BESTOFKENT
CURIOUSLY
CHATHAM
A PLACE OF MIGHTY HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE , CHATHAM HAS CONTINUED TO HONOUR ITS UNIQUE HERITAGE WITH THRIVING HUBS OF ARTS AND CULTURE .
CHATHAM HISTORIC DOCKYARD
It wasn ’ t until Henry VIII built and established a magnificent dockyard , that Chatham , previously a sleepy backwater , became a destination of historical and geographical importance - a status it continues to uphold to this day . The dockyard flourished and expanded under the tremendous force that was Henry ’ s daughter , Queen Elizabeth I , continuing to grow for the next four centuries . During that time , many famous ships were built in Chatham , including Nelson ’ s Victory , a scale model of which can be seen in the Command of the Oceans gallery at Chatham Historic Dockyard . With so much more than scale ships , visitors to Chatham Historic Dockyard can revel in the stories of Chatham ’ s naval history and even venture on board ships , boats and submarines that have seen everything from battles to the depths of the oceans , while protecting our shores and beyond . Trace the rise of the Royal Navy from the days of the squat Tudor ships to the sleek lines of nuclear submarines , visit the Victorian ropery or marvel at the RNLI ’ s historic lifeboat collection .
A brilliant day for all the family , Chatham Historic Dockyard is packed full of adventure for children , with plenty to inspire and wow young minds . Not just for the history buffs and those that love maritime marvels , anyone will be enthralled at the history of ship building , naval tactics and elite engineering that is on display at Chatham . There ’ s even a steam locomotive railway that runs on particular days and no less than three historic warships to explore : HMS Gannet ( 1878 ), HMS Cavalier ( 1944 ) and HMS Ocelot ( 1962 ). From the moment you catch your first glimpse of these mighty vessels , you ’ ll sense the vision , grit and hard work that created them and the courage , determination and endurance of the sailors who sailed them . Discover what life was really like onboard as you walk the decks of a Victorian sloop , command the bridge of a Second World War destroyer and peer through the periscope of a Cold War submarine .
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