Chatham Historic Dockyard

Today, the Chatham Historic Dockyard is a major maritime museum, offering visitors a glimpse into the industrial and naval history and its impact on the Medway region. The expansive site features well-preserved structures such as the Ropery as well as exhibits and displays that provide insights into shipbuilding techniques, naval technologies and the daily lives of those who worked at the dockyard.

Visitors can explore the site’s extensive collection of historic vessels, artefacts and architectural landmarks, providing a comprehensive view of Chatham’s maritime history.

Several films and television programmes have been filmed at the Chatham Historic Dockyard including Call the Midwife as well as Belgravia, the Crown, Downton Abbey, Grantchester and Mr Selfridge.

What to see at the Chatham Historic Dockyard

The Chatham Historic Dockyard site covers around 32ha (80 acres) and comprises the most historically significant area of the former dockyard. Visitors can explore historic vessels, witness demonstrations of maritime craftsmanship and engage with displays that showcase the dockyard’s role in supporting British naval power.

The three most significant vessels open to the public are the Doterel-class screw sloop-of-war HMS Gannet (1878), C-class destroyer HMS Cavalier (R73) and HMS Ocelot (S17), an Oberon-class submarine.

Other areas of the dockyard that you can explore include historic buildings such as 3 Slip, No 1 Smithery and the Ropery as well as dedicated museum buildings with exhibition spaces such as Lifeboat, the Steam, Steel and Submarines exhibit and the Command of the Oceans exhibition.

Built in 1838 as an enormous covered slip, 3 Slip is one of Europe’s largest timber buildings and it is now used to display many of the Historic Dockyard’s larger artefacts.

The Ropery is a Grade I listed building where rope was produced for over 400 years, supplying famous ships including the Cutty Sark, the Endeavour and HMS Victory. It includes displays showing how rope was made in this building as well as artefacts such as ropemaking equipment from the Georgian and Victorian eras. Ropemaking demonstrations take place here at 12.15pm Monday to Friday.

Dating from the 1640s, the Commissioner’s Garden was originally a private space for the enjoyment of the Dockyard’s resident Commissioner. The garden is now open to the public and provides a quiet space to relax; however, it is sometimes closed for private events such as weddings.

Lifeboat is a museum within a museum that features 17 historic vessels in addition to exhibits about the work of the RNLI (the Royal National Lifeboat Institution).

Steam, Steel and Submarines is a permanent gallery that tells the story of the Chatham Dockyard and the Royal Navy’s use of the River Medway with a focus on the role of the dockyard during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Command of the Oceans is a relatively new attraction highlighting how ships were designed and built during the heyday of the Age of Sail. This space features the Hearts of Oak walking cinema plus four interactive exhibition galleries. The displays show how ships, such as HMS Victory, were built and include significant artefacts such as objects from Namur (1756) and Invincible (1758).

The Dockyard Railway is a historic railway that includes several operational steam and diesel locomotives.

The Grade II listed No 1 Smithery is an exhibition space that also provides storage and curatorial facilities for the National Maritime Museum and the Imperial War Museum’s 4,000 ship models. The exhibition space in this building includes exhibits about amphibious warfare, maritime traffic on the Thames and the use of models in the ship design process. No 1 Smithery also includes the Historic Dockyard’s temporary exhibition space.

Temporary exhibitions at the Chatham Historic Dockyard

In addition to the museum’s permanent exhibits, the Chatham Historic Dockyard also hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions. Current and planned exhibitions include:

RNLI 200: the Exhibition
Celebrating 200 years of the RNLI (the Royal National Lifeboat Institution), the RNLI 200 exhibition (until 1 September 2024) tells the story of the heroic feats of the volunteers who have risked their lives to save people from drowning at sea. This exhibition is included in your admission ticket.

Call the Midwife Official Location Tour

While many films and television shows have been filmed at the Chatham Historic Dockyard, none have featured the location quite as prominently as BBC period drama, Call the Midwife. While set in East London, many of the external scenes were filmed at the Historic Dockyard.

Fans of the show may want to combine their visit to the dockyard with the Call the Midwife Official Location Tour, which is led by a costumed midwife who takes you through the sites from the show and into an exclusive gallery space, accessible only to people who take the tour, where you can see costumes and props from the show.

Visiting the Chatham Historic Dockyard

The Chatham Historic Dockyard is around midway between central Chatham and The Quays residential and shopping area and it is well served by public transport with local bus routes connecting the dockyard to central Chatham and Rochester.

It is also possible to walk from the Chatham Historic Dockyard to the centre of Chatham in around 20 minutes and it is around a 35–40-minute walk to the centre of Rochester. The Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham is around a 15-minute walk from the main entrance to the Historic Dockyard.

The site is open between February and November.

The entry fee is relatively expensive but it is a big site with a lot to see so you get to see a lot for your money. It is a little bit cheaper if you book online in advance and entry is free of charge if you have a National Art Pass.

Your admission ticket is valid for one year, which means that you don’t need to fit everything into a single day.

The Call the Midwife official location tour costs £40 and operates from March to October.

There are two on-site restaurants: the Mess Deck and the Wagon Stop Canteen. The Mess Deck specialises in British food and it is noted for its fish and chips and the Wagon Stop Canteen near the Dockyard Railway serves a more eclectic selection of food including baked potatoes, panini and pizzas. Both restaurants offers a fairly casual dining environment.

The Chatham Historic Dockyard also has its own on-site gift shop.

It is a large site with a lot to see and it is easy to spend a full day here and many people plan their visit over several days.