Chatham Dockyard

Today a young chap called in after I had told the owner of the cottage that i had a problem with the wifi....well...it was the settings on my laptop but as you can see he resolved it for me..

The day started wet so after leaving later than planned we arrived at Chatham Dockyard just after 12. Drank coffee then signed up for a tour of the Ropery (see extra) lots of audience participation here and the guide (Brenda) was funny & interesting. They have been making rope here for centuries & are still making it today. The Ropery building is the longest brick built building in Europe measuring just over a quarter of a mile. We were here for about an hour then off to get a doorstep sandwich from the Wagon Stop canteen - it was really good ! From there we went aboard HMS Cavalier which is a C-A class Destroyer which served for the last 12 months of WWII then following a refit during the Cold War. An interesting vessel with its open to the elements bridge. We skipped the submarine HMS Ocelot but then went aboard HMS Gannet a sloop dating from 1878 powered by both steam & sail.

I'm tiring fast now but I did want to see the Covered Slip 3. A huge building / space built in 1838 (see main picture). Its wooden cantilever frame is a marvel of engineering and you can see Carol in the distance giving some sense of scale. The mezzanine floor that we are standing on was built in 1904....

By now my feet have seized & my legs are cramping - just about managed to get to the car for a quick drink before jumping on the M20 & driving through the rush hour traffic home.


Back at the ranch now & have decided to stay in rather than going out to eat.

Catch you all soon.

Fine & dry