The Romans built a bridge across the River Medway as part of Watling Street, carrying traffic from London to Dover (the port for Continental Europe).

The piers of the Roman bridge survived well into the Middle Ages, supporting a timber deck with three beams of cross-planking.

In 1264, Simon de Montfort besieged the gate house and set fire to the bridge as part of his successful attempt to take Rochester.

[4] Despite partial rebuilding, the bridge fell into disrepair and collapses occurred with the worrying frequency of about once a year.

[6] The commission included John de Cobham who as supervisor of repairs ensured the bridge was passable by the following year.

The two elected wardens were appointed under letters patent from Richard II to own land and use the income for the bridge.

[8] The trust was able to maintain the bridge using income from property and investments, and materials from its own woods and quarries.

A scheme of improvements were carried out from 1792 to widen the roadway of the bridge, to the plans of the engineer Daniel Asher Alexander.

The two central arches merged into one in 1824 to provide a wider channel for shipping, under the supervision first of John Rennie the Elder, and completed by Thomas Telford.

[9][10] In 1856, when modern river traffic demanded a new structure the medieval bridge was demolished with the help of the Royal Engineers.

From around 1908 to 1932[12] the bridge also carried the tracks for the local tram system linking Strood and Frindsbury with Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham.

The flat bridge deck was supported on nine stone piers set on iron tipped oak timbers driven deep into the riverbed.

The space between the two circles was then packed with clay to make the coffer-dam waterproof, and the water inside was pumped out to create a dry working area on the riverbed.

It rested on foundations of cast iron cylinders sunk through the riverbed into the bedrock, using an innovative method of pneumatic caissons.

The total weight of the swing bridge and roadway was over 300 tonnes, it could have been rotated with ease 90 degrees upriver.

[19] The East Kent Railway built the first rail bridge (which opened on 29 March 1858) for its line from Strood to Chatham.

It was designed and built by Joseph Cubitt, and had four spans, one of which could be opened to allow masted ships through, although this was later found to be unnecessary and so was fixed shut.

[20] The bridge was built of iron girders supported on masonry piers, 600 feet in length and weighing 700 tons.

The 720 metres (2,360 ft) long tunnel took four years to complete, at a cost of £80 million – and was opened by the Princess Royal on 12 June 1996.

Once a year, on All Souls' Day (2 November) it is used to hold a commemoration service for the founders of the Rochester Bridge Trust.