), also at Meopham Green is where the first recorded game of Cricket was played, and where the phrase "Gentlemen and Players" originated.
Nice video! What an interesting looking town. Totally reminds me of some older slightly forgotten river towns along the Delaware River around Philadelphia. I agree that often some of the more looked over places are actually more interesting and authentic than some super visited places.
I’d explore in and around Philadelphia, it’s easy to get to from NY and has lots of really old and interesting areas with a unique regional culture that are not well known and have definite echos of Old England.
You should have gone into the gudwara, they’re very welcoming and would even have given you food had you timed it right. All you need do is take of your shoes once you enter and borrow a scarf for your head.
i lived in london all my life and call gravesend home now. i love gravesend its much nicer than the city was nowadays. in ten minutes cycling im in beautiful countryside.
There is a beautiful place called Tilbury across the river from Gravesend. Highly recommend everyone to visit it and enjoy some refreshing pints in the many unique pubs there
I was born in Gravesend in 1970 it was a great place to grow up in the 70s80s then joined the army at 16 only went back now and again between moving around, parents still lived there and passed away there in 2018 and don’t really go back now apparently I hear from some friends and family still there that’s it’s gone downhill loads, shame was a great place full of history cheers for the walk around 😉👍
Thank you for coming to my old hometown! Note: the name came from the old English “Groves end” (aka the end of the grove) - not the common misconception about the end of the graves!
13:46 There was not a separate country for the Sikhs, some were seeking to make a separate country from part of the Punjab and matters came to a head in 1984 when the Indian Army stormed the Golden Temple in Amritsar. This resulted in a lot of violence and the assassination of the then Indian Prime Minister Mrs Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguard. Matters are now peaceful.
There used to be a regular ferry service from Tilbury over to Gravesend but it stopped at the end of March so it is more difficult for people to travel there from Tilbury now. People used to use the ferry to travel to work / school on the other side of the river. There is talk of a regular river service up to London in the future.
@@EdBrinton The ferry service used to be subsidised by Thurrock local council and Kent County council. Thurrock council became bankrupt and in October 2023, they advised that they could no longer subsidise the service. For a while, Kent County Council subsidised the service on its own but due to their own spending commitments, they said they were unable to continue to subsidise the service by themselves. A public consultation was held during the early part of this year and Kent County Council said that they could not afford to continue o subsidise the service beyond 31st March of this year. This is because the council has an accounting year end of 31st March and funding would not be included in their budget for the new financial year from 1st April 2024. The service was therefore scheduled to finish on 31st March of this year but as 31st March was a Sunday and the service only ran from Monday to Saturday, the final service was on Saturday night (30th March).
@@EdBrinton@EdBrinton Yes, this is àll correct. I was here for the last day of this foot passenger only ferry service and it was very busy. This was a very handy way of getting to Tilbury, then a bus to Tilbury Town station and ònwards. The operator, Jetstream Tours, still run daytrips to Southend, Fish & Chip evening cruises, and tours around the Thames Esturay. 👍💯🇬🇧😎
Its not that bad I like living there the new part of town is a bit bad but the riverfront is a nice area and closer to the countryside is quite good with a few big homes also the old pier you asked about is the old Gravesend West Railway Pier there meant to be restoring it and building flats around it (the weird abandoned building is the old hospital what is abandoned there also trying to demolish it and build flats on it but havent even tried yet)
@@mandymclan No it use to be the old Gravesend west railway station use to be in the car park of wickes and there was a bridge that went over west street linking up onto the railway pier what was used to get people of the train and onto the ferry to go to places like the seaside
Nice insight. You are very positive in your vlogs. @ 9:20 that was where the foot passenger ferry to Tilbury went from. I only live in nearby Maidstone and visit Gravesend occasionally. Its no better or worse than anywhere else. And I'm sure its the same as everyhwhere in the UK after dark on a Friday/Saturday night! I was regularly connecting here to get to Ebbsfleet International station to use the Eurostar. Used to get it from Ashfird International, which is more convenient for me, but that service stopped from around 2007, when HS1 was completed. But Ebbsfleet Eurostars have now packed up since the pandemic too. We await there return! As you'll keep finding on your visits, every town/city has suffered in the UK, for many years now, not just since the pandemic. Big business and bent council planners are to blame, with all these out of town retail parks, plus the never ending new housebuilding on brown and green field land. The regeneration and recovery of our high streets is going to take long time. Glad you found Gravesend pleasant. It has a nice Wetherspoons too. You seem to miss, or dont show them on your vists lol! Thats where you'll find the real locals lol, as most normal pubs around our towns are too pricey, empty, boarded up or dont open til' the evenings. Nearby Ebbsfleet is a massive, and still to be completed housing estate. And Bluewater, opened in 1994, is one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe. That changed many High Street outlooks forever! As you keep finding, its a mixed bag, but nowhere near as bad as these media reports suggest. Most people here might remember the Idler books series, Crap Towns UK and More Crap Towns UK? This was written some years ago, before YT times. They were written by the locals and were amusing reading. "Consummately contentious and fabulously funny, The Idler Book of Crap Towns is the real rough guide to where not to go in Britain. The authors name and shame the 50 worst towns on the island, revealing them in all their hideous glory. From the dull and lifeless to the ugly and depressing, no concrete monstrosity or phony heritage center has gone unscathed. Woking, Bognor Regis, Cleator Moor, Crouch End, Slough--your time is up." Take care Comrade. I look forward to your Poland vlog, as I've been there eight times now. It must be one of the last, if not the last country left in Europe, not totally ruined by the EU. But its changing fast sadly, and with all the trouble on there borders, it will be the biggest militarised zone outside of the U.S and China/Russia the way its going! ✔👍🇬🇧💯😉
@@InvictaView very good points mate. Been to Poland once but never solo travelled it so hopefully will feel different. Plus I'm not going to a city, middle of nowhere this time haha. Cheers buddy!
If you were told Gravesend was a hole, then they clearly hadn't crossed the river to see hellholes in Essex like Grays and Tillbury! I'd say go there, but fortunately for you, I've heard the ferry across the river has ceased and the Dartford Crossing is perpetually jammed with traffic, so you probably can't!
My brother you should have gone into the temple. They would've welcomed you with open arms and most likely offered you some lunch. I am baptised Christian, non practicing, from Gravesend, and I've been down there a couple of times. And they also have a running track and field that is free to use, as long as you are respectful of the surroundings. If you ever come back I'd be happy to show you around some of the other wider areas of Gravesham
Also that massive derelict building at the beginning was where I, and nearly everyone I know from the area was born. You seem to have missed the statue of Elizabeth II and Princess Pocahontas.
Gurdwara everyone is welcome no matter of race religion. Just cover your head with the bandana they give for free. Once your inside youre more than welcome to go to the darbar hall and see guru granth sahib who is our living guru. Once blessed there is also langar hall which is 24/7 kitchen only vegetarian food which is very delicious. There are many stories of other individuals surviving off of the langar of gurdwaras which is a blessing.
@@ls400mobbin2 Sikh people are truly amazing. I'm definitely going back to go inside. I think I need to leave my shoes before I go in too? Thanks you ji
Once you get inside there will be shoe racks (mens on the left and women's on your right) there will also be pieces of fabric to cover your head. Just ask anyone inside if you are struggling to tie it on your head they will be happy to help. Also feel free to ask anyone inside if you want a tour or some extra explanation or just wonder around yourself 😊 on the weekends there tends to be weddings going in the morning if you want to see one. I would highly highly recommend coming for vaisakhi which is in April but you can Google the exact date the celebration will be held in Gravesend. It is a huge Sikh festival and Will be all over the town and completely free with lots of free food. You can probably see a video of Gravesend vaisakhi on RUclips if you wanna know what it's like 😊
One thing I've noticed across Scotland's towns and cities is, that whenever a town/city has been in the clutch of Labour regimes for decades, you can bet the heart and soul of the center will have been decimated by brutalist architecture and obscure road systems. Labour had a free hand for decades in Glasgow and Dundee and ripped the heart out of both cities. Edinburgh and Aberdeen didn't reward Labour with the same dictatorship and both cities, especially Edinburgh, have retained most of their old buildings.
You showed Kent Reliance: Nat West is closing like a lot of banks with excessive buildings, the Building Society seems to have grabbed its chance and moved in right where NatWest customers will see it. It's easy to find semi derelict areas but it is equally easy to find parks - by the river, Windmill Hill, St. Aidans, Jeskyns, Shorne - and small shops in Windmill Street. I think a lot of people from the area who do it down just haven't seen much of the rest of the country; it has all gone downhill since 2008.
The same as many towns, it existed for a purpose, when it was there because of it's connection with the industry on the River Thames and associated river traffic. When these things go you are just left with a place where people exist not thrive.
One of the main reasons Gravesend thrived was the amount of beer in town, from the many breweries along the riverfront to the most pubs in high street, helped keep the locals hydrated,.... a LOT,...!!
I was there with my nephew last year and we went on the ferry to Tilbury. The town was awful and probably hasn’t recovered from the loss of the car ferry in the early sixties.
The Supermarkets killed off a thriving town centre, packed every weekend,.. not the trains, the ferry still operates, the cars just go upto the Dartford Crossing 15 minutes away.
It’s called Gravesend because it was a mass Grave at the end of the Thames river for burying Londoners who died of the plaque ! And it was never supposed to be built on, but urban sprawl did !
Re name: In fact, one of the earliest records of the town is in the Domesday Survey of 1086, where it was called Gravesham. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was a known interchangeably as Gravesend or Gravesham. Thus, the name has a very firm base in history. There are two main schools of opinion as to the true origin of the name itself. The view with which most scholars agree was expressed as early as 1576 by the historian, William Lambarde, in his book entitled “Perumbulation of Kent”. Lambarde claimed that: “The original cause of the name of this place lies hid in the usual name of the Officer lately created in this town - he is commonly called Portreve, but the word anciently and truly founded in Portgereve, that is to say, the limit, bound or precinct of such a rule or office.” The early scholars who subscribed to Lambarde’s view added as a crowning statement that the word ‘ham’ meant a homestead or village that would have inevitably grown gradually into a town. So we have Grevesham. The second - and slightly less popular theory - is that the prefix of the place name ‘Grave’ probably came from the word ‘Greva’ used in the Domesday Book. This signified a coppice or small wood or grove - as in the Latin ‘Grava’. Either theory completely rules out any possibility of the name Gravesend being linked in any way with the town’s waters being the furthest point for burials at sea, or Gravesend having any connection with the Black Death when, it was suggested, bodies of plague victims were brought to the area to be buried to avoid spreading the disease in London.
I was a student at Helen Allison School in Meopham from April 99 to March 06, I was made to board at 2 of the 3 boarding houses they had in Gravesend (which closed in 2017) and it was TERRIBLE! While in the boarding accommodation, they limited how long I could spend playing games, the TV only had 5 channels and no Cartoon Network, they made me do more homework than I'd have been made to do when I didn't board, and the nearby arcade, Cointron Amusements, had an 18+ age restriction, later increased to 21+! I know that arcade was almost all gambling, but they had a Virtua Racing machine (which they later replaced with a Daytona USA one) and a few other non-gambling games! Some of the staff within the boarding accommodation did NOT accept modern young people for who they are, an attitude you ESPECIALLY MUST NOT have towards students with LEARNING DISABILITIES! They would either get at us for still liking things pre-teens are more likely to get a kick out of, or even question the educational value of the things we like! I will NEVER forget that one student meeting in 2004 when this woman, who wasn't even head of house, harshly told us we'd all have to do double the amount of homework we were already being forced to do, and that it was a "24 hour curriculum", which sounds EXACTLY like prison! I don't know why I didn't speak up that night, I guess I was afraid of ending up in more trouble than I already was! Providing I manage to get a new computer by then, I will do a video going into great detail on why my time at that school was so awful, which I am scheduling to go live on March 31st 2026, marking 20 years since I left! I was hoping to have the video ready by April this year, marking 25 years since I started going there, but I wasn’t financially able to get a new computer. My 2010s laptop is no spring chicken! In the meantime, here's a writeup I did on my time there which I wrote 4 years ago: www.deviantart.com/furikatsuma/art/852924634
Hi Ed i was born in Gravesend in 1950. I lived there until i was 50 years of age. I moved away as my Husband had a heart attack at 52 and sadly passed away. I now live in Spain. But when I do visit Gravesend I find it very shabby. The town has lost all its zing.All the major shops have gone.☹️But i will always love Gravesend, it will stay in my ❤️ forever.Kind regards from Spain💃🏼🇪🇸
there is a great South Indian Restaurant there, RT DOSA, I highly recommend it, Gravesend itself is okay not somewhere I would spend long periods of time haha
@@MaheVlogs1 sounds interesting man, I'd love to try South Indian food because most Indian food here seems to be northern Indian, I heard it's mega spicy in comparison haha!
Gravesend Fort also has tunnels with what used to house the explosives in Napoleonic times, also during recent WW's. shame he was not there when they were open.
You're right about Canterbury Ed. I work there and much of it is a dive to be honest. I would be interested to see you do a video on Sittingbourne the town where unfortunately I live. You'll be hard pressed to find anything positive to say about the place - absolutley ghastly and surely one of the worst towns in Kent if not the entire UK. I think I'm right in saying that Gravesend is famous for being the burial place of Pochahontas of all people!
@@philosophygeek551 thanks for the comment and I love your name! I do plan on visiting actually I'm currently doing my Poland videos then I'll be back for more kent. I definitely need a local guide for some of these videos haha
Nice video👍Gravesend definitely looks better than Dartford but the Gravesend/Northfleet estates are run down just like Dartford's, I suppose that's most places nowadays I guess. I'm pleased it's being maintained somewhat as the town has been forgotten about in the last few decades.
"Ebbsfleet United" once called "Gravesend and Northfleet FC",... my school friend played in goal there, another friend was Man of the match, when they played Aston Vila in the FA Cup,.... (he still has the match-ball and champagne for his great day...)
and up hill from there is a beautiful housing estate called "Wallis Park", lovely views up or down the river, no idea why they want to knock it down,...
You wouldn't think that about Essex if you'd ever got north of Tilbury. Sure, Essex has rough areas, but only the ones that are nearest Kent. Oh, and Clacton as well. But apart from that Essex is OK.
@@EdBrintonDagenham too. Has changed forever since Ford departed. *Tilbury has been revamped to cater for the cruise ships, and next door is DP World shipping container port. That town looked a bit depressing when I travelled through it in March. 😮
Tilbury is indeed depressing. I have been living here for over 60 years, and speaking from personal experience, as well as considering the general consensus among most residents who have witnessed its decline over the past 25 years, I would describe this place as a very unpleasant area to live in in fact I would go as far as describing it as a shit hole of a place...
@@EdBrinton Maybe I will bump into you in Thailand or the Philippines I will be out there myself in a couple of months... 🙏 Ps when you're in Thailand try and make it to Kanchanaburi, the Bridge on the River Kwai. The infamous Death Railway.. Good luck and keep up your interesting vlogs you never know you could become the new Bold and Bankrupt? lol ..
Lack of money every place suffers, many companies went abroad ie Aei cables because the pound, they get it done 10 times cheaper, was a miserable place with attitude in the 90s full of pubs and violence, it’s become more cosmopolitan because many cultures live there ie polish, one thing you can say they cheered the place up
Yes it’s a nice place I used to live there the building was the old maternity hospital the Mac Donald’s was the Nelson pub with the frontage is listed you should of visited the church were Pocahontas statue is.
So your saying the whole county of Essex is horrible why??????? lol You mentioned Tilbury, you must of been to Tilbury Fort???? Yeah-New Tavern Fort is one of my fav parts there, + The Temple is a fantastic building + landscape. How comes you never went to the very famous statue/grave of Pocahontas in the town?? Next time your in these parts of Kent let me know, will say hello-have already subbed to your channel 👍🏻
Go to brown town Chatham, now that is a shit hole, unfortunately alot of kent has gone down hill due to the influx of people being moved from London to kent, I know this as the wife works in housing. The kent councils get money from London councils to house the filth .
Tilbury "Blue buildings" besides the river Thames,.... is where Elizabeth I, gave her famous speach,... "I may have the body of a feeble woman but I have the heart of a King,.!! she then send Sir Francis Drake off to beat the Spanish armada as it was a sunny day, (until they got to the channel)..
@@EdBrinton They offer free Tandoori food. There are a number of huge meeting halls. When I visited, free parking and every second car was a Gravesend taxi.
Timestamps:
1:01 First impressions
1:51 Gravesend Fort and history
4:34 UK riots
5:11 Abandoned buildings
6:13 Highstreet
8:33 Beautiful architecture/memorials
12:24 Reflecting on Gurdwara attack
12:59 Gurdwara
The Sikhs are wonderful people
@@wideawakenotwoke6178 they are indeed, I can't wait to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar
Agreed. They give free food at their temple to everyone regardless of colour of skin, religion etc. The best religion in my book.
@@DavoInMelbourne I agree, super kind people, next year I should be in Amritsar, India to meet the Sikh capital
@@EdBrinton Yeah nice. I think Easy Jet do check (ish) flights there. Enjoy man 🍻
@@DavoInMelbourne i think it's with either Saudi air or direct with air India, place your bets lads hahah. Thanks for your comments by the way I really appreciate it cause the channel is very small
Thanks for recognising the sikhs and others who fought for great britain. Most love this country.
@@3000FAst the Sikhs are awesome. So kind and caring. Hopefully can go to Punjab state soon
@@EdBrinton I use to go every year as a kid up until my 20s. It's an awesome place. Changed a lot from what I hear with money drugs affluence coming quickly. The langar is one of the most awesome things that Sikhs have got in the to the world. Free food 3 times a day for anyone.
@@3000FAsthonestly can't wait to visit
Gravesend born and bred here, town very run down these days, like most uk towns. Was a thriving place in the 80s, streets were jam packed esp on a saturday.
Fact for you, there used to be an army barracks where the temple is now. My grandad was stationed there and met my nan before the war,
@@keith.morgan thanks for your comment Keith I appreciate you. That's very interesting, I wonder if they moved the army base or just got removed
@@keith.morgan thanks for your comment Keith I appreciate you. That's very interesting, I wonder if they moved the army base or just got removed
i wish i knew it then Keith. i moved here last year but came for months on end to stay with friends who are locals. its a great town and nicer than the new town in essex i grew up in.
@@keith.morgan I went to Holy Trinity school. Our classrooms were old temporary buildings and the school field had the old army assault course in it. We saw all of the green goddeses parked up in the 70’s when the firefighters strike was on.
I found Gravesend by accident 10 years ago, always knew it existed but never been there before. After a stroke and messy divorce, I decided to take a long walk in stages from Woolwich along the river to Grain where the Thames meets the North Sea. But needed a new place to live and chose Gravesend with no hesitation. Well done for putting the town I love in a positive light and enjoyable video. You cannot beat Kent and its people, especially in Gravesend. Too many people knock the place buts its diverse with many cultures who all get along with each other. I come from London originally.
@@pauldwyer4430 I'm from London also mate and thanks so much for your nice comment. Good to have you on the channel brother
Gravesend seems the nicest of the Kent towns with bad names by a country mile
Trees and bushes made this place to look good and amazing because everywhere is green . I really like it
It was very peaceful ❤️
The seeks have done and continue to do so much for the local community ... You can go in ..they will feed you snd converse with you no issue ... Absolute heart of the community 🙏❤
@@Vlogged-off I love the Sikhs, amazing people
Thank you for showing my old home town as a child I spent all my time at the Prom as it is known and had so much fun in the Milton fort.
It is not the same place as it used to be with the industry mainly all gone now but it is still a place that I have so many fond memories of
@@camacaja1 I'm glad you enjoyed it 😌
John Greaves built in the centre of Gravesend, a library, church and where McDonald s is, was a very lush hotel in the 1980's,... it held a record for the most pubs in a high street (I think it was 24),.. the camera view over the wall besides the river Thames is the oldest Pier in UK. in Victorian times, the well to do and Royals visited Gravesend for it's fresh air, waters and beach,.(??), Pocahontas is buried in St. George's Church. and in the 1980's Gravesend was the 3rd roughest Town in UK that included the Gravesend Riots,. that temple was built after several Alms / Royal British Legion houses were flattened to make way for the temple. outside Gravesend is some historical places, like Cobham (Kent) where Charles Dickens lived and wrote, also Meopham village (the longest village in UK), also at Meopham Green is where the first recorded game of Cricket was played, and where the phrase "Gentlemen and Players" originated.
@@Celt-in-Kent thanks so much for your comment. I love reading these kind of well thought out comments. Cheers
Well done. Nicely put. It's all on our doorstep if we care to venture out and explore. ✔💯🇬🇧👍😎
@@InvictaView exactly this mate
Nice video! What an interesting looking town. Totally reminds me of some older slightly forgotten river towns along the Delaware River around Philadelphia.
I agree that often some of the more looked over places are actually more interesting and authentic than some super visited places.
Thanks for your comment brother, I'd actually love to explore the lesser visited places in the USA also. Such a cool country.
I'm glad you enjoyed 😀
I’d explore in and around Philadelphia, it’s easy to get to from NY and has lots of really old and interesting areas with a unique regional culture that are not well known and have definite echos of Old England.
@@StevePinkuswhat's the best state in USA?
The building behind you was Gravesend hospital where both my children were born
@@phillipamead oh wow I never knew, thanks for the insight!
You should have gone into the gudwara, they’re very welcoming and would even have given you food had you timed it right. All you need do is take of your shoes once you enter and borrow a scarf for your head.
Very true man I do plan on going back. In my little india London video I visit the gurdwara and it was very good
i lived in london all my life and call gravesend home now. i love gravesend its much nicer than the city was nowadays. in ten minutes cycling im in beautiful countryside.
I actually really enjoyed it, nice place.
First gun was a Bofors Anti Aircraft gun
@@kimhaggerty4367 intriguing! Thanks for the insight I appreciate that
You had a shot of the oldest iron pier in the world but failed to mention it.Good video.
@@thatstory1092 thanks mate I'm glad you enjoyed
There is a beautiful place called Tilbury across the river from Gravesend. Highly recommend everyone to visit it and enjoy some refreshing pints in the many unique pubs there
@@leavenotraceUK oh really
Excellent, I spent my childhood 15 miles from Gravesend but never knew much about it!
@@GJ5570 thanks! Yeah it's a lot better than people say
I was born in Gravesend in 1970 it was a great place to grow up in the 70s80s then joined the army at 16 only went back now and again between moving around, parents still lived there and passed away there in 2018 and don’t really go back now apparently I hear from some friends and family still there that’s it’s gone downhill loads, shame was a great place full of history cheers for the walk around 😉👍
@@markblondrage2776 anytime mate, and thanks for your comment! I look forward to comments like this :)
Thank you for coming to my old hometown! Note: the name came from the old English “Groves end” (aka the end of the grove) - not the common misconception about the end of the graves!
@@ezraanddaddy very interesting mate! And it was a pleasure
13:46 There was not a separate country for the Sikhs, some were seeking to make a separate country from part of the Punjab and matters came to a head in 1984 when the Indian Army stormed the Golden Temple in Amritsar. This resulted in a lot of violence and the assassination of the then Indian Prime Minister Mrs Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguard. Matters are now peaceful.
There used to be a regular ferry service from Tilbury over to Gravesend but it stopped at the end of March so it is more difficult for people to travel there from Tilbury now. People used to use the ferry to travel to work / school on the other side of the river. There is talk of a regular river service up to London in the future.
@@ThamesShips intriguing I wonder why they closed it?
@@EdBrinton The ferry service used to be subsidised by Thurrock local council and Kent County council.
Thurrock council became bankrupt and in October 2023, they advised that they could no longer subsidise the service. For a while, Kent County Council subsidised the service on its own but due to their own spending commitments, they said they were unable to continue to subsidise the service by themselves.
A public consultation was held during the early part of this year and Kent County Council said that they could not afford to continue o subsidise the service beyond 31st March of this year. This is because the council has an accounting year end of 31st March and funding would not be included in their budget for the new financial year from 1st April 2024.
The service was therefore scheduled to finish on 31st March of this year but as 31st March was a Sunday and the service only ran from Monday to Saturday, the final service was on Saturday night (30th March).
@@EdBrinton@EdBrinton Yes, this is àll correct. I was here for the last day of this foot passenger only ferry service and it was very busy. This was a very handy way of getting to Tilbury, then a bus to Tilbury Town station and ònwards. The operator, Jetstream Tours, still run daytrips to Southend, Fish & Chip evening cruises, and tours around the Thames Esturay. 👍💯🇬🇧😎
@@InvictaView fish and chips cruise is the most British thing I've ever heard and I'm here for it
@@EdBrinton Thats brilliant. I've not even done it myself yet. It gets fully booked too. Website has much more information. 👍😉💯🇬🇧
Its not that bad I like living there the new part of town is a bit bad but the riverfront is a nice area and closer to the countryside is quite good with a few big homes also the old pier you asked about is the old Gravesend West Railway Pier there meant to be restoring it and building flats around it (the weird abandoned building is the old hospital what is abandoned there also trying to demolish it and build flats on it but havent even tried yet)
I really enjoyed it, I have a soft spot for Gravesend actually 😅
There's a railway on the pier??
@@mandymclan No it use to be the old Gravesend west railway station use to be in the car park of wickes and there was a bridge that went over west street linking up onto the railway pier what was used to get people of the train and onto the ferry to go to places like the seaside
The hospital building was the Maternity building of a Victorian Hospital up the hill towards the top of town,....
@@Celt-in-Kent oh really
Nice insight. You are very positive in your vlogs. @ 9:20 that was where the foot passenger ferry to Tilbury went from.
I only live in nearby Maidstone and visit Gravesend occasionally. Its no better or worse than anywhere else. And I'm sure its the same as everyhwhere in the UK after dark on a Friday/Saturday night!
I was regularly connecting here to get to Ebbsfleet International station to use the Eurostar. Used to get it from Ashfird International, which is more convenient for me, but that service stopped from around 2007, when HS1 was completed. But Ebbsfleet Eurostars have now packed up since the pandemic too. We await there return!
As you'll keep finding on your visits, every town/city has suffered in the UK, for many years now, not just since the pandemic. Big business and bent council planners are to blame, with all these out of town retail parks, plus the never ending new housebuilding on brown and green field land. The regeneration and recovery of our high streets is going to take long time.
Glad you found Gravesend pleasant. It has a nice Wetherspoons too. You seem to miss, or dont show them on your vists lol! Thats where you'll find the real locals lol, as most normal pubs around our towns are too pricey, empty, boarded up or dont open til' the evenings.
Nearby Ebbsfleet is a massive, and still to be completed housing estate. And Bluewater, opened in 1994, is one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe. That changed many High Street outlooks forever!
As you keep finding, its a mixed bag, but nowhere near as bad as these media reports suggest.
Most people here might remember the Idler books series, Crap Towns UK and More Crap Towns UK? This was written some years ago, before YT times. They were written by the locals and were amusing reading.
"Consummately contentious and fabulously funny, The Idler Book of Crap Towns is the real rough guide to where not to go in Britain. The authors name and shame the 50 worst towns on the island, revealing them in all their hideous glory. From the dull and lifeless to the ugly and depressing, no concrete monstrosity or phony heritage center has gone unscathed. Woking, Bognor Regis, Cleator Moor, Crouch End, Slough--your time is up."
Take care Comrade.
I look forward to your Poland vlog, as I've been there eight times now. It must be one of the last, if not the last country left in Europe, not totally ruined by the EU. But its changing fast sadly, and with all the trouble on there borders, it will be the biggest militarised zone outside of the U.S and China/Russia the way its going!
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@@InvictaView very good points mate. Been to Poland once but never solo travelled it so hopefully will feel different. Plus I'm not going to a city, middle of nowhere this time haha. Cheers buddy!
Thanks for the positive vid.
No problem mate I liked it there
It’s funny watching him walk around my hometown on screen
@@zakkfromskellten always feels weird watching somebody else in your town haha
If I ever see you around there I’ll say hi 🖤😅
@zakkfromskellten thanks! Would be good to chat
Gravesend is chill. On a sunnny day it's quite pleasant.
I agree underated place
If you were told Gravesend was a hole, then they clearly hadn't crossed the river to see hellholes in Essex like Grays and Tillbury! I'd say go there, but fortunately for you, I've heard the ferry across the river has ceased and the Dartford Crossing is perpetually jammed with traffic, so you probably can't!
My brother you should have gone into the temple. They would've welcomed you with open arms and most likely offered you some lunch. I am baptised Christian, non practicing, from Gravesend, and I've been down there a couple of times. And they also have a running track and field that is free to use, as long as you are respectful of the surroundings. If you ever come back I'd be happy to show you around some of the other wider areas of Gravesham
Also that massive derelict building at the beginning was where I, and nearly everyone I know from the area was born.
You seem to have missed the statue of Elizabeth II and Princess Pocahontas.
Thank you mate will definitely take the offer if I come back! Yeah lots of Sikhs messaged me saying this also, pretty awesome people
I used to live in that part of Kent and I always liked Gravesend totally underrated
@@Napoleonwilson1973 honestly I liked it there, feels weird to say but I liked it
I love Gravesend
Look at the sky - bizarre, weird, unreal !
Definitely
Chemtrails.
You missed out on windmill hill. Only 10 min walk from the temple.
Oh really? What's that like?
@@EdBrinton Panoramic view of gravesend and essex from a hill. Just nice views.
@@1PunchKO100 wow that would've been so cool, there's also an abandoned fortress I wanna visit too there
@@EdBrinton shornemead fort?
@@1PunchKO100 that's the one yes!
Gurdwara everyone is welcome no matter of race religion. Just cover your head with the bandana they give for free. Once your inside youre more than welcome to go to the darbar hall and see guru granth sahib who is our living guru. Once blessed there is also langar hall which is 24/7 kitchen only vegetarian food which is very delicious. There are many stories of other individuals surviving off of the langar of gurdwaras which is a blessing.
@@ls400mobbin2 Sikh people are truly amazing. I'm definitely going back to go inside. I think I need to leave my shoes before I go in too? Thanks you ji
Once you get inside there will be shoe racks (mens on the left and women's on your right) there will also be pieces of fabric to cover your head. Just ask anyone inside if you are struggling to tie it on your head they will be happy to help. Also feel free to ask anyone inside if you want a tour or some extra explanation or just wonder around yourself 😊 on the weekends there tends to be weddings going in the morning if you want to see one. I would highly highly recommend coming for vaisakhi which is in April but you can Google the exact date the celebration will be held in Gravesend. It is a huge Sikh festival and Will be all over the town and completely free with lots of free food. You can probably see a video of Gravesend vaisakhi on RUclips if you wanna know what it's like 😊
@@YouAreJel that sounds amazing, what an amazing place. Thanks for your help my friend 😁
@@EdBrinton no worries, cheers for making entertaining videos :)
@@YouAreJel no problem more to come, just finishing my Poland episodes then back to UK, then on to the far east!
One thing I've noticed across Scotland's towns and cities is, that whenever a town/city has been in the clutch of Labour regimes for decades, you can bet the heart and soul of the center will have been decimated by brutalist architecture and obscure road systems. Labour had a free hand for decades in Glasgow and Dundee and ripped the heart out of both cities. Edinburgh and Aberdeen didn't reward Labour with the same dictatorship and both cities, especially Edinburgh, have retained most of their old buildings.
@@MrScotia intriguing correlation mate. I would love to visit Scotland though proper cool place and lovely people 💪
You showed Kent Reliance: Nat West is closing like a lot of banks with excessive buildings, the Building Society seems to have grabbed its chance and moved in right where NatWest customers will see it.
It's easy to find semi derelict areas but it is equally easy to find parks - by the river, Windmill Hill, St. Aidans, Jeskyns, Shorne - and small shops in Windmill Street. I think a lot of people from the area who do it down just haven't seen much of the rest of the country; it has all gone downhill since 2008.
@@EbenBransome true, Gravesend is heaven compared to luton
FYI the fort you’re at has open days when you can go in the tunnels.
@@mattd2129 that's very cool I'll have to come back mate
The same as many towns, it existed for a purpose, when it was there because of it's connection with the industry on the River Thames and associated river traffic. When these things go you are just left with a place where people exist not thrive.
Same story with many miners towns, thanks for your comment also, really helps the channel 😀
One of the main reasons Gravesend thrived was the amount of beer in town, from the many breweries along the riverfront to the most pubs in high street, helped keep the locals hydrated,.... a LOT,...!!
Gravesend is still the HQ of Port of London Authority.
@@EbenBransome true I saw it
I was there with my nephew last year and we went on the ferry to Tilbury. The town was awful and probably hasn’t recovered from the loss of the car ferry in the early sixties.
Oh really? Interesting.... How did it feel there?
The Supermarkets killed off a thriving town centre, packed every weekend,.. not the trains, the ferry still operates, the cars just go upto the Dartford Crossing 15 minutes away.
@@Celt-in-Kent well said mate
The foot passenger ferry closed a few months back, no direct route across the river now.😢
@@keith.morgan that's a shame
That’s a weird looking sky!
Born in that abandoned building! 😊
@@ezraanddaddy that's crazy
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I agree with you people dont really know how lucky thay are we aren't a perfect country but people used to have respect for one another
It's true, not many people even point it out also which to me is crazy
The gurdwara looks so cool 😎😎😎 but my god is the centre run down
It was amazing
@@EdBrintonyou should go inside
I was there in June, I got on and off at Gravesend train station platform zero 😂
Had a good night out to be fair 👍
@@ShinjitsuKK I wanna go there for a night out now haha
Yes it makes my young son laugh every time he gets the train from platform 0
A model shop is there I think I saw it. A rarity nowadays.
Yeah I think so
It’s called Gravesend because it was a mass Grave at the end of the Thames river for burying Londoners who died of the plaque ! And it was never supposed to be built on, but urban sprawl did !
@@nicholalockwood156 wow thanks for letting me know I would've never guessed!
@@EdBrinton your welcome
That's not true!!
Re name:
In fact, one of the earliest records of the town is in the Domesday Survey of 1086, where it was called Gravesham. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was a known interchangeably as Gravesend or Gravesham. Thus, the name has a very firm base in history.
There are two main schools of opinion as to the true origin of the name itself. The view with which most scholars agree was expressed as early as 1576 by the historian, William Lambarde, in his book entitled “Perumbulation of Kent”.
Lambarde claimed that: “The original cause of the name of this place lies hid in the usual name of the Officer lately created in this town - he is commonly called Portreve, but the word anciently and truly founded in Portgereve, that is to say, the limit, bound or precinct of such a rule or office.”
The early scholars who subscribed to Lambarde’s view added as a crowning statement that the word ‘ham’ meant a homestead or village that would have inevitably grown gradually into a town. So we have Grevesham.
The second - and slightly less popular theory - is that the prefix of the place name ‘Grave’ probably came from the word ‘Greva’ used in the Domesday Book. This signified a coppice or small wood or grove - as in the Latin ‘Grava’. Either theory completely rules out any possibility of the name Gravesend being linked in any way with the town’s waters being the furthest point for burials at sea, or Gravesend having any connection with the Black Death when, it was suggested, bodies of plague victims were brought to the area to be buried to avoid spreading the disease in London.
@@mattd2129 copy and pasted BOI!!
never seen that side of gravesend, looks bit like chatham
Which is worse Gravesend or chatham
Never been to Chatham but perhaps that's the next video when I'm back from Poland mate. Cheers!
@@Lechonberryph Chatham,Gills and sheppy are worse for sure
@@21BonittoJyeah Chatham is god awful
Cheers Joshua, I will record those ones too but also some of the nicer places if you have any ideas
5:40 the camera is to catch any vehicle that isn't a bus or a taxi because its a bus and taxi lane
@@LeightonMills10 thanks for clearing that up!!
@@EdBrinton no problem mate
happy to help
@@LeightonMills10 I'll try and film one next week, just finished another London one which I'll post next week :)
@@EdBrinton oh alr
I was a student at Helen Allison School in Meopham from April 99 to March 06, I was made to board at 2 of the 3 boarding houses they had in Gravesend (which closed in 2017) and it was TERRIBLE!
While in the boarding accommodation, they limited how long I could spend playing games, the TV only had 5 channels and no Cartoon Network, they made me do more homework than I'd have been made to do when I didn't board, and the nearby arcade, Cointron Amusements, had an 18+ age restriction, later increased to 21+! I know that arcade was almost all gambling, but they had a Virtua Racing machine (which they later replaced with a Daytona USA one) and a few other non-gambling games!
Some of the staff within the boarding accommodation did NOT accept modern young people for who they are, an attitude you ESPECIALLY MUST NOT have towards students with LEARNING DISABILITIES! They would either get at us for still liking things pre-teens are more likely to get a kick out of, or even question the educational value of the things we like!
I will NEVER forget that one student meeting in 2004 when this woman, who wasn't even head of house, harshly told us we'd all have to do double the amount of homework we were already being forced to do, and that it was a "24 hour curriculum", which sounds EXACTLY like prison! I don't know why I didn't speak up that night, I guess I was afraid of ending up in more trouble than I already was!
Providing I manage to get a new computer by then, I will do a video going into great detail on why my time at that school was so awful, which I am scheduling to go live on March 31st 2026, marking 20 years since I left! I was hoping to have the video ready by April this year, marking 25 years since I started going there, but I wasn’t financially able to get a new computer. My 2010s laptop is no spring chicken!
In the meantime, here's a writeup I did on my time there which I wrote 4 years ago:
www.deviantart.com/furikatsuma/art/852924634
That's mental mate, cheers for your comment
@@EdBrinton thanks, still felt the need to correct the grammar a bit though
A staggering display of chemtrails in the sky.
@@ameriloe a few people have said that, crazy mate
Same here in Spain.
Hi Ed i was born in Gravesend in 1950. I lived there until i was 50 years of age. I moved away as my Husband had a heart attack at 52 and sadly passed away. I now live in Spain. But when I do visit Gravesend I find it very shabby. The town has lost all its zing.All the major shops have gone.☹️But i will always love Gravesend, it will stay in my ❤️ forever.Kind regards from Spain💃🏼🇪🇸
@@marilynclarke7812 I'm sorry to hear that, wishing you all the best 😊. Where in Spain did you move too?
The Costa Blanca 💃🏼🇪🇸
there is a great South Indian Restaurant there, RT DOSA, I highly recommend it, Gravesend itself is okay not somewhere I would spend long periods of time haha
@@MaheVlogs1 sounds interesting man, I'd love to try South Indian food because most Indian food here seems to be northern Indian, I heard it's mega spicy in comparison haha!
5:09 is the old maternity hospital 2 of our kids were born there, opposite is an ex brewery now converted into the flats you see now
@@garfield2279 AHH intresting! Thanks for the insight
Gravesend Fort also has tunnels with what used to house the explosives in Napoleonic times, also during recent WW's. shame he was not there when they were open.
@@JButler-e5d I will definitely go back, would be cool to show you
Brilliant 😂 i lived and worked there Inc North fleet enjoyed the time there tbh
@@Vlogged-off love Gravesend ngl mate!
You're right about Canterbury Ed. I work there and much of it is a dive to be honest. I would be interested to see you do a video on Sittingbourne the town where unfortunately I live. You'll be hard pressed to find anything positive to say about the place - absolutley ghastly and surely one of the worst towns in Kent if not the entire UK. I think I'm right in saying that Gravesend is famous for being the burial place of Pochahontas of all people!
@@philosophygeek551 thanks for the comment and I love your name!
I do plan on visiting actually I'm currently doing my Poland videos then I'll be back for more kent. I definitely need a local guide for some of these videos haha
Nice video👍Gravesend definitely looks better than Dartford but the Gravesend/Northfleet estates are run down just like Dartford's, I suppose that's most places nowadays I guess. I'm pleased it's being maintained somewhat as the town has been forgotten about in the last few decades.
@@will_n775 thanks for the comment mate and I just finished filming Dartford yesterday actually!
@@EdBrinton 👍Nice, I'll look out for that video
@@will_n775 thanks bro will post tomorrow:)
You could always flatten Ebbesfleet United 😊
Hell yeah
"Ebbsfleet United" once called "Gravesend and Northfleet FC",...
my school friend played in goal there, another friend was
Man of the match, when they played Aston Vila in the FA Cup,....
(he still has the match-ball and champagne for his great day...)
and up hill from there is a beautiful housing estate called "Wallis Park", lovely views up or down the river, no idea why they want to knock it down,...
@@Celt-in-Kent that's pretty awesome bro
@@Celt-in-Kent Wallis Park and the football ground are in Northfleet, different town.
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You wouldn't think that about Essex if you'd ever got north of Tilbury. Sure, Essex has rough areas, but only the ones that are nearest Kent. Oh, and Clacton as well. But apart from that Essex is OK.
@@rosiefay7283 which places do you recommend? I'll give it a visit? Harlow? Southend? Braintree?
@@EdBrintonDagenham too. Has changed forever since Ford departed. *Tilbury has been revamped to cater for the cruise ships, and next door is DP World shipping container port. That town looked a bit depressing when I travelled through it in March. 😮
Tilbury is indeed depressing. I have been living here for over 60 years, and speaking from personal experience, as well as considering the general consensus among most residents who have witnessed its decline over the past 25 years, I would describe this place as a very unpleasant area to live in in fact I would go as far as describing it as a shit hole of a place...
@@johngodfrey8595 I'm sorry to hear that mate. I hope things get better for Tilbury, I will visit and record there some time
@@EdBrinton Maybe I will bump into you in Thailand or the Philippines I will be out there myself in a couple of months... 🙏 Ps when you're in Thailand try and make it to Kanchanaburi, the Bridge on the River Kwai. The infamous Death Railway.. Good luck and keep up your interesting vlogs you never know you could become the new Bold and Bankrupt? lol ..
Shame Clacton is too far to blast from there.
@@alexmckenna1171 hahahah if only we could
It’s so much about the weather…. here it would good obvs
@@OutRAjious to an extent yes
Gravesend the name says it all ha ha
Hahah I did love it
@@EdBrinton funny name though isn't it? Bit depressing 😆
It was a train station
That’s. Taxi rank by tv.
My hometown bud loool
Was sweet mate haha
Based
Lack of money every place suffers, many companies went abroad ie Aei cables because the pound, they get it done 10 times cheaper, was a miserable place with attitude in the 90s full of pubs and violence, it’s become more cosmopolitan because many cultures live there ie polish, one thing you can say they cheered the place up
@@benjaminphilpot4262 very true brother thanks for the comment:)
Thanks❤
the live tv is probably for the taxi drivers as thats a taxi rank but they pick up round the corner
@@skippingtotheend that would make sense yeahh
Yes it’s a nice place I used to live there the building was the old maternity hospital the Mac Donald’s was the Nelson pub with the frontage is listed you should of visited the church were Pocahontas statue is.
Intriguing mate thanks for the insight
Fun fact
When the Luftwaffe first flew over Gravesend in 1939
Their pilots assumed someone else's bombers had beaten them to it
Hahahahah that's a good one
Nice bro.
Chad
So your saying the whole county of Essex is horrible why??????? lol
You mentioned Tilbury, you must of been to Tilbury Fort????
Yeah-New Tavern Fort is one of my fav parts there, + The Temple is a fantastic building + landscape.
How comes you never went to the very famous statue/grave of Pocahontas in the town??
Next time your in these parts of Kent let me know, will say hello-have already subbed to your channel 👍🏻
@@mikekaraoke will do brother, could do with a local guide actually
@@mikekaraoke and I was being sarcastic mate haha
@@EdBrinton Nice one, are you on fb/Twitter??
Oh sorry, couldn't tell you were being sarcastic 😂🙈
@@mikekaraoke I am on insta or you can email me on enquiresed@gmail.com :)
Hello mate Phil from Kent 😂
Hi mate
6:36 epic
McDonald's used to be a pub and bnb
@@phillipamead I bet it was thriving back in the day
You should come back for Vaisaki, then you will really see the community come together.
@@louisepettis9274 is that a particular time of year? Id love to go
Guns at the fort it’s the Thames defence fromwwii
Ahhhhh I see!
I always imagined Gravesend to be rural, I am obviously thinking of Charles Dickens Great Expectations.
@@susannahhunt100 very true, yeah I think it does have some lovely countryside on the outskirts too actually!
Go to brown town Chatham, now that is a shit hole, unfortunately alot of kent has gone down hill due to the influx of people being moved from London to kent, I know this as the wife works in housing. The kent councils get money from London councils to house the filth .
@@niksaunders3258 the Chatham video is on my Medway video brother, cheers :)
Go there on a Friday night
@@garrygoldsmith1871 id love to
Gravesend not a bad place its better then Tilbury and Grays I'm originally from tilbury! only good thing about tilbury is the cafe near the station
Tilbury "Blue buildings" besides the river Thames,.... is where
Elizabeth I, gave her famous speach,...
"I may have the body of a feeble woman but I have the heart of a King,.!!
she then send Sir Francis Drake off to beat the Spanish armada as it was a sunny day, (until they got to the channel)..
@@candiceb8925 oh really? How would you say the three compare? I've heard Tilbury is dangerous?
Someone may think they are in a German town 😂. So quiet.
@@edd60 very much so! Haha
You are welcome to go inside the Temple, men must cover their hair, so they lend you a scarf.
@@johnsmith-ht3sy oh really? Is it easy to put on? Haha it's the kind of thing I will make a fool of myself of!
@@EdBrinton They offer free Tandoori food.
There are a number of huge meeting halls.
When I visited, free parking and every second car was a Gravesend taxi.
@@johnsmith-ht3sy that's amazing mate, I'll definitely check it out
Turned off after 4 minutes. Too much anti essex ⚒️
@@Richardanthony123 I was joking brother. Essex forever ❤️
Kent but orange lol, Essex.
You should visit Punjabi state
Well, there is NO money to be made there whatsoever!
Don’t keep slagging Essex of
@@stuartpeek2347 🤣🤣
Oh shut up!
@@michellerowell158 is everything ok Michelle?
You alright Michelle? 😂😂😂😂 Silly