“Running water is favourable to daydreams, and a strong tidal river is the best of running water for mine,” wrote Charles Dickens, in his collection of sketches and reminiscences, The Uncommercial Traveller, in praise of the River Medway.

He never said anything about a rusting grey cuboid hulk that looks like an offshore prison though; nor did he envisage the river being improved by an anonymous floating block opposite a bingo hall in Strood; and it’s also unlikely he would have found any inspiration in piles of rubbish fly-tipped along the river’s banks.

River Medway at Rochester/Strood. View of submarine from Canal Road

Medway Council quoted Dickens’ thoughts on the river’s inspirational properties when it dreamt up Medway’s Cultural Strategy 2014-2019 – a strategy that went on to say: “The River Medway is central not only to the area’s history but also its regeneration.

“As well as uniting our communities, it is also an important resource that can be used to drive inward investment and regeneration for our area, and attract more visitors.

“For these reasons the river is at the heart of our plans to work together to unlock Medway’s full potential – increasing connectivity between our tourist attractions, enabling more commercial and leisure use and supporting river taxis and pleasure craft.”

River Medway at Sharps Green/Horrid Hill, Lower Rainham. Boat graveyard. Rotting hulks and boats

All of which sounds lovely and evokes images of holiday-makers strolling the banks; boats bobbing and glinting in the sun; the cathedral towering magnificently above the scene. It sounds like Paris.

But it’s time to stop daydreaming and look outside – and perhaps even attempt taking a walk along the river bank.

It’s certainly not Paris out there.

Maritime expert and “champion of the river”, Wilf Lower, agrees but would like to see things change.

“There’s an enormous amount of junk in the river – there’s old boats, people use it as a dumping ground,” says Wilf who grew up sailing the river.

“There’s a big problem with fly-tipping. The trouble is, who has responsibility?

River Medway at Sharps Green/Horrid Hill, Lower Rainham. Boat graveyard. Rotting hulks and boats.

“Peel Ports are only interested in navigation and how much money they can make.

“The council say the river is at the heart of all we do, but that’s complete and utter rubbish. It’s been like that for the last 28 years, irrespective of political colour.

“Water tourism is big business but it’s not exploited by Medway.

“At Sun Pier, one of the pontoons sank and the council didn’t realise for two weeks.”

Mr Lower could go on, and indeed does, but it wouldn’t be fair without allowing the council a say, too.

Interestingly, when asked about the junk along its banks, it appears the river is not so much at the heart of the council’s activity as its cultural strategy might suggest: they aren’t responsible they say.

Wilf Lower has just written a book about the history of the river Medway.

But the council does stress good work is being done.

A spokesman said: “While we are not responsible for the upkeep of the river banks, we have done plenty to ensure the river plays a big part in the lives of those who live near it and for tourists.

“We have refurbished and put back into use Sun Pier at Chatham for leisure craft and the walk from Gun Wharf to Sun Pier, and beyond has had new paving and lighting.

“There is a new outdoor gym with great views over the river at Rochester Riverside and the masterplan for that area includes provision for commercial developments like bars and restaurants on the river front.

'It sounds glorious – almost like some European riverside scene. But what your eye is more likely to settle on is a rusting old Russian submarine that looks fit for Davy Jones’ locker or the rotting skeletons of a myriad number of forgotten boats from Cuxton the Isle of Grain.' - Chris Hunter reports

“In addition to the big screen at Chatham Waterfront and maintaining launching areas for boats at Gillingham Pier and The Strand, we also have the popular River Festival taking place this year on July 4.”

It sounds glorious – almost like some European riverside scene... perhaps even Paris.

But stop. We’ve been here before.

What your eye is more likely to settle on is a rusting old Russian submarine that looks fit for Davy Jones’ locker, moored at Strood; or the aforementioned cuboid hulk opposite Medway City Estate – it’s actually an ‘accommodation barge’ called “Hillside”; or the rotting skeletons of a myriad number of forgotten boats from Cuxton the Isle of Grain.

There’s good and bad on the river, of course.

Cuxton Marina and The Medway Bridge Marina are two examples where commercial activity has improved and tidied up the river environment, but by contrast the commercial sites below Hoo are described by Mr Lower as “glorified scrapyards”.

The River Medway is not what it was in Dickens’ time, and the days when it was truly at the heart of the Medway towns as a commercial artery, have come and gone.

That means the water is cleaner than it has been for decades, but it also means the river has become a neglected, forgotten thing, and maritime enthusiasts like Wilf Lower are a comparatively rare breed on its waters.

River Medway at Sharps Green/Horrid Hill, Lower Rainham. Boat graveyard.

He dreams of seeing tall ships brought back up that Medway, but that won’t be done unless Peel Ports – the authority responsible for navigation – dredge it properly.

The port authority declined to comment on their responsibilities or plans, and while that silence could be telling, there is no single authority responsible for the Medway’s woes.

Ultimately it’s going to be a collective effort to turn the river into a tourist attraction.

In short, if the Medway is to become “favourable to day-dreams again”, everyone connected to it is going to have to wake up.