Dockyard40: Always part of the story
On 30 March 1984, the iconic main gate of Chatham Dockyard was padlocked ending 400 years of shipbuilding and Royal Navy presence in Chatham.
BUT the story of the Dockyard did not end in 1984 and since its closure a new chapter has been written.
always part of the story
40 years
For over four centuries Chatham Dockyard was the lifeblood of the Medway community, employing thousands of local people from multiple trades. It fuelled the region’s economy and at its height was the at forefront of shipbuilding, industrial and architectural technology.
In 2024, 40 years after the Dockyard closed, we celebrated four decades since the creation of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. The award winning, independent charity was established to protect 80-acres of the most historic parts of the working dockyard, home to one of the largest concentrations of scheduled ancient monuments and the most complete dockyard of the Age of Sail anywhere in the world.
In our anniversary year, we remembered the devastating impact the closure of the Dockyard had on Medway, celebrated the achievements of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust in preserving the former Royal Dockyard and gave everyone the opportunity to engage in our story.
40 years of …
Regeneration
Explore our interactive timeline and learn about the key decisions and developments that have led to The Historic Dockyard Chatham becoming the world-class, mixed-use heritage estate that it is today.
PERISCOPE: 40TH SOUVENIR EDITION
Read all about it…
In celebration of the 40th anniversary, Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust launched a souvenir edition of ‘Periscope’, which was the official newspaper of HM Dockyard Chatham. The paper ran from 1965 until 1983, the year before the closure.
Periscope featured various articles on the achievements of different Dockyard departments including key ship refits and pioneering practices. It also regularly highlighted the work of apprentices, including the first female apprentice Zandra Bradley.
It provided an interesting insight into the social side of the Dockyard community at that time, featuring retirements of long-serving personnel alongside the successes of Dockyard sports teams and interdepartmental social gatherings.
40 years of …
Partnership
2024 saw the completion of capital development in No.1 Smithery, with a transformation of the visitor welcome, improved access for all users and enhanced display of the Imperial War Museums and Royal Museums Greenwich collections.
The Police Section House, our 48th scheduled ancient monument, was acquired for the development of Docking Station, an exciting new state-of-the-art digital hub for the cultural and creative industries in partnership with University of Kent and Medway Council.
Delve deeper into our news stories for more about our latest developments …
40 years of …
Film
From recreating Dickensian London to London in The Blitz, with a sprinkling of spies, sleuths and superheroes – the Historic Dockyard has been a film location of choice for the British film industry over the last 40 years.
my favourite visitor
A blog by Alex Crouch, Visitor Experience Team
Alex Crouch shares a memorable encounter with Jenny Hesford, the granddaughter of Claude Choules, the last living combat veteran of World War I. While covering HMS GANNET, Alex hears Jenny mention her grandfather’s connection to TS MERCURY, leading to a joyful conversation about Choules’ life and his legacy.
