Chatham: Maritime History and Historic Forts

Chatham’s maritime history stretches back more than 400 years. The town offers distinct areas of interest for planning a trip: shipbuilding history at the Historic Dockyard Chatham, military history at Fort Pitt and Fort Amherst, and theatres, shops and leisure activities. You can tailor your stay to the subjects that interest you most.

Maritime History at the Historic Dockyard

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is the world’s most complete surviving dockyard from the Age of Sail. The site includes 47 Scheduled Ancient Monuments protected by law. It is also home to the award-winning interactive Command of the Oceans gallery and the largest collection of historic RNLI lifeboats in the United Kingdom.

The Dockyard welcomes visitors every year from February to November. Specific visiting dates within this period may change; check them before planning your visit.

Forts with Distinct Histories

Fort Pitt was an essential part of the defences of Chatham Dockyard in the early 19th century. It also served temporarily as the site of the first Army Medical School, selected by Florence Nightingale. These two connections show different aspects of the fort: its role in defence and its link to medical training.

Fort Amherst offers a different historical focus: it is a restored Napoleonic fort with a history spanning more than 300 years. Guided tours of its once-secret tunnel system are available daily, and the fort has more than 20 acres of green space. The forts therefore offer different highlights: Fort Pitt focuses on the defence of the Dockyard and the Army Medical School, while Fort Amherst features its Napoleonic fortifications and tunnel system.

Culture and Engineering History

Old Brook Pumping Station is designated an Ancient Monument. It opened in 1929 to pump sewage from the lowest part of Chatham up to the level of the main sewer at New Road. It is currently closed; check its current status before planning a visit.

The Central Theatre is a 965-seat venue in the centre of Chatham. Its changing programme includes comedy, live music and family entertainment. The Brook Theatre is temporarily closed for extensive renovations. It has a 400-seat auditorium and its programme includes professional theatre, community events, jazz and folk evenings, a Christmas show for children, and the Medway Comedy Club. Check its reopening status before planning a visit.

Chatham Intra has numerous small, independent shops and places to eat and drink. This means the selection includes shops and dining as well as historic sites and theatres.

Leisure Activities and Getting Around

Chatham Maritime Watersports Centre offers stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing and improvised rafting. Chatham Snowsports Centre has a 200-metre artificial main slope. These two venues offer different types of activities to consider depending on your interests.

The High Street area is a useful landmark for finding your way around: Chatham railway station is an easy walk from there. If the station is relevant to your travel plans, you can take this connection into account when choosing where to stay in Chatham.

Discover more destinations: Rochester, Isle of Grain, High Halstow, Chattenden, Gillingham, Allhallows, Strood.

Return to the main travel overview: Medway.