Chatham Historic Naval Dockyard

Iandsm

Full Member

Messages
257
We are going to visit and I understand that we can park overnight on their visitors car park. Would be very interest to know if anyone has done the same or has any observations on the venue, noise, safety local eating places etc.
 
I overnighted there in March 2014. I was attending a private function being held there and cleared it with the venue by phone beforehand. Back then, I found it safe, peaceful; did not investigate local eating places.
 
Iandsm said:
We are going to visit and I understand that we can park overnight on their visitors car park. Would be very interest to know if anyone has done the same or has any observations on the venue, noise, safety local eating places etc.
Click to expand...
Very interested in whether you manage to find out about this, as was wondering about the same thing!
 
Rec said:
Very interested in whether you manage to find out about this, as was wondering about the same thing!
Click to expand...
Spoke to them this morning, no problem staying overnight they are quite happy about that, there is no electricity and I'm waiting for a conformation email so should be fine for a two day visit, they say you cannot possibly do it in a day but the ticket is valid for a year. we booked ours online which was a considerable saving on the gate price.
 
Iandsm said:
Spoke to them this morning, no problem staying overnight they are quite happy about that, there is no electricity and I'm waiting for a conformation email so should be fine for a two day visit, they say you cannot possibly do it in a day but the ticket is valid for a year. we booked ours online which was a considerable saving on the gate price.
Click to expand...
I agree, you certainly can't do it in a day!
Did it sound as though one can just turn up and park overnight, or is it best to prearrange? I remember that back in 2014 they said that they would inform security.
 
TJBi said:
I agree, you certainly can't do it in a day!
Did it sound as though one can just turn up and park overnight, or is it best to prearrange? I remember that back in 2014 they said that they would inform security.
Click to expand...
They have 24 hour onsite security so that may make the place safer I suppose, or at least give an illusion of that. I will be doing the same as usual, leave a big dog bowl outside with a big toy bone.
 
Further to the above, we visited and saw everything. At first glance £25 each (Concessions are available and its cheaper to buy online) it sounds expensive but wow, what a place. Everythng is original and very interesting, the warships, buildings and exhibitions are terrific and it took us three full afternoons to see the lot so I would allow a day and a half or two days when planning a visit. We stayed in the car park in our camper and it was quiet and felt safe overnight but of course there are no facilities. The eating places inside are OK, nothing special but acceptable.

The only downside to our visit to the area was that we had intended to visit Rochester Cathedral and Castle. No chance, the smaller car parks cannot take a camper and were rammed full anyway and the large long stays all had height barriers so it was just not possible, so Rochester lost a good few quit we may have spent own the local shops and restaurants.

Never mind the Dockyard was well worth a visit and I would thoroughly recommend it

IMG_2170.jpegIMG_2168.jpeg
 
Great images.... Thank you! I keep meaning to visit the Museum as the only time I visited was for work many years ago.

As you clearly like historical naval stuff, just around the corner and moored in the Medway at Strood is the Soviet submarine U-475 Black Widow, now privately owned and not accessible (unless you belong to groups that delight in visiting places that are out of bounds). I remember the Russian submarine U-461 Juliett moored at Peenemunde and was appalled at how poorly it was built.

I've read that between Rochester and Borstal, and close to the castle, there are the remains of the slipway that the Short Sunderland flying boat used to access the River Medway before WWII.
 
We did get to explore a Russian submarine in San Diego a few years ago. Before that in 2012 we stayed on the Queen Mary in Long Beach and planned to visit the Russian submarine alongside next day. Sadly during the night it began taking on water and had quite a list the next day. I don’t think it ever reopened. Chatham is certainly on the bucket list.

28F631C8-368E-4ADC-AE12-BBA6CD4C52B2.jpeg
 
This is the one I had wanted to visit for more years than I can remember. The beautifully preserved U-995 berthed up on the beach at Laboe. For one day each year she comes alive when they turn on her radio room and talk to navy vessels all around the world via a morse code tapper. On 6th June 2015, the day I finally knocked her off my bucket list and went inside, it was that day. For the "alive" occasion, they flew a White Ensign at the access door. (Of the many I took, three self explanatory photos below.)

Baltic Coast_Germany_Laboe_U-995.jpeg

Baltic Coast_Germany_Laboe_U-995_Engine Room.jpeg

Baltic Coast_Germany_Laboe_U-995_Torpedo Watertight Doors.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2cv
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top