Rainham news
Rainham news, newest first, from Medway Live: planning, roads, schools, business and what's on in Rainham, with every story linked to its source.
Top story
Lower Rainham Road Closure: Six Weeks From 16 November
SGN replaces an old gas main from 16 November after repeated leaks. A rolling closure runs from Lower Twydall Lane to Riverside Country Park; the 3C diverts.
More stories
Schools
Medway SEND School Places: Danecourt Plan Now Over £30m
Danecourt's planned 250-place secondary for pupils with special needs is now estimated at over £30m. Councillors added £5m on 15 October.
Food hygiene
Medway Food Hygiene Ratings: 67 Fives and One 1 in September
A Rochester food shop got Medway's only 1 in September. Of 83 food hygiene ratings that month, 67 were the top mark of 5, including seven school kitchens.
Food & Drink
Medway Cafes and Coffee Shops: Where to Go
Rochester's Deaf Cat and Rochester Coffee Co, Café Nucleus's palm-tree garden in Chatham and two country park cafes: 12 Medway cafes with hours and prices.
Food & Drink
Christmas Dinner in Medway 2026: 9 Menus With Prices
Christmas Day from £54.99 in Walderslade to £110 at Upnor, December menus from £28.95: nine Medway pubs and restaurants with 2026 prices and deposits.
Food & Drink
Brunch in Medway: The Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots
Eggs Benedict from £8.50 at Fort Amherst, all-day brunch at Café Nucleus and £35 bottomless brunches in Rochester: 9 Medway breakfast spots, prices and hours.
Food & Drink
Afternoon Tea in Medway: Where to Book, Checked October 2026
Afternoon tea from £25 a head at Fort Amherst and Bridgewood Manor, £28 at Café Nucleus Chatham: 8 Medway tea rooms and hotels, with prices and booking.
Food & Drink
Medway Pubs: The Best Pubs and Where to Drink
Medway CAMRA's 2026 Pub of the Year, an inn dating from 1199 and a railway-arch micropub: 18 Medway pubs with hours, ales and dog rules, checked October 2026.
Parks
Medway Playgrounds and Parks for Children
Capstone Farm, Riverside Country Park and the Strand lead 16 Medway playgrounds, with closing times, parking charges, cafes and toilets from council pages.
Rainham
Rainham Roadworks: Road Closures and Traffic Orders Near Rainham
Rainham roadworks: Spade Lane, Hartlip (from 13 Nov) and every other traffic order within 3 km, checked each morning with the council's notice linked.
Rainham
Rainham Weather: 7-Day Forecast and Today's Hourly Outlook
Rainham weather today: drizzle, 12°C by day and 9°C overnight, with a 100% chance of rain and winds up to 16 mph. Seven-day forecast, updated every morning.
Food & Drink
Medway Restaurants: The Best Places to Eat
Omakase sushi, steak and lobster and family Italian in Rochester, plus Chatham and Rainham: 12 Medway restaurants with prices, hours, ratings, checked 24 Oct.
Food hygiene
Medway Food Hygiene: Care Home and Rainham Restaurant Get 1
A Chatham care home and a Rainham restaurant got Medway's lowest food hygiene ratings in August. Of 92 businesses rated that month, 78 earned the top mark of 5.
Remembrance
Remembrance Sunday Medway 2026: Parades and Road Closures
Chatham parade gathers 10.20am, Rochester 10.25am, Gillingham service 8.45am on Sunday 8 November. Every road closure and the free car parks, confirmed.
Education
Medway Test: Pass Mark Moves to the 26th Percentile
The 2026 Medway Test pass mark is 478 because the council widened the grammar pool to the 26th percentile. How the cut-off is set, and the 31 October deadline.
Schools
Medway Ofsted Report Cards: Howard School Rated Exceptional
Ten Medway schools now have Ofsted's new report cards. The Howard School holds the only Exceptional grade; Wayfield Primary is in special measures.
Rainham
Rainham Defibrillator and Bleed Kit Planned for High Street
Nationwide has applied to put a 24/7 defibrillator and a bleed control kit by the Cricketers bus stop on Rainham High Street. Comments close 4 September.
Frindsbury
Medway Roadworks This Week: Frindsbury, Lower Rainham Road
Frindsbury Roundabout is resurfaced at night this week; Cornwallis Avenue stays shut to 20 November. Lower Rainham Road closes for gas works from 16 November.