Event- 8th June! Join us for a special guided tour of Chatham Historic Dockyard

Above: Joseph Farrington’s painting of Chatham Dockyard in its prime – our visit will see many of the features shown in the painting and many more besides -including a WW2 destroyer and a Cold War submarine.

Join us for a special Haileybury Society Tour of Chatham Dockyard in Kent! Taking place from 10.30am on Thursday 8th June 2023 at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham, OHs will enjoy their own special guided tour of this stunning location which truly does have something for everyone.

Brief history

Chatham was one of the Royal Navy’s leading dockyards, established in the mid-16th century in response to national concerns about invasion from hostile European states.

Chatham’s sheltered and defensible location close to the mouth of the Thames estuary and its strategic position in relation to the North Sea and the Channel meant it remained a key military asset for over four centuries. As well as being a dockyard, Chatham also built ships; more than 500 vessels were built here for the Royal Navy including, in later years, submaries.

Despite its history, and commitment to national service (including preparing the fleet for the 1982 Falklands war) it was closed by Mrs Thatcher’s Conservative government in 1984.

Ships…

The Georgian section of the dockyard is now managed by the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust; it contains a wide range of attractions including the sailing vessel HMS Gannet, the WW2 destroyer HMS Cavalier (right) and the Chatham-built submarine HMS Ocelot.

All vessels can be visited on your day; Ocelot itself is particularly haunting with its claustrophobic sense of danger known to all submariners.

Buildings and grounds…

As well as these vessels, the dockyard possesses a richness of historic architecture unique to the British Isles. Amongst these, visitors can see the astonishing No 3 Covered Slip (built in 1838 to enable timber ships to be constructed without rotting through exposure) – at one time boasting the largest wooden cantilever roof in the world – and the fascinating Ropery (visible in Farrington’s painting of the yard above) where you can see ships’ rope being made in the same way as in the eighteenth century.

Treasures and art…

In its Maritime Treasures gallery, visitors can also see a wide range of remarkable objects selected from more than 4,000 items from the national collections. Amongst these is an intricate 18th century model of Admiral Balchen’s flagship HMS Victory and a superb scale model of the Eddystone Lighthouse (1759) – the first stone built offshore lighthouse to survive. These and all the other objects and stories are supported by superb artworks providing contemporary interpretation.

Our itinerary

10.30 am – Meet in Reception Area

The site opens at 10am but our tour will begin at 10.30am in the main reception area of the dockyard, where OHs will be greeted by Society Secretary Jane Everard (Alb & L 76) .

Note – if you wish to visit HMS Ocelot (submarine), please do this at reception before our guided tour of the site begins; you can then visit the vessel in the afternoon. Tickets to the submarine are included in your price and slots are available between 2.45 and 4.30pm

11am – Private Tour Begins

OHs will be given a private guided walking tour of the historic site including its ships and many famous buildings (see above re HMS Ocelot)

12.45pm Buffet lunch

Our special buffet lunch is included in your ticket price and will be served in a reserved area of the Mess Deck Restaurant

2pm Tour of the Ropery

The Ropery (below) is unique in Britain as the last surviving Royal Navy Ropery from the great age of sale. The techniques used in the Ropery have not changed since the eighteenth century.

2.30pm onwards – time to explore at your own pace (including HMS Ocelot).

Please note that the HMS Ocelot Submarine tour is included with your ticket but you will need to make your own individual bookings for this on arrival (see above).

5pm site closes.

Book your tickets now!

Our tour takes place on Thursday 8th June, 2023. Our party is strictly limited to 25 so you must book early to avoid disappointment.

Tickets cost just £35 pp and include entry to the Historic Dockyard and all attractions, a special OH private guided tour and a buffet lunch

Please book your tickets here.

Please donate to The Haileybury Society

As a charity, The Haileybury Society relies on its income from membership fees, legacies and donations of all sizes to achieve our charitable aims, and to help fellow OHs of all ages. It is only through your help that we are able to do this; any donation, no matter its size, is always appreciated. Donate here

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OH Guided Tour of Chatham Historic Dockyard