Victoria Gardens is a public park laid out in 1897 by Chatham Town Council, on land formerly owned by the Ordnance Department, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria with early C20 alterations and additions. It comprises amenity grassland, late C19 and C20 ornamental trees, pathways and various structures, some dating to the park’s original construction. The grounds were formally opened on 15th September 1897 by the Mayoress Mrs H T Brown and dedicated to the public. In 1996, the original bandstand was renovated at the cost of £50k (including a new roof, ceiling, lighting and a stone inscription and crest inserted into the brickwork surround).The Gardens are currently owned and managed by Medway Council. The site has a celtic cross World War I memorial, which is the focus for the annual Remeberence Day parade and service. Along with Fort Pitt Gardens and Jackson Recreation Ground (qv) immediately adjacent to the west, the park occupies land formerly part of the nearby early C19 Fort Pitt.