Historic Dockyard Chatham

Historic Dockyard Chatham Set sail on a voyage of discovery through the Age of Sail at Kent’s leading maritime destination.
(933)

Explore this award-winning maritime heritage destination with the largest concentration of iconic buildings, historic ships, museum galleries and attractions in the UK. In a partnership with Imperial War Museums and Royal Museums Greenwich, the brilliant No.1 Smithery displays world class maritime treasures and a changing programme of exhibitions.

Family days out don't get much bigger than this. ⚓ Enjoy hands-on history that kids can explore. Peer through a real s...
09/08/2026

Family days out don't get much bigger than this. ⚓ Enjoy hands-on history that kids can explore.

Peer through a real submarine periscope, take the helm of a Victorian sloop, or step aboard a Second World War destroyer. 🚢

🌊 This summer, dive into Steve Backshall's Awesome Oceans Family Trail — a self-led expedition where little explorers come face-to-face with everything from tiny Bobtail Squid to giant Dwarf Minke Whales.

🎡 Need a break? Let them burn off energy in the outdoor play areas or the indoor soft play.

🌞 Great British Summer Savings: family tickets are just £70 when bought online (1 July – 1 Sept), plus enjoy cheaper kids' meals in the Mess Deck Restaurant.

👉 Plan your family adventure: thedockyard.co.uk/plan-your-visit/family-visits/

Join us this autumn as the largest display of original works by J.M.W. Turner ever shown at The Historic Dockyard Chatha...
08/08/2026

Join us this autumn as the largest display of original works by J.M.W. Turner ever shown at The Historic Dockyard Chatham will go on view, alongside the evocative paintings of Jake Wood-Evans.

This exhibition explores and re-contextualises the legacy of Britain’s most celebrated ‘painter of light’ through an exciting creative response by Wood-Evans.

✨Don't Miss✨ the rare opportunity to view Turner’s Medway Sketchbook and Second Sketch for ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’, on loan from Tate, in the setting that inspired them.

🎨 In Turner’s Wake: Contemporary Visions by Jake Wood-Evans
📍 The Historic Dockyard Chatham
📅 19 September - 15 November 2026
🎟️ Included with your Dockyard ticket

Steam 🚂 is coming to the Dockyard.We're thrilled to announce a very special guest steam engine for the August Bank Holid...
08/08/2026

Steam 🚂 is coming to the Dockyard.

We're thrilled to announce a very special guest steam engine for the August Bank Holiday weekend's Steam on the Square...

7232 Sentinel ‘Ann’ is making her inaugural visit to the South and will be steaming into The Historic Dockyard Chatham for one weekend only.

Ordered by British Tar Products Ltd of Cadishead in South Manchester and built by Sentinel of Shrewsbury in 1927 (mostly known for their road-going steam vehicles). 'Ann' features a vertical boiler plus encased engine and cylinders. These locomotives were economical and could be driven by one man with very little maintenance or preparation, making them ideal for small operations. She entered into service in the autumn of 1927 and was the works' sole shunter, moving tar and other related products around the site.

Based at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in West Yorkshire, 'Ann' is visiting Chatham thanks to her owners Callum Porter and Chris Boocock, with the visit sponsored by Rapido Trains UK.

🚂 Steam on the Square: Dockyard in Motion
📍 The Historic Dockyard Chatham
📅 Bank Holiday weekend: 29–31 August 2026

About Steam on the Square:
🚋 Watch demonstration trains with 'Ann'
🪝 Learn to operate a steam crane
🚃 Driver for a Tenner on a diesel locomotive
🚂 Enjoy a ride on the Little British miniature railway
🚄 View the Model Railway layouts from Chatham & District Model Railway Club
🚜 Display of vintage steam, tractors, and military vehicles
⛵ Take a leisurely river cruise on Lady Daphne

🔗 thedockyard.co.uk/events/2026-steam-on-the-square-dockyard-in-motion/

It's Friday - stop scrolling and take a moment to savour these culinary delights cooked up by Chef Dan in The Commission...
07/08/2026

It's Friday - stop scrolling and take a moment to savour these culinary delights cooked up by Chef Dan in The Commissioner's House kitchen. 👨‍🍳👀

Shaped for private parties, elegant weddings and glittering corporate events, Dan's menus are the icing on top of any celebration cake. 🥂

You don't need to wait for your next milestone moment to taste some of Dan's incredible food, however. Just book an afternoon tea at the next Commissioner's House open day to sample some of his exquisite cooking. 🫖

06/08/2026

The coolest 😎 place to visit this Summer.

See the ocean 🌊 like never before at the UK debut of the Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition.

Dive to the depths of the natural world as you discover intricate portraits of tiny marine life to sweeping seascapes and powerful human stories.

Wonder at the beauty of our blue planet and the urgent need to protect it.

🐋 Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition
📍The Historic Dockyard Chatham
📅 Every day of August
🎟️ Included with your Dockyard ticket

Have you seen the striking model of HMS VICTORY in the Commissioner's House?The model has recently undergone a full rest...
05/08/2026

Have you seen the striking model of HMS VICTORY in the Commissioner's House?

The model has recently undergone a full restoration completed by volunteer Perry. With it being prone to dust due to lots of small areas that trap dust particles, Perry worked diligently to clean the model from top to bottom to provide a clean canvas for the repairs to begin.

Over the eight-week project, Perry carried out a series of repairs. These included re-adhering broken sections, filling and inpainting areas of the hull, and re-rigging badly tangled sections. Conservation repairs follow the principles of reversibility and durability, using conservation-grade materials.

The work was painstaking and required the team to resolve complex conservation challenges. Each repair was carefully discussed, tested before application, and documented with extensive photographs. This allows future conservators to trace the work completed.

Read the full story 🔗 thedockyard.co.uk/volunteer-voices-restoring-an-icon

In 1894, life aboard HMS GANNET was not all hard work and ship's biscuits. Tucked away in the archives, we found these p...
04/08/2026

In 1894, life aboard HMS GANNET was not all hard work and ship's biscuits.

Tucked away in the archives, we found these photographs that reveal a side of naval life that we don't often see: HMS GANNET's very own cricket team and ship's band. They prove that life at sea had room for a good match and a decent tune between duties.

There are transit records from 23 May 1894 that show GANNET arriving in Port Said. However, there is no note about how the cricket team performed against the local Egyptian teams.

03/08/2026

The expansive No.1 Smithery was begun in 1801 to help meet the Dockyard’s growing need for ironwork. This building housed metalworking facilities, initially for the production of anchors and chain, but a foundry and other workshops were later added.

Today, in a joint project between the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Royal Museums Greenwich and Imperial War Museums, the main exhibition space in No.1 Smithery is devoted to National Treasures.

Unearth incredible stories through paintings, detailed ship models and intriguing artefacts, including a large and meticulous scale model of the Dockyard which was presented to George III in 1774.

🎥 Aerial Imaging South East

02/08/2026

Welcome to the concluding instalment of our exclusive series charting the restoration of Commissioner’s House, Britain’s oldest intact naval building.

Step through the door for a final time as Nigel revisits many of the unique features that bring the history and heritage of the Commissioner's House to life.

If you would like to visit the House yourself, join us today for a Dockyard ticket holder's Open House. The doors are open all day, and you are invited to enjoy the renovation at your leisure.

https://thedockyard.co.uk/events/commissioners-house-open-house/

01/08/2026

Travel the world's oceans with Steve Backshall's Awesome Oceans 🌊 Family Trail.

Discover the coolest underwater habitats and the secrets of their most fascinating creatures. 🪼

Step aboard this self-led expedition filled with hands-on challenges, mind-blowing stories, and interactive missions to score a set of exclusive Awesome Oceans collectable cards.

🐋 Steve Backshall's Awesome Oceans Family Trail
📍The Historic Dockyard Chatham
🎟️ Included in your Dockyard ticket
☀️ Every day of the school summer holidays

🔗 https://thedockyard.co.uk/events/steve-backshalls-awesome-oceans-family-trail/

Address

Dock Road
Chatham
ME44TZ

Telephone

+441634823800

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Historic Dockyard Chatham posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Historic Dockyard Chatham:

Shortcuts

Share

Category