In Depth
The earliest known reference to the navy in Medway dates from 1547, when storehouses were rented at “Jyllingham Water”. Chatham soon became the main mooring point for England’s fleet, and Upnor Castle was built to protect these ships in 1559.
The Dockyard dates from 1570, at the site which is now Gun Wharf. The first recorded ship to be launched from Chatham was the Sunne in 1586. In 1588, most of the English fleet was prepared for the Armada at Chatham. Two years later, to help those who had suffered in battle, Drake and Hawkins – two of England’s greatest sea captains - founded the Chatham Chest, a fund to support the injured and disabled.
The Dockyard moved to its present position in 1613 and rapidly became England’s finest shipbuilding and repair yard. Chatham played an important role in a number of Anglo-Dutch trade wars, including the notorious Dutch Raid of 1667, when Dutch forces captured two English ships. In response, the defences on the river were reinforced, by Cookham Wood, Gillingham and Hoo Ness Forts.
In the early 18th century, improving relations with Holland, coupled with failing relations with France meant that Portsmouth and Plymouth succeeded Chatham as the main fleet base. Chatham continued to expand with a focus on shipbuilding and repair. Brompton Village grew up to accommodate the growing workforce. Upnor too saw a rise in population, with barracks built for soldiers guarding gunpowder stores in the castle. Upnor barracks are among the oldest surviving purpose-built barracks in the country.
Tensions with France created open war in the mid 18th century. In response, the Chatham Lines were begun, as a continuous length of bastioned earthworks. These are still substantially intact. They were reinforced during the American War of Independence, when France, as ally of the Americans once more threatened invasion.
Chatham’s contribution to the Royal Navy in the 1700s can hardly be underestimated – between 1700 and 1805, over 100 ships were built there, including HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar (1805), and the Queen Charlotte, flagship at the Battle of the Glorious First of June (1794).
The Navy enabled Britain to wage war at a global scale and this would have been impossible without the Dockyards. The Dockyard received new facilities during the late 18th century. Britain was at war with, first Revolutionary France, and then France under Napoleon from 1793 – 1815. To keep the Dockyard secure, the Chatham Lines were substantially rebuilt from 1803 onwards.
Britain continued to dominate as a world power throughout the 19th century. Her global influence reflected industrial excellence, economic strength and strategic thinking. Her empire and overseas trade relied on peace at sea, and therefore the effectiveness of the Royal Navy.
At Chatham, Master Shipwright Robert Seppings devised a new system of cross-bracing, allowing the size of wooden warships to increase by a quarter. From the 1820s, steam power could be used to move ships, as well as build them. In the mid 19th century, the Dockyards slipways were covered to protect boats under construction, and these covers are among the world’s oldest surviving metal large-span structures.
In 1858, France produced the world’s first metal plated battleship, and under a renewed fear of invasion, Britain set about further fortifying the Dockyard, The Chatham Lines were replaced with new island forts within the Medway, and a further line of forts was constructed around the edge of the Medway towns. Chatham Dockyard itself was extended massively on St Mary’s Island to accommodate the steam-powered navy. The French were unable to keep pace with the amounts of iron and steel required, and Britain’s dominance remained unrivalled. Chatham secured its place as the home of innovation for warship development.
The Naval Defence Act of 1889 demanded that the Royal Navy must equal the combined size of any two nations’ forces. Between 1889 and 1893, orders were placed for a further 229 warships. Within 16 years, 207,500 tonnes of warship were launched at Chatham. To accommodate sailors for the fleet and attract highly skilled manpower, new naval barracks were built at Pembroke (1897).
In the early 20th century, Chatham’s focus turned to submarines. 57 were produced in a little over half a century. The yard entered the nuclear age with the opening of a nuclear submarine refitting facility in 1968.
Chatham’s supremacy thus spanned sail, steam and submarines, but it is for the 18th and early 19th centuries that its universal significance is most visible.
