I think it is a story right out of Charles Dickens (148Cong.Rec.S11699)

It wouldn't be right to have TJ's family cross an entire ocean and not show them at least one quaint English village. Due to its location and attractions, we chose Rochester, which has a cute pedestrian high street accessible just steps from the train station (top left). The city is perhaps most well-known as the place where Charles Dickens grew up and died, which has contributed to some cheeky pitches to visitors (top right). A museum to the writer was once housed in the 17th-century Guildhall, but that attraction has since been eclipsed by the theme park Dickens World. Many buildings in the city became the basis of settings in Dickens' works, including Restoration House, which was the model for Miss Havisham's house in Great Expectations (bottom). 

The Six Poor Travellers' House was the inspiration for the short story "The Seven Poor Travellers" after Dickens visited there in 1854 (top left). Dickens inserted himself into The Canterbury Tales-like cast of the work, describing interactions among the characters in the garden (top right) and around the dining table (bottom left). In reality, the building actually operated as an almshouse with spartan bedrooms on offer as cheap accommodation for travelers (bottom right).

The almshouse was started with funds from the will of Richard Watts (top left), who is buried in a place of honor in Rochester Cathedral (top right). The cathedral, the second-oldest in England behind Canterbury Cathedral, is a mix of Gothic (bottom left) and Norman (bottom right) architecture.

 

Up the hill from the cathedral is another Norman-era structure, Rochester Castle (top left). The fortress was built in the 12th century to guard the River Medway crossing (top right). Even a catalpa tree between the cathedral and castle has historical significance (bottom). Dating back to the 19th century, the tree, also known as an American Indian bean tree, is thought to be the oldest of its type in England.

Along the other side of the castle sits one of the oldest pubs in England: The Coopers Arms, arguably the oldest pub in Kent (top left). The title is contestable because, although the building was constructed in the 12th century, it didn't become a pub until the 16th century (top right). We hopped forward a few centuries when we crossed into the more modern side of the high street and stopped at The Flippin' Frog for some craft beer and cider (bottom).

Refueled, we set sail for Chatham Historic Dockyard, which was opened in 1547 during the Tudor era to build ships for the Spanish Armada and was closed in 1984 shortly after it was used as a base to construct nuclear submarines during the Cold War (top left). Many famous ships, including the HMS Victory, were built in Chatham, and some still remain docked on the grounds, including the HMS Gannet (top right). After our day of stepping back in time, we caught the train to get back in time for our dinner reservations at The Brown Dog (bottom), where I put a point on the marine theme by ordering a whole baked sole as my main dish.