Working away from home doesn’t mean you have to spend every evening inside your accommodation.
If you are staying in Gillingham or elsewhere in Medway for a contract, business trip or temporary work assignment, there are plenty of ways to make the most of your free time once the working day is over.
Medway brings together the towns of Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham, giving you a good mix of riverside walks, country parks, historic areas, restaurants, pubs, leisure facilities and activities.
You do not necessarily need to plan a full day out either. Some of the best things to do in Medway can easily fit into an evening, a quieter afternoon, or a free weekend.
Best Things to Do in Medway After Work
Here are some ideas for contractors and business travellers looking to relax, exercise, explore or spend time with colleagues during a stay in Medway.
1. Clear Your Head at Riverside Country Park
After a day on site, travelling between meetings, or sitting behind a desk, sometimes the simplest way to switch off is to get outside.
Riverside Country Park is one of the best places in Medway for this.
Located along the Medway Estuary near Gillingham and Rainham, the country park covers around 100 hectares and includes a mixture of grassland, reedbeds, ponds, salt marsh and mudflats.
Routes suit walking, running, and cycling, so you can choose between a gentle stroll and something a little more energetic.
For contractors staying in Gillingham, it is particularly convenient when you want some fresh air without turning the evening into a major excursion. The changing views across the estuary also make it somewhere you can visit more than once during a longer stay.
Good for: Walking, running, cycling, wildlife and unwinding outdoors.
2. Explore Capstone Farm Country Park
Another option for getting away from the busier parts of Medway is Capstone Farm Country Park.
The park covers approximately 114 hectares of former farmland on the North Downs and includes woodland, meadows, orchards, a lake and a network of paths.
It is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists and provides a very different environment from spending the day on an industrial site or in an office.
For anyone working in Medway for several weeks or months, having places like this nearby can make a noticeable difference to how you spend your downtime. Instead of returning to your accommodation and staying indoors every evening, you can use the longer summer evenings for a walk or run and save longer routes for your days off.
Good for: Walking, running, cycling and getting away from the working environment.
Tip: Opening times and facilities can change throughout the year, so check before travelling if you plan to visit later in the day.
3. Spend an Evening Exploring Rochester
If you would rather explore somewhere with shops, food, history and plenty of character, head towards Rochester.
Rochester is one of Medway’s best-known historic areas and is home to Rochester Castle, Rochester Cathedral and connections with Charles Dickens.
The historic High Street is also a good place for a relaxed evening away from work. You can wander through the town, stop for coffee, find somewhere for dinner or simply take a walk around the historic centre and towards the river.
For business travellers who only know Medway from their workplace and accommodation, an evening in Rochester offers a chance to see another side of the area. It also works well if a colleague has recently arrived and you want somewhere easy to meet after work.
Some heritage attractions operate daytime opening hours, so an evening visit may be more about enjoying the High Street, architecture, food and atmosphere. If you have a free day at the weekend, you can return to explore the main attractions properly.
Good for: Dinner, cafés, history, casual evening walks and meeting colleagues.
4. Try a Board Game Evening in Rochester
Not every evening activity needs to involve sightseeing.
For something more social, Playopolis in Rochester combines a café with a large selection of board games.
This can be a fun option if you are staying with colleagues and want to do something different after work without planning an elaborate night out.
Board games also suit project teams well. After a day focused on deadlines, technical problems, or site work, an informal game gives everyone a chance to switch off and socialise in a completely different setting.
It is also a useful rainy-day option when a walk around Medway is less appealing.
Good for: Colleagues, groups, rainy evenings and relaxed socialising.
5. Visit Copper Rivet Distillery in Chatham
If you are interested in locally produced spirits, Copper Rivet Distillery at Chatham Maritime is another experience worth considering.
Located at the historic Chatham Dockyard, Copper Rivet produces gin, whisky and vodka and offers a range of distillery experiences and tastings. Rather than simply going to a pub after work, this gives you the opportunity to learn something about a local producer and the distilling process at the same time.
It can work particularly well as an end-of-project activity, a relaxed evening with colleagues or something different to do during a longer business stay.
Check and book experiences and tours in advance, especially if you are organising something for a group. And, of course, if you are drinking alcohol, arrange suitable transport back to your accommodation.
Good for: Small groups, colleagues, local experiences and special evenings.
6. Take on an Escape Room in Gillingham
Want something a little more competitive?
Mythologic Escape Rooms operates in Gillingham and offers themed escape-room experiences where teams solve puzzles and clues against the clock.
This is one of the more convenient activities for contractors staying in Gillingham because you don’t need to travel far across Medway for an evening activity. It is also particularly well suited to colleagues.
Project teams spend all day solving problems together anyway, so you may discover who stays calm under pressure when the problem involves escaping a room rather than meeting a deadline!
Escape rooms can also be useful if you are working away from home with the same group for several weeks and want something different from the usual meal or drink after work.
Good for: Groups, colleagues, team activities and something different after work.
7. Try Axe Throwing in Chatham
For something more energetic, you can try indoor axe throwing at TBV AxeMasters in Chatham.
Sessions focus on learning to throw axes safely before competing against other members of your group. It is certainly a change from the typical after-work drink.
For contractors working together on a longer project, activities like this can provide a fun way to spend time as a team away from the workplace. It can also be a way to celebrate the completion of a project or simply break up a long working week.
Booking ahead is sensible, particularly if several members of your team want to take part.
Good for: Groups, team building, celebrations and active evenings.
8. Keep Up Your Fitness Routine at Medway Park
Working away can easily disrupt your normal exercise routine.
Long working hours, unfamiliar surroundings and eating away from home can make it tempting to skip exercise altogether. Fortunately, staying in Gillingham puts you close to Medway Park, Medway’s major sports and leisure centre.
Facilities include a fitness centre, swimming and diving pools, an athletics track, squash courts and multi-sports halls.
Even if you are only in Medway temporarily, having somewhere nearby to exercise can help create a more normal routine during a longer contract. You do not have to train intensively either. A swim, gym session or run can simply be a good way to reset after work.
If fitness is important during your stay, you can also read our guide to contractors’ fitness in Medway for more ideas.
Good for: Gym sessions, swimming, sport and maintaining your normal routine.
9. Discover Medway's Riverside
The River Medway connects much of the area, including Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. That means plenty of opportunities to enjoy the riverside without turning it into a full sightseeing day.
Depending on where you are working and staying, you can explore sections around Rochester and Chatham or head towards the estuary around Gillingham and Rainham.
The river has played an important role in Medway’s maritime and military history, so even a casual walk gives you a sense of the area’s past. If you have more time at the weekend, you can explore longer walking routes or look into seasonal river trips and watersports.
Good for: Easy walks, photography, fresh air and seeing more of Medway.
10. Discover Medway's Maritime History on Your Day Off
Some of Medway’s major attractions suit a free afternoon or weekend better than an evening after work. The Historic Dockyard Chatham is one of them.
Chatham’s maritime history is central to Medway’s identity, and the dockyard lets visitors explore that heritage in much greater detail. If your contract keeps you in the area for several weeks, it is worth setting aside part of a weekend rather than trying to squeeze everything into your working evenings.
Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral are other well-known historic attractions you can combine with time in Rochester.
This is one advantage of a mid-term stay: you don’t have to see everything at once. You can gradually explore the area around your work schedule.
Good for: History, weekend sightseeing and longer stays.
11. Find Somewhere to Eat After a Long Shift
Some evenings, you probably will not want an activity at all. You will simply want good food.
Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and the surrounding Medway towns provide plenty of options, from cafés and pubs to restaurants and takeaways.
Rochester High Street is useful if you want to combine dinner with a walk, while Chatham Maritime is another area to consider when meeting colleagues.
But eating out every evening can become expensive and repetitive, particularly during a contract lasting several weeks. This is where your accommodation choice matters.
A serviced apartment with a proper kitchen gives you the flexibility to cook when you want to, order a takeaway when you do not, and go out for dinner when you feel like it.
That flexibility can make longer business stays much more comfortable than relying on restaurant meals every day.
12. Use Your Weekend to Explore More of Medway
If your contract includes weekends in Kent, you have even more options.
You could spend one weekend exploring Rochester’s heritage, another walking around one of Medway’s country parks and another visiting Chatham’s maritime attractions.
Medway also has a regular programme of festivals, community events, exhibitions, live entertainment and seasonal activities. Because these change throughout the year, it is worth checking local event listings while you are staying in the area rather than assuming you have already seen everything.
This is especially useful for people on longer assignments.
A six-week or three-month contract can feel very different when you start treating the location as somewhere to explore rather than simply somewhere you have been sent to work.
Things to Do in Medway Based on Your Mood
Not sure what you want to do after work? Here is a simple way to choose:
If you want some fresh air:
Head to Riverside Country Park or take a riverside walk.
If you want exercise:
Try Medway Park, go running or explore Capstone Farm Country Park.
If you want food and a change of scenery:
Spend an evening around Rochester High Street or Chatham Maritime.
If you are with colleagues:
Try an escape room, board games or axe throwing.
If you want something local and different:
Look into a tasting or experience at Copper Rivet Distillery.
If you have a free weekend:
Explore Rochester’s historic attractions, Chatham’s maritime heritage or one of Medway’s larger green spaces.
The important thing is that you do not need to travel far to find something different to do.
Why Gillingham Is a Practical Base for Working in Medway
For contractors and business travellers, location is about more than being close to the workplace.
You also need access to shops, transport, food, exercise and somewhere comfortable to return to at the end of the day.
Gillingham provides a useful base for accessing different parts of Medway while giving you plenty of everyday facilities nearby.
It can be particularly useful for professionals working on temporary projects around Medway, Chatham, the Isle of Grain and surrounding business and industrial areas.
The area is continuing to attract business investment too. You can learn more in our guide to the Medway Innovation Park.
For people relocating temporarily for work, our guide to private living accommodation near Medway also explains some available options.
Make a Longer Work Stay Feel More Like Home
What you do after work matters, but so does where you return at the end of the evening. Hotel rooms can be perfectly suitable for short visits. When you are away for several weeks or months, however, extra living space and everyday facilities can make the experience much easier.
A serviced apartment gives you somewhere to cook, relax and maintain more of your normal routine.
You can make breakfast before an early shift, prepare your own evening meal, sit somewhere other than your bed to watch television, and have more space for your belongings during a longer assignment.
For teams and employers arranging temporary accommodation, flexibility can be equally important when project schedules change.
Our guide to flexible accommodation for contractors explains why this can be particularly useful for project-based work.
Staying in Medway for a Few Weeks or Months?
Address Apartments provides serviced accommodation in Gillingham for contractors, business travellers, relocation guests and others who need a comfortable place to stay in Medway.
Our apartments are designed to give guests more independence during longer stays, including space to relax and facilities that make everyday living easier.
If your work assignment will keep you in the area for several weeks or months, explore our mid-term stays in Gillingham, Kent.
You can also view all available Address Apartments properties and find an option that works for your dates and requirements.
Once the working day is finished, you will have plenty of ways to enjoy the rest of your time in Medway.
FAQs About Things to Do in Medway
What are some good things to do around Medway?
Medway offers a wide range of activities, including walking at Riverside Country Park, exploring historic Rochester, visiting Chatham’s maritime attractions, exercising at Medway Park, or trying escape rooms and axe throwing. What works best depends on how much time you have and whether you want to relax, exercise, socialise, or explore.
What is Medway like to live in?
Medway combines several towns, including Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. The area offers a mixture of residential neighbourhoods, shopping and leisure facilities, historic areas, green spaces and transport connections.
For contractors and business travellers staying temporarily, this variety makes it possible to access everyday essentials while still having plenty to explore outside working hours.
What are some of the best attractions in Medway?
Some of Medway’s best-known attractions include Rochester Castle, Rochester Cathedral and the Historic Dockyard Chatham. For outdoor activities, Riverside Country Park and Capstone Farm Country Park are popular options.
The best choice depends on whether you are interested in history, nature, exercise or entertainment.
What are some fun things to do in Medway this weekend?
A weekend in Medway could include exploring Rochester, visiting the Historic Dockyard Chatham, taking a longer walk through a country park, trying an escape room, enjoying a distillery experience or checking the local events calendar.
Events and opening times change throughout the year, so check current information before travelling.
What can contractors do in Medway after work?
Contractors can go for a walk or run at Riverside Country Park, use local fitness facilities, meet colleagues for food in Rochester or Chatham, try an escape room in Gillingham, play board games or arrange a group activity such as axe throwing. Many options can fit into an evening without travelling far from Gillingham.
Are there things to do near Gillingham after work?
Yes. Gillingham is close to Riverside Country Park and Medway Park, with activities such as Mythologic Escape Rooms. Rochester and Chatham are also nearby, giving visitors access to restaurants, historic areas, entertainment and additional leisure activities.
Is Medway worth exploring during a business trip?
Yes. If you are staying in Medway for more than a few days, exploring the local area can make a work trip much more enjoyable.
Medway offers a mix of history, countryside, riverside scenery, restaurants, and leisure activities, with many places within easy reach of Gillingham.
Opening hours, availability, prices and booking requirements may change, so always check directly with the venue before visiting.
About the Author
Koran is the Director of Address Apartments, a trusted provider of serviced accommodation in Gillingham, Kent. He works closely with business travellers, contractors, relocation professionals, and holiday guests, helping them find comfortable accommodation for both short and extended stays. Drawing on his experience managing serviced apartments across the Medway area, Koran shares practical advice on direct bookings, contractor accommodation, relocation housing, and getting the most from serviced accommodation.
