Monday 24/10 & Tuesday 25/10 Chatham Historic Boatyard and Museum

OAfter mentioning on the blog that we were going to Chatham for two nights to visit the dockyard, I received an email from George informing me that he had looked it up on the Internet and the average length of a visit was two hours!

Arrived at the dockyard at 11.00 on Saturday and join the queue for tickets, surrounded by mostly young mothers (and the odd father) and their children - we'd forgotten the school holidays. After purchasing our tickets and being herded downstairs one of the first exhibits we came across was this model of the Victory - which was built at Chatham.

Very crudely done, according to L. Even so, he spent 20 mins looking at it.

The figurehead and so,e of the rigging - which L. has had to produce in miniature.

Knowing L  spent 20 mins on one of the first exhibits, you can get an imagine our progress for the remainder of the day, and no stopping for refreshments or lunch!

The Assistant Queens Harbourmasters Office ca 1770 which seems to have sunk a bit if you look at the angle of the balcony. Check out the rubbish bin

Looking down onto the Medway from the above office

Roof,of,one of the covered slips

Highlight for me was the Ropery where rope is stil commercially made. Rope has been made on the site since 1618, but the present 1/4 mile long building was erected in 1778

A ship like the Victory required about 50 kms of different size ropes.  Speaking of which, the Chatham Ropery made all the ropes required for the Victory when she was built and com sooner and has been making rope for her ever since - 250 years.

By the time we had finshed looking at the small ropery next door, I was done with all things naval and nautical, besides being really hungry and dehydrated. So after 4 1/2 hours of being a dutiful partner I left Lawrence to it and walked back to the quays where I had a coffee and a salad before returning to the Ship and Trades.

Lawrence didn't return until after six, having being forcibly evicted from the model boat and ship paintings exhibition.

We returned to the dockyards this morning, yay, and besides other stuff did a tour of a submarine, double yay, and watched a a rope making demo in the long Ropery Room, and that was fantastic.

A walk in front of the Officers Houses, now private residences

Bloody Autumn has finally arrived, just as we are leaving

We left the dockyards after 2.00 and started heading toward Heathrow

That really is all folks!

Holiday and blog is over