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CHATHAM , less than a mile east of Rochester and one stop further on
by train, has none of the charms of its neighbour. Its chief attraction
is its Historic Dockyard (April-Oct daily 10am-5pm; Feb, March & Nov Wed,
Sat & Sun 10am-4pm; £8.50; ), originally founded by Henry VIII, and once
the major base of the Royal Navy - many of whose vessels were built,
stationed and victualled here - it commanded worldwide supremacy from
the Tudor era until the end of the Victorian age. Well sheltered, yet
close to London and the sea, and lined with tidal mud flats which helped
support ships' keels during construction, the port expanded quickly and
by the time of Charles II it had become England's largest naval base.
This era of shipbuilding came to an ignominious end when the dockyards
were closed in 1984, re-opening soon afterwards as a tourist attraction.
The dockyards occupy a vast eighty-acre site about a mile north of the
town centre along the Dock Road; it's a not very pleasant fifteen-minute
walk from Chatham town centre, or a short ride on the bus (ask at
Rochester's tourist office for the latest timetable). Behind the stern
brick wall you'll find an array of historically and architecturally
fascinating buildings dating back to the early eighteenth century. In
addition to an impressive display of fifteen historic RNLI lifeboats,
there's the "Wooden Walls" gallery , where you can experience life as an
apprentice in the eighteenth-century dockyards. Here, too, lies the
Ocelot Submarine , the last warship built, at Chatham, whose crew
endured unbelievably cramped conditions, a major deterrent to visiting
claustrophobes. The main part of the exhibition, however, consists of
the Ropery complex , including the former rope-making room - at a
quarter of a mile long, it's the longest room in the country.
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