The Battle of Medway ended Charles II’s ability to continue the Second Anglo Dutch War and peace terms were agreed at Breda a fortnight later. The English Navy lost all but one of its largest warships which in the short-term left the country in a dangerously weak position. However Dutch forces had not succeeded in attacking the shore-based facilities at Chatham Dockyard, by then the principal fleet base. The English fleet was rebuilt with newer and larger ships- establishing the Royal Navy as a major fighting force for the 18th century – a position which led to it securing command of the world’s oceans during the Seven Years War (1756-63) and beyond. See this story told in The Historic Dockyard Chatham’s new Command of the Oceans galleries.
Explore our new Command of the Oceans galleries
