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Our Charity

Digital & Temporary Exhibitions

Take a virtual stroll through our collection of online exhibitions and explore our regularly changing temporary exhibitions.

Temporary Exhibitions

What’s On and Coming Up…

Our temporary exhibitions are housed in No.1 Smithery. We have a changing programme of events and exhibitions each year – all included as part of your entry ticket to the Dockyard.

Ocean Photographer of the Year - Yuri Ivanov
Included in ticket
Exhibition

Ocean Photographer of the Year Exhibition

28 Mar – 31 Aug 2026

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Digital Exhibitions

Take a virtual stroll through our collection of online exhibitions.

Disability Trailblazers

Follow the Disability Trailblazers trail around the Dockyard and uncover the hidden lives of disabled people through time.

Disability Trailblazers
Dockyard 40 Drone Photo

Dockyard 40

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.

Dockyard40

Three Cruisers

Early in the morning of 22 September 1914, three Chatham Division cruisers, HMS ABOUKIR, HMS HOGUE and HMS CRESSY, were spotted by a single German submarine, U9, while on patrol off the Hook of Holland. In little under two hours, U9 had torpedoed and sunk all three ships.

This digital exhibition is a memorial to all those affected by this loss and a resource to help people to find out more.

Three Cruisers

Falklands 40: In Their Own Words

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, we reached out to people to come forward and share their memories of the conflict.

Falklands 40: In Their Own Words

Hidden Heroines

The untold stories of the women of The Dockyard.

Hidden Heroines challenges the misconceptions and superstitions of women at sea, explores women’s place in war and highlights some colourful characters including Jane Austen’s sister-in-law, Fanny, and Zandra Bradley, the first female apprentice, whilst not forgetting those who continue to work at The Historic Dockyard Chatham to this day.

Hidden Heroines

Blogs & Articles

Related Stories

Dive a little deeper into our Collections with our blogs and articles.

Collections

HMS ANSON SHIPWRECK ARTEFACTS ARRIVE AT THE HISTORIC DOCKYARD

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Collections

Treasures of Commissioner’s House: A Letter from the Past

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Commissioner’s House

Restoring Commissioner’s House: Wallpaper

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Behind the Scenes

Conservation in Action: Identifying the Sea Slater

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Collections

Historic Royal Letter Acquired by Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust

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Behind the Scenes

Integrated Pest Management in Collections at The Historic Dockyard Chatham

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Behind the Scenes

Conservation or Restoration?

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On This Day

Remembering the Three Cruisers

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Collections

Disability Histories

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Warship Wednesday

Warship Wednesday: HMS GRAMPUS

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Behind the Scenes

Commissioner’s House Ceiling Painting: A condition audit

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Behind the Scenes

Volunteers’ Week: Meet the Collections Volunteers

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You might also be interested in …

Library & Reading Room

The Library & Reading Room house our collection of over 6,500 books and manuscripts that focus on ships, shipbuilding, naval architecture and history.

Our Reading Room is open each each day from 11am – 2.30pm but please note the Reading Room is staffed by Volunteers and we may need to close at short notice if Volunteers aren’t available.

Reading Room

Dockyard History

The Royal Dockyard at Chatham has existed on this site for over 400 years and today, it is the most complete dockyard of the age of sail in the world.

The dockyard’s role in supporting the fleet linked it to many of the most significant events in history –from the Spanish Armada to the Cold War.

Dockyard History

Historic Warships

Our four historic warships mark key points in the development of warship building over two centuries.

The surviving timbers of NAMUR (1756), GANNET (1878), CAVALIER (1944) and OCELOT (1962).

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Galleries

Four centuries of shipbuilding, shipfitting and naval warfare have generated a vast array of artefacts, many of which can be seen in open display across our galleries.

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