Discover over 400 years of maritime heritage.
At the heart of Medway is Chatham - a diverse maritime destination with a rich history stretching back more than 400 years.
Maritime History
The Historic Dockyard Chatham, was the birthplace of many famous ships including Nelson's flagship HMS Victory. Once one of the most importance naval dockyards in the country, it is now the most complete dockyard of the age of sail to survive in the world.
Military Defences
Much of Chatham is overlooked by Fort Amherst. This is Britain's best example of a Napoleonic Fortress and is of international historical importance, built to protect the former Royal Dockyard at Chatham from a land-based attack.
Learn about the bravery or our soldier engineers from 1066 to the present day, a visit to the Royal Engineers Museum is a must.
The museum is Kent’s only designated museum of national importance and has many galleries, displays of military tanks, torpedoes, jump jets and exceptional items including Duke of Wellington’s battlemap used in the Battle of Waterloo.
River Trips operation throughout the summer from Sun Pier. For more details on the River Medway and trips click here.
Shopping & Leisure
Chatham is the largest town centre for shopping in Medway. It has a fully pedestrianised High Street and the Pentagon Shopping Centre where many leading brand name stores can be found. Not far from the Chatham centre is Dockside Retail Outlet Centre, offering a range of brand stores, eateries and leisure complex.
The historic part of Chatham High Street where it meets Rochester is fascinating. Now known as Chatham Intra, this creative section of the area offers a wide variety of places to eat and drink, and special events and exhibitions take place at Sun Pier House. Adjacent to the arts centre is Sun Pier, where visitors can enjoy speedboat tours onboard Red2Red RIB boats.
The Copper Rivet Distillery is an exciting and dynamic creative business based next to Chatham's Historic Dockyard in Victorian Pump House No. 5. Drawing upon the area’s rich tradition of innovation and craft, the team will toil together to produce small batches of exceptional gins, whiskies, and vodkas from scratch in bespoke stills with the same skill that local craftsmen once fashioned world-class ships.
If you fancy catching a show or looking for evening entertainment, check out what's on at The Central Theatre.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham
Royal Engineers Museum, Gillingham
Copper Rivet Distillery, Chatham
Red2Red Boat Tours
Attractions distance guide from Rochester and Strood train stations
- The Historic Dockyard Chatham is 1.3 miles from Chatham train station and 27 minutes walking distance. From Chatham Waterfront bus station, the dockyard is 1 mile, 21 minutes by walk, or seven minutes by bike. Regular buses operate from the bus station (services 1 and 2) to the Dockside Retail Centre, stopping close to the dockyard's visitor entrance.
- Copper Rivet Distillery is only 0.1 mile and only three minutes walk from the Dockside Retail Centre's bus stops.
- Fort Amherst and the Central Theatre are only 0.2 miles or four minutes walking distance from the Chatham Waterfront Way bus station.
- The Royal Engineers Museum is 0.8 miles from Gillingham train station and 16 minutes walking distance or only seven minutes by bike.
Local Bus & Train Services
All of Medway's bus routes pass through Chatham's Waterfront Way bus station with Arriva's main depot based in Gillingham.
From Chatham Waterfront Way bus station, you can catch services to Maidstone and Bluewater.
Top Things to See & Do
Official website of Visit Medway, Medway Council