Chatham was a Royal Navy dockyard building ships for hundreds of years. It was free to visit using Art Fund membership. It is easy to reach on the reasonably priced Medway open-top bus tour, which drops you at the ticket office, a short walk from local bus stops or about 20 minutes from the centre of Chatham.
It includes a very long ropery where they made rope for ships. The area is very large and there are a variety of buildings, boats and a submarine to look at. You need timed tickets for some attractions.
You can learn a lot about the history of the Navy and boats.
It has been used as a filming location for TV and film (including Call the Midwife – you can pay extra to go on a special Call the Midwife tour).
You are largely free to explore the grounds, but you need timed tickets to visit the ropery, a boat and the submarine.
When I visited there was an extra exhibition of Lego models.
8/10
