Chatham Docks Day Trip – Bespoke Route
1 August @ 10:30 am - 5:00 pm
£10.00 – £54.50
This is a fabulous day trip with optional extras to choose from, making our trip to the Historic Dockyard Chatham as relaxing or as jammed packed with things to do as you choose.
All of the following are included in your ‘STANDARD’ day trip.
Arrival refreshments
We will make an early start in order to get to the dockyard by 10:45 where you will be greeted with tea, coffee and biscuits before an official Guide joins us on our coach for a 45 minute guided coach tour of the historic dockyard.
Guided coach tour
During the coach tour you will hear some of the stories that make up 400-year history of Chatham Dockyard, the most complete and best preserved dockyard of the age of sail. This tour offers behind the scenes glimpses of the lesser-known parts of the Dockyard, where you will be told about the buildings, their original uses and the people that occupied them.
Rope Making In Action Tour (included but optional)
Learn about the ancient art of rope-making and its vital role in supporting Chatham’s shipbuilding and explore the breath-taking ropery building.
Other dockyard areas: You can explore the following at your leisure and for no extra cost:
- Test your sea legs on HMS OCELOT, a Cold War Submarine.
- Explore HMS CAVALIER, a Second World War Destroyer.
- Walk the deck of HMS GANNET, a Victorian Sloop.
- Command of the Oceans Exhibition – Experience of life during the heyday of the Age of Sail. Discover how ships, including HMS VICTORY, were designed and built; immerse yourself in the vivid Hearts of Oak walking cinema and explore four superb interactive galleries.
- RNLI Historic Lifeboat Collection – The UK’s largest collection of historic lifeboats, which together have saved hundreds of lives off the coasts of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
- Steam, Steel & Submarines Exhibition – Telling the story of the dockyard through the industrial revolution and two World Wars, with first-hand accounts from dock-workers who witnessed these changes and lived through the painful closure of the dockyard, archive photography and paintings, colourful figureheads and a naval contact mine.
- Brickwrecks: Sunken Ships in LEGO® Bricks exhibition – This internationally acclaimed exhibition is on show at the time of our trip. Created in partnership with the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Western Australian Museum, it tells the tales of iconic shipwrecks, brought to life through intricate, large-scale LEGO® models designed by Certified Professional Ryan “The Brickman” McNaught.
- Historic standard gauge railway line, operated by a team of dedicated volunteers, who work tirelessly to restore the locomotives, wagons and cranes, and help keep a valuable piece of the Dockyard’s history alive. Providing the perfect photo opportunity!
- View the architectural prowess of the 3 Slip Building – the building itself is an impressive example of its kind and today is made home to a vast array of epic objects and vehicles from the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Royal Engineers Museum, Library and Archive and Imperial War Museum collections. You can explore this vast assemblage of vessels, vehicles, weaponry and heavy machinery.
- The Commissioner’s Garden – Created in the 1640s, Commissioner’s Garden was originally intended for the private enjoyment of the Dockyard’s resident Commissioner – the most senior official in the Dockyard.
If you book this trip without any optional extras you will have approximately 4 hours to explore the Historic Dockyard at your leisure.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
We are delighted to be able to offer the following optional extras during this day trip.
Official Call The Midwife Tour (60 mins)
Created in partnership with award-winning television production company, Neal Street Productions, the Call The Midwife Official Location Tour is the only one of its kind in the world. Whilst the show is set in the East End of London, many of the outside scenes from the BBC series are actually filmed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent.
Walk in the footsteps of Nurse Trixie Franklin, Sister Julienne and Dr Turner and explore where the real drama happens. You will be guided through the Historic Dockyard by your very own costumed Midwife, armed with a photograph book and tales of their ‘sisters’, before being allowed to explore the sets, costumes and props in the all-new, exclusive gallery. Along the tour you’ll recognise the cobbled streets and buildings of ‘Poplar’ plus iconic locations such as the Grosvenor Hotel and ‘Chummy’s Hill’, where Nurse Noakes famously learnt to ride her bike.
Afternoon Tea Sailing Barge Cruise (1hr 45mins)
We have arranged the opportunity for you to take an amazing sailing trip on one of their historic sailing barges, with tea and scones included! These wonderful vessels have been lovingly restored and cared for by Tiller & Wheel and will be cruising you up the Medway from Sun Pier at Chatham Docks on a round trip taking in the beautiful scenery. If you’re keen and have sturdy sea legs you might want to have a go at steering the barge or assisting the Skipper with the rigging – there’s just nothing quite so nice as messing about on the river!
Important information on booking optional extras:
If you book the standard trip plus both the Call The Midwife Tour and the Barge Cruise as optional extras you will not be able to take part in the Rope-making In Action Tour that is included in the standard trip and you will only have approximately 90 minutes free time to explore on foot the other areas listed in the standard trip description above that the dockyard has to offer.
If you book the standard trip plus the Call The Midwife Tour you will be able to take part in the Rope-making in Action Tour (if you wish) and will have approximately 3 hours free time to explore on foot the other areas listed in the standard trip description above that the dockyard has to offer.
If you book the standard trip plus the Barge Cruise you will be able to take part in the Rope-making in Action Tour (if you wish) and will have approximately 2 hours free time to explore on foot the other areas listed in the standard trip description above that the dockyard has to offer.
Estimated pick up timetable. This timetable will be refined once the actual bookings and required pick up locations are known. The final timetable will be notified to Trippers by email in the week before the trip.
08:00 – Wickham Bishops: The Street (outside Olio’s restaurant, CM8 3NN)
08:05 – Great Totham South: “Barn Church” bus stop (Prince of Wales Road CM9 8PU)
08:10 – Broad Street Green: “Scylla Close” bus stop (Broad Street Green Road CM9 8PD)
08:10 – Heybridge: “Oak Road” bus stop (Colchester Road CM9 4AN)
08:20 –Maldon 3: “Morrisons (entrance)” bus stop (Wycke Hill Business Park, CM9 6GG)
08:30 – Latchingdon: “School” bus stop (The Street CM3 6JS)
08:40 – Southminster: “High Street” bus stop (High Street CM0 7AA)
08:45 – Burnham 3: “Burnham Cemetery” bus stop (Southminster Road CM0 8RT)
08:45 – Burnham 2: “Marsh Road” bus stop (Church Road CM0 8DA)
08:50 – Burnham 1: “Endeavour Way” bus stop (Maldon Road CM0 8NR)
08:55 – Althorne: “Fords Corner” bus stop (Burnham Road CM3 6DP)
09:05 – North Fambridge: The Ferry Boat Inn (Ferry Road CM3 6LR)
09:15 – South Woodham Ferrers 1: “Asda Store” bus stop (Merchant Street CM3 5BF)
