The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Yesterday I took Lucy, Jackson and Isabel to visit the Historic Dockyards in Chatham.    The 80 acre site on the shores of the Medway River, contained the Royal Dockyard, where 400 years of Royal Naval history took place.   Now it is privately run, and there are historic buildings, galleries, museum, and historic warships to look at.  

Although it was a very grey and damp day (we are in England after all) we enjoyed investigating some of the areas of the Dockyard.

All the little locomotives were out in full force.   

A look at a very old helicopter.

We investigated an old warship, which contained many steep stairs, and narrow corridors.   Not for a tall person.

The Officers' Mess,  with its own bar,  plenty of room,

and very comfortable leather furniture.   Even their own fire place.    Very relaxing.   Luxury accommodation for a few men.

The O.R's (Other Ranks) quarters.   Hard seats, which convert into hard bunks, one on top of another.  No room to move.   I think there must have been a height regulation as well, no one over 5ft 10inches.  

Cramped accommodation for a large number of men.

We visited a very old warship, built in 1875.   The large wheel and bell were a great success with the children.

The old wooden warship still standing proudly in the docks.

The large very black submarine, which you can walk underneath and get a really close up view.   Isabel was not keen to go inside, so the very kind attendant organised for another parent to take Lucy and Jackson with him.   They were impressed with the fact that if you drop your mobile phone down one of the many small holes in the floor, you will not get it back again.   

The visit to the rope making building was fascinating.    A very clever actor pretended he was a foreman of the factory and talked us through the rope making process.    We all loved it.    Then we went into the very long building (1/2 mile long) where rope is still made.    Lucy and Jackson ran the length of the building.    Good exercise for them.

Then we had a quick look at a giant building, which houses very large machinery and a large boat.   The climb up the stairs to the mezzanine floor was well worth it, just for the view of these magnificent windows and roofing structures.

There is a new exhibit which focuses on the RNLI historic lifeboat collection.    Very realistic displays.

Unfortunately we had to leave as it was closing time, but looking forward to returning in the near future in order to have a good look at all the displays in the big building, as well as look at the Wooden Walls of England interactive exhibition which follows the life of an apprentice shipwright and shows how wooden warships were built.    Our tickets cover entrances to the Dockyards for a year.    Good value at £46 for one adult and three children.