Dickens World (Chatham)

Dickens World, created 2 years ago and located in an odd little complex in Chatham, Kent, doesn't seem like much from the outside in the middle of a car park surrounded by an Odeon cinema and shopping mall. However, when you step through the doors the modern world suddenly slips away and you are transported back in time to the dark and dingy Victorian times that all of Charles Dickens' novels so graphically portrayed. A word of warning - if you are expecting a theme park similar to Disney World you will be disappointed, but if you want the world of Dickens brought to life before your very eyes you will not be disappointed here! As you first enter ...  Read the complete review

It was at the end of the summer when we were on our way to the continent, that we needed an activity as a distraction en-route to our overnight hotel. You might think that Southampton to Dover is not too far but it is just so boring a journey that we like to break it up if at all possible. A trawl of the internet for something suitable came up with Dicken's World as a relatively new and novel attraction, and being in Chatham it could loosely be described as being en-route. Fortunately, we were not greeted by the long queues bemoaned by many other visitors and there were acres of car park spaces. This should have told me what to expect, but without a second ...  Read the complete review

From the moment I arrived I was moved to an emotional state. I rareley experience such a reaction, previously my first visit to Dreamland when I was about 6 years old, then Disney in Florida and Paris. Now, Chatham! The difference though is the emotions I experienced at Dreamland and Disney were big WOW factor excitement emotions. Dickens World in Chatham generates a whole new level of destination attraction amazement. Awe inspiring, tummy churning expectation, dizzy making excitement, the fun of a new experience, all of these descriptions are nothing to do with the feelings generated by Dickens World. This monumentally dull Chatham ...  Read the complete review

As we live in the heart of Kent, we had waited with great interest for the opening of the new Dickens world that was due to be opened in May 2007. It had be given a lot of publicity. The kids had all been talking about the new theme park that was opening just up the road!. Well not quite, 15 miles but to them I suppose it is very near. Dickens world is the new indoor family attraction. It took approximately 3 years to build. It is privately owned and cost £62 million. How could you not want to visit it when it is only 20 minutes away? Chatham docks closed over 20 years ago, over the last 5 to 10 years there has been alot of regeneration ...  Read the complete review