Culture And Memory

Pioneers of Flight: Made in Medway

A six-figure investment by Rochester Bridge Trust has enabled the recent restoration of a 1937 Short S.16 Scion II Floatplane, to be displayed during August 2025 in the Nave of Rochester Cathedral. This presents an unparalleled opportunity to celebrate the legacy of the Short Brothers, aviation innovators who transformed Britain’s aircraft industry leading to global leaps in aviation engineering. Our free to view exhibition will take place in the Crypt of Rochester Cathedral during the same period, representing the community legacy of the Short Brothers’ factory, innovation and workforce through a combination of expertly collected and curated oral histories, artefacts and artistic works. We have a defined legacy- We will be a catalyst in the public call for the plane to remain in Medway and for the development of permanent markers of Short Brothers locations. Our free exhibition celebrates civic pride, launching Medway-centric exhibitions and setting a new Cathedral standard.