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On this day in 1964, our Historic Warship HM Submarine Ocelot was commissioned. What is a ship commissioning? When a ship is commissioned, there is normally an act or ceremony which declares the ship in active service. HM Submarine Ocelot Ocelot was the last submarine built for the Royal Navy at Chatham Dockyard and today you can still see her and go on board as part of your entry ticket to The Historic Dockyard Chatham. She was one of 57 submarines that were built here and served during the ...

Launched in 1962, HM Submarine Ocelot was the last Royal Navy warship built at Chatham. Equipped with a stealthy diesel electric engine Oberon class submarines such as Ocelot made for the perfect surveillance vessel and were selected to undertake missions in the deep waters of the world’s oceans – some of which remain top secret! Although the Ministry of Defence have yet to release in-depth papers regarding Ocelot’s service, we know that this remarkable vessel clocked up over 90,000 miles ...

To celebrate ‘pretend to be a time traveller day’ we caught up with Vikkie from our Collections department. In our latest blog she talks about sharing an uncanny resemblance of herself in a photo she found in our collections. Vikkie also speaks about her family connections to the dockyard and, if she travelled back in time, what she thinks she might be doing at the ‘yard… Can you spot ‘Vikkie’ in this photo? Here I am today in 2020 in comparison – my colleague ...

Hey Wally fans! Once upon a time Wally embarked upon a fantastic journey through the tides of time. He stowed away on a sloop, snuck into a saloon coach and sailed through 400 years of maritime history. Not only can you use your best navigation skills to find his hiding places around the Dockyard this October, you can delve a little bit deeper with some of his behind the scenes adventures. There are hundreds of stories of search and find associated with the Dockyard for Wally-watchers to enjoy, ...

Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust is excited to announce it will be reopening The Historic Dockyard Chatham to visitors on Saturday, July 25th. The visitor attraction has been closed to the public since March as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst the government took the decision to allow tourism businesses to reopen from the start of July, the Trust has taken careful steps to ensure the multi-use site can be operated within the current safety guidelines not just for visitors but its ...

Whether you’re looking for weekend plans with your other half or even wanting to escape the love, take a read on to see why visiting The Dockyard should top of your list for an alternative Valentines weekend… It’s not every day that you can be partners in crime and discover the mystery of the timbers of the Namur… the 90-gun ship was found beneath five layers of floor in the old Wheelwrights Shop in 1995. Learn about the era of the Age of Sail and be moved by the story of the †...

For many years animals have had a strong link with the Royal Navy  – some even became rather famous (or perhaps infamous!) and undertook some extraordinary journeys. In celebration of World Animal Day (4 October) we’ve looked back at some of the mascots of Royal Navy ships. There are many stories of dogs being mascots. Mentioned in the Dockyard’s newspaper ‘Periscope’ in 1970, is the story of bulldog Joey. Joey first went to sea as a puppy in early 1916 in the battle cruiser HMS Reno ...

Get to Know Anna Braithwaite, Composer-in-Residence We recently had the chance to catch up with Anna Braithwaite, The Dockyard’s first-ever artist-in-residence. Anna began her residency in April, researching new music and art works inspired by the historic and storied grounds of The Dockyards. A classically trained singer, cabaret artist and composer, Anna’s work is distinctly theatrical in nature, thought-provoking, humourous and unexpected. Much of the inspiration for Anna’s work comes ...

Submarine day! In honour of National Submarine Day, we took the opportunity to spend some time chatting with the Chairman of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, to find out more about his time at sea on HM Submarine Ocelot.   What was your role on HM Submarine Ocelot? Sir Trevor Soar was the Captain of HM Submarine Ocelot, which was his 1st command in the Royal Navy. Being the Captain, Lieutenant Trevor Soar had responsibility for everything the submarine did bo ...

For those that know phrases and names related to Dockyards, the term Slip and Dock will be a common one. But for those that don’t know, here are some facts and history on Slipways and Docks at The Historic Dockyard Chatham. What is a Slipway? Also known as a boat ramp, a slipway is a ramp that allows a ship to be moved to and from water. To protect the timbers of ships from weather, an introduction of covering the slips began. What is a Dock? A Dock is an enclosed area of water that is us ...

This Christmas we are now offering gift vouchers! The perfect unique present for loved ones that you are struggling to buy for! You can now buy entry tickets to The Dockyard as a gift – simply print off in the comfort of your own home and present the voucher. This voucher entitles entry to the Historic Dockyard Chatham. Entry tickets are valid for 12 months from activation (arrival).  This voucher includes: access to our galleries and exhibitions – including temporary exhibitions ...

Our summer promotion of KIDS GO FREE has now been extended!     Due to popular demand We have now extended our KIDS GO FREE online offer until Monday 29th August! If you haven’t had a chance to visit us this summer, then take advantage of this great offer and pay us a visit before the schools go back!  Remember…all tickets are valid for a year so a ticket bought now can be used for half term Easter and next summer holidays too!  Imagine all the adventures  that you will be able to e ...

Our summer campaign is in full swing (kids go free when booking on line!) so we invited James and Becky from Heart Breakfast down to visit us to see what we are all about! They stopped by to make a video for the competition they were running on our behalf, on air for all Kent listeners! The competition was to win a VIP Day & An Annual Family Pass! The prize consisted of the following: Free parking and personal guided tour on arrival Rope making experience with the Master Rope makers Fish & ...

The end of battleship construction marked the dawn of a new era for Chatham as the Royal Navy began to embrace the submarine as a new weapon of war. In 1906, the Admiralty, having had two small classes of submarines built by Vickers of Barrow-in-Furness, were sufficiently confident to order the construction of 38 coastal submarines. To ensure that the Royal Dockyards kept abreast of this new technology six were built at Chatham, the first of which, C17, was launched from No 7 Slip on the 13th Au ...