The visit to Historic Chatham Dockyard went ahead on the 29th February. Despite dreadful weather being predicted, six of us turn up in the morning, with the rain generally holding off and not as severe as expected. Mind you, sou’westers were still required.

I planned this trip around my visit to the Dockyard Archive office to hand over my Grandfather’s Naval Papers from his time in service between 1922 and 1937. Chatham Dockyard, or more specifically, HMS Pembroke, the actual Royal Naval Barracks located across the road from the main Dockyard entrance was my Grandfather’s home port when not on board ship. Chatham was one of three of the Royal Navy’s “manning ports” together with Plymouth and Portsmouth.

I’m pleased to say the Archivist was very happy to take my Grandfathers Naval Papers and provided a little more of his history and links with Chatham.

Your Commodore sitting with the Dockyard Archivist signing over his Grandfather’s Naval Papers

If you haven’t been to the Dockyard recently it really has undergone considerable improvement and worth a visit. The single ticket, at £28.50 is good value as it is valid for a year. Those who turned up will certainly be going back for a repeat visit(s) as there is a lot to do; more than a single visit can take in, or to just enjoy being out by the River Medway.

One of the highlights of our visit was the Ropery, housed in a listed 19th century building that is near a quarter of a mile long (over 1,100 feet) and is the last remaining original naval ropeworks still in operation. However, they have been making rope at Chatham since 1618. The Ropery is a Double Ropehouse where spinning took place on the upper floors and the Rope Walk where the actual rope is made, on the ground floor, which today still uses original Georgian and Victorian equipment. The Ropey is actually run as a commercial business taking orders to produce rope in both natural and synthetic fibres.

Intrepid Oxted Offshore Sailors visiting the Historic Chatham Dockyard Ropery

For a couple of us it was pleasing to see that the “health and safety” brigade has not influenced how they make the rope or the equipment being used, with lots of exposed moving parts and rope guides and power “belts” running the full length of the ropeworks. This is certainly a fantastic example of a very traditional works in use producing something of quality and, if looked after, longevity.

The next stop on our visit after lunch in the Mess Room cafeteria (and obligatory gift shop), was a guided tour on HM Submarine Ocelot, an Oberon-Class submarine and the last warship to have been built at Chatham. Ocelot was launched in May 1962 being design and fully built at Chatham Dockyard, and one of 57 submarines built at Chatham between 1908 and 1966. She was powered by stealthy diesel / electric engines which made her suitable for quite secret operations by the Navy, with much of her history still protected Top Secret under the Official Secrets Act.

It was certainly cramped in the submarine with “hot-bedding” by the crew as a norm and very limit facilities. Apparently, they only showered on board at the end of a tour, which could be three months or more, just before they got back into port! It was also incredible to see the number of valves and gauges used throughout to manage and control the submarine. It really took a special kind of person to volunteer and serve on these vessels.

Given it was still the winter opening times with the Dockyard closing at 4.00pm, after our tour over Ocelot and a quick look over HMS Gannet, a Victorian Sloop, we didn’t have time to take in many of the other exhibits or look over HMS Cavalier, a Second World War Destroyer. However, it was still a grand day out and one to be repeated in the near future.