The most complete and best preserved dockyard of the age of sail will increase its impact through innovative reuses of our heritage assets making it ever more relevant to all users, providing excellent experiences for all and inspirational learning for the widest audiences.
As a registered charity, our strategic objectives accord with our founding documents:
To set the benchmark in maintaining excellence in the sympathetic preservation and use of The Historic Dockyard, its buildings, ships and collections through diverse re-use. Excellence in management of the heritage environment and building use will remain essential in preserving the unique, award-winning, historic character of the site.
To engage the widest audiences in learning about the significance and role of the former Royal Dockyard at Chatham and its people in supporting the Royal Navy from sail to steam to nuclear power over a 400 year period.
Utilising on-site heritage assets as the foundation for an industry leading visitor attraction, we will maximise our reach and capacity whilst maintaining quality in delivering inspirational programmes and engaging activities which will incorporate the best use of digital technology and outreach activities.
Providing excellence in everything we do, we will deliver an unmatched, inspirational and memorable experience for all users of The Historic Dockyard – whether they are visitors, tenants, residents or students – that exceed their expectations and maintains a balanced ecology of uses.
As a fully accredited Museum we collect, preserve, study and exhibit objects and materials connected with the history of:
The work of the Trust and all those that operate from its buildings contribute at least £30m to the local economy each year.
Download our latest Annual Review & Audited Accounts
Did you know The Historic Dockyard Chatham contributes over £30m to the local economy each year?
The Historic Dockyard Chatham is more than a museum and visitor attraction, it is also a great place to live and work. There is a thriving business community with over 100 businesses and organisations based here including the University of Kent, numerous creative industries and traditional craft businesses from a brewery to a blacksmith. Over 400 people also live within The Historic Dockyard’s walls – in its properties that range from historic residences, large and small, to modern new homes.
Did you know that it costs over £1m per year to keep The Historic Dockyard Chatham looking as good as it does today?
Did you know over 300 volunteers give their time to support The Historic Dockyard Chatham?
Did you know over 110 businesses are based at The Historic Dockyard Chatham?
The Kent Medway National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) Partnership is a consortium of four museums – The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Canterbury Museums & Galleries, Guildhall Museum Rochester and Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery – the Amelia – funded by Arts Council England (ACE) as a National Portfolio Organisation to work together to deliver excellence in the use of collections and to inspire learning, creativity and wellbeing to existing and new audiences in their communities.
Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust welcomes the news that museums and visitor attractions are able to reopen to visitors from 4 July.
We are actively planning to welcome visitors back to the Dockyard as soon as we are safely able to do so but this will be some time after 4 July.
We will make a further announcement to confirm the exact date as soon as we can.
In the meantime, much of Dockyard life has never stopped. Master Ropemakers has started operating again and we are taking forward bookings for filming, group travel and hospitality, including weddings. Call the Midwife Official Location Tours will resume shortly.
We would like to thank all our visitors for their understanding during this challenging period.
Last updated: 25 June 2020
