Why Chatham?

The proposed World Heritage Site includes the Historic Dockyard, Fort Amherst, Gun Wharf, Upnor Castle, the Great Lines, Brompton Village, the Royal School of Military Engineering (Brompton Barracks) and the River Medway. Click here for a detailed map, and here for a site overview.

Chatham Dockyard and its Defences has been proposed as a future World Heritage Site because:

(1) Chatham is the world’s most complete example of an historic dockyard from the age of sail and early age of steam (1700 – 1865).

(2) Chatham was instrumental in securing and maintaining Britain’s worldwide influence, leading the world in industrial design, naval architecture and military technology.

(3) The completeness and survival of the dockyard and its defences – Fort Amherst and the Chatham Lines, Upnor Castle and the Great Lines – is unrivalled.

(4) A series of historic barracks and military installations demonstrate the inter-relationship between the army and navy that shaped Chatham as a complete industrial military complex and garrison town.

Click here to request a brochure.

Chatham’s World Heritage Site nomination was completed in 2009, and formally approved by landowners and stakeholders during a celebratory meeting of the Chatham World Heritage Partnership in June 2010.  The complete Nomination Document and Management Plan are available for download.