About Us
In March 1984 four centuries of shipbuilding and repair came to an end as the Navy ended its 400-year association with the River Medway and the dockyard at Chatham
Responsibility for the majority of the site, including most of St Mary’s Island, the fitting-out and repairing-basins and the buildings of HMS Pembroke passed first to English Estates, then to SEEDA, for redevelopment and is now known as Chatham Maritime. The outer basin became a commercial port operated by the Chatham Dock Company, whilst the Georgian yard, with its 100 listed buildings (of which 47 were Scheduled Ancient Monuments) was set aside for preservation as The Historic Dockyard, in the stewardship of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. The Historic Dockyard is the finest example of a Dockyard of the Age of Sail anywhere in the world.
As a registered charity, Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust's primary charitable objectives are:
- to secure for the public benefit the preservation of The Historic Dockyard at Chatham in a manner appropriate to its archaeological, historical and architectural importance
- to promote and foster for the public benefit a wide knowledge and understanding of the archaeological, historical and architectural significance of The Historic Dockyard
- the design and construction of warships for the Royal Navy
- the men and women who worked at the Royal Dockyard at Chatham
- the Royal Navy’s use of the Medway and the surrounding area, including the history of the Chatham Port Division
- that visitors to and users of The Historic Dockyard are fundamental to its purpose
- that the economic re-use of the site and its buildings is fundamental to achieving its objectives via a strategy of preservation through re-use
- that its staff and volunteers play a vital role in providing levels of service and customer care which meet and exceed expectation
In addition, we recognise and welcome our role as a leading player in the on going regeneration of Medway and The Thames Gateway. Believing that culture and heritage should be at the heart of ‘place making’ has been an enduring theme of the Trust and an ever more recognised one.
Today, The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a thriving mixed use community with:
- 140 commercial tenants using many of our buildings
- 112 houses, both historic and new build
- Up to 170,000 visitors per year, including 25,000 education visits
- 160,000 volunteer hours donated per year (equivalent to 28 full time staff)