Editing Gravesend (section)

==Landmarks==

===Gravesend Town Pier===
{{main|Gravesend town pier}}[[File:Town Pier Gravesend.JPG|thumb|Town Pier Gravesend]]
Gravesend has the world's oldest surviving [[cast iron]] [[pier]], built in 1834.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/Kent/content/image_galleries/weekly_gallery_gravesend_town_pier.shtml|title=Gravesend Town Pier |access-date=26 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114045457/http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/image_galleries/weekly_gallery_gravesend_town_pier.shtml |archive-date=14 November 2012 }}</ref>
It is a unique structure having the first known iron cylinders used in its construction. The pier was completely refurbished in 2004 and now features a bar and restaurant;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rivaonthepier.com/ |title=Riva Waterside Restaurant & Bar &#124; Town Pier, West Street, Gravesend, DA11 0BJ &#124; Tel 01474 364694 |website=Rivaonthepier.com |access-date=27 February 2016 |archive-date=13 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413114102/http://www.rivaonthepier.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with public access to the pier head when the premises are open.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.piers.org.uk/pierpages/NPSgravesendtown.html |title=Gravesend Town Pier – National Piers Society |website=Piers.org.uk |access-date=27 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305042341/http://www.piers.org.uk/pierpages/NPSgravesendtown.html |archive-date=5 March 2016 }}</ref>
A recent £2 million investment in a pontoon is now in place at the pier head onto the Thames, which provides for small and medium-sized craft to land at Gravesend. On 17 September 2012, the [[Gravesend–Tilbury Ferry]], relocated to the Town Pier, from its previous terminal in nearby West Street.

===Royal Terrace Pier===
{{further|Royal Terrace Pier}}[[File:Another view of Royal Terrace Pier and London River House Gravesend.JPG|thumb|A view of Royal Terrace Pier and London River House Gravesend]]
Built in 1844, the initial construction was funded by the Gravesend Freehold Investment Company, at a cost of £9,200. It was where [[Alexandra of Denmark|Princess Alexandra of Denmark]] arrived on her way to marry [[Edward VII|Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII)]] in March 1865,<ref name=Listed/> and [[River pilot]]s have been based here since the late 19th century.

Today, Royal Terrace Pier is in constant 24-hour use, as part of the [[Port of London Authority]] main operations centre and [[Gravesend Lifeboat Station|Gravesend RNLI Lifeboat Station]], one of four lifeboat stations situated on the River Thames;<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.pla.co.uk/pdfs/pp/ShortguideAlt2.pdf| title=Short Guide to the PLA| publisher=Port of London Authority| access-date=31 March 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004200013/http://www.pla.co.uk/pdfs/pp/ShortguideAlt2.pdf| archive-date=4 October 2011| df=dmy-all}}</ref> thus, its public access is available only occasionally during the year. It is T-shaped, with a [[pontoon (boat)|pontoon]] at its pier head. Like the '''Town Pier''', [[Royal Terrace Pier]] is also a [[Grade II]] listed structure.<ref name=Listed>{{Cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1341489|title=The Royal Terrace Pier, including the Pavilions flanking the entrance, Gravesham – 1341489 {{!}} Historic England|last=England|first=Historic|website=historicengland.org.uk|access-date=2021-02-03}}</ref>

===Gravesend Clock Tower, Milton Road===
[[File:Clocktower 02.jpg|thumb|The Clock Tower located at the top of Harmer Street, Gravesend, Kent]]
Situated at the junction of Milton Road and Harmer Street, its foundation stone was laid on 6 September 1887. The memorial stone records that the [[clock tower]] was erected by public subscription (£700 was raised toward its construction) and dedicated to [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]], to commemorate the 50th year of her reign.<ref>{{cite web |author=The Dedicated Partnership|url=http://www.ukattraction.com/south-east-england/gravesend-clock-tower.htm |title=Gravesend Clock Tower in Gravesend |publisher=UK Attraction |access-date=27 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414175038/http://www.ukattraction.com/south-east-england/gravesend-clock-tower.htm |archive-date=14 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Built of Portland and Dumfries stone and backed by London stock brick, the design of the structure is based on the design of the [[Elizabeth Tower]] in the Palace of Westminster, which houses [[Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster|Big Ben]]. The centre of the clock itself is measured at 50&nbsp;feet (15&nbsp;m) above ground and the face measures 5&nbsp;ft 6 in (1.68&nbsp;m) in diameter. The tower is Grade II [[listed building|listed]].<ref>{{NHLE|grade=II|desc=Clock Tower|num=1089024|date=3 July 1975}}</ref>

===Pocahontas statue===
[[File:Pocahontas gravesend.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue of Pocahontas by [[St George's Church, Gravesend]], [[Kent]]]]
An American sculptor, [[William Ordway Partridge]], created a life-size statue of the 17th-century [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American princess]] [[Pocahontas]], which was unveiled at [[Jamestown, Virginia]] in 1922. [[Queen Elizabeth II]] viewed this statue in 1957 and again on 4 May 2007, while visiting Jamestown on the 400th anniversary of foundation, it being the first successful [[Thirteen Colonies|English colonial settlement]] in America.

On 5 October 1958, an exact replica of Partridge's statue was dedicated as a memorial to Pocahontas at [[St George's Church, Gravesend|St George's Parish Church]]. The [[Governor of Virginia]] presented the statue as a gift to the British people in 1958, a gesture prompted by The Queen's visit to [[United States of America|the USA]] in the previous year.

In 2017, US Ambassador [[Matthew Barzun]] visited the statue to mark the 400th anniversary of the death and burial of Pocahontas in Gravesend. The Ambassador laid a floral tribute of 21 roses at its base, symbolising each year of Pocahontas' life.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gravesham.gov.uk/home/news-and-events/news/2017/us-ambassador-visits-gravesend|title=US Ambassador visits Gravesend|first=Gravesham Borough Council – All Rights|last=Reserved|date=1 January 2016|access-date=1 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401232716/https://www.gravesham.gov.uk/home/news-and-events/news/2017/us-ambassador-visits-gravesend|archive-date=1 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Windmill Hill===
{{Main|Windmill Hill, Kent}}
Windmill Hill, named after its former windmills, offers extensive views across the [[Thames]] and was a popular spot for Victorian visitors to the town because of the [[camera obscura]] installed at the ''Old Mill'' and for its tea gardens and other amusements.

The hill was the site of a [[beacon]] in 1377, which was instituted by [[Richard II of England|King Richard II]], and still in use 200&nbsp;years later at the time of the [[Spanish Armada]], although the hill was then known as "Rouge Hill". A modern beacon was erected and lit in 1988, the 400th anniversary of the Armada.

It was during the reign of [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I]] that the first [[windmill]] was placed at the highest point in Gravesend, {{cvt|179|ft}} overlooking the high-water mark of the river. One mill burnt down in 1763 but was replaced the following year and that too demolished in 1894. The last surviving windmill is reported as having been destroyed by fire during [[Mafeking, South Africa|Mafeking Night]] celebrations in 1900.

During [[World War I]] an Imperial German Navy airship passed over Windmill Hill, dropping bombs on it; today there are three markers indicating where these bombs struck.

=== Gravesend Power Station ===
[[Gravesend power station]] (TQ 6575 7413) was built by the Gravesend Corporation in 1902–03 to supply local demand for electricity. It was built on the south side of the basin at the west end of the [[Thames and Medway Canal|Thames and Medway canal]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Power Stations of the Lower Thames|last=Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England|publisher=National Monuments Record Centre|year=1995|location=Swindon}}</ref> The buildings were demolished in 1995.<ref name=":0" />