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Chatham Dockyard, Kent

Chatham Dockyard, no longer a working facility, is now a museum to the Royal Navy. Many of the old buildings, such as the grand Commissioner's House, have been restored or maintained. The Commissioner's House is not often open to viewing unfortunately, but if you do get a chance to go inside, the painting on the ceiling above the main staircase sums up the way Britain viewed itself as the Empire began to grow. The painting, hung in about 1705, shows Mars receiving a crown of shells from Neptune, while in the foreground stand the symbolic figures of Peace, Plenty, Justice and Charity.

The other buildings of the dockyard are in varying stages of restoration. All of them still have the atmosphere described by Charles Dickens, whose father worked here in the Pay Office: Dickens felt a "gravity upon its red brick offices and houses, a staid pretence of having nothing worth mentioning to do, an avoidance of display, which I never saw out of England." Interesting buildings include the covered slips where ships would be kept out of the weather, and perhaps the most affecting of all, the mould lofts. It was in these huge open areas that the drawings and moulds for the ships were made. The Wooden Walls tour includes viewing of the mould loft where HMS Victory was drawn. The mould lofts are the blank canvas where imagination became history.

The ropery is also impressive, a building stretching for a quarter of a mile, designed to accommodate huge lengths of rope. The ropery continues to produce rope, and visitors can watch this being done. You can have a go at making rope yourself.

The great Seventeenth Century naval administrator and diarist Samuel Pepys often used to visit Chatham Dockyard. He flirted with the attractive daughter of the rope yard manager. He also reported jealousy amongst his party, caused by the desirability of the Commissioner's House: "In the morning to see the Dockhouses...Then to Commissioner Pett's house, he and his family being absent, and here I wondered how my Lady Batten walked up and down with envious looks to see how neat and rich everything is ( and indeed both the house and garden is most handsome), saying that she would get it, for it belonged formerly to the Surveyor of the Navy." (10th April 1661)

 

The site includes three navy warships from different eras; HMS Gannet built in 1878, the destroyer HMS Cavalier built in 1944, and the submarine HMS Ocelot built in 1962.

HMS Gannet was involved in one of the most well known, or notorious, of imperial battles. In 1885 rebellion against British rule in the Sudan was opposed by General Gordon, who tried and failed to hold the town of Khartoum. General Kitchener reinvaded the Sudan in 1896, retaking Khartoum. Following the battle Kitchener himself led the looting. HMS Gannet was involved in the defence of the port of Suakin which was supporting Kitchener's troops.

 

 

HMS Cavalier served during the Second World War, and in the post war years. The ship's Naafi shop, and the records sitting in the small office of Radio Cavalier all give the impression of a world that floated away in the 1950s. A ship seems very evocative of its particular time in history. Perhaps the identity of a time and place is more strongly concentrated in a small national community which lives much of its time in distant waters. As Captain Jack Aubrey says in Master and Commander: " though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home. This ship is England."

 

 

 

 

HMS Ocelot was used as a spy submarine during the Cold War. As this vessel has a history contemporary with my own it had the most resonance for me. It was surprising how the interior of the submarine reminded me of caravans in which I took childhood holidays. Click on the Cold War to find out more.

 

 

There is a restaurant near the entrance of the dockyard, an adventure playground for older children, and a soft play area for younger children.

 

Opening Times are as follows:

January: closed.

February 9th to March 20th: 10am to 4pm every day. Galleries and ships closing from 3:15pm.

March 21st to October 25th: 10am to 6pm every day. Galleries and ships closing from 5:15pm.

October 26th to November 2nd: 10am to 4pm

November: weekends only 10am to 4pm. Galleries and ships closing from 3:15pm.

December: closed.

Directions: Take the A321 away from the centre of Chatham and follow signs for the dockyard. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on Chatham Dockyard.

Access: the site is generally accessible, but there are uneven surfaces and steps. The ships have many steep ladders and narrow hatches and are not accessible at all. The submarine Ocelot would present particular difficulties to anyone with mobility problems. Virtual tours are available as an alternative. Disabled toilet facilities are available at a number of locations. By prior arrangement vehicles are available to take disabled visitors to remote parts of the site.

Contact:

phone: 01634 823807

web: www.chdt.org.uk