Chatham Dockyard - Half a millennium of supporting the Royal Navy

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@jonathanfrank1189]

How did the RNLI act during war time?

[@joshthomas-moore2656]

Your opinions on Beatty and Gensoul are clear, but which of them was worse? Also my apologies to your blood preasure and Mrs Drach if this question puts you in a bad mood for the rest of the day

[@ramal5708]

Can you discuss the CAP system on carriers during WWII, aircraft vectoring with radar, range and coverage radius from carriers etc.?

[@iancarr8682]

The Royal Engineers home is also Chatham. Was this planned between the RE and RN?

[@ianmcsherry5254]

At 15:00 in the video, is that HMS Tiger by any chance? Looks very like her. I had the pleasure of wandering around her as a boy in the 70s, when she made a port call in Leith. She seemed huge at the time. First time that I encountered a Sea King helicopter up close too, in the hangar. Quite a day out for a young lad, back then!

[@loonatticat]

The drone footage of the dockyard is an unexpected addition to your typically static visuals. Your narrative is always the star of the show, but this was particularly enjoyable. Thanks!

[@anthonykukla5384]

Definitely - it came out really well!

[@janwitts2688]

I was surprised at the stability and clarity... drones sure have come a long way in the last few years..

[@bobbyd.3681]

Totally agree. Add another ... Thank you very much.

[@tinafoster8665]

I agree, n Drach only nearly hit one building hehe ❤️

[@MrTScolaro]

Anyone think Drach likes his drone so much he named it?

[@VarangianGuard13]

Any fine vessel, craft or vehicle deserves a name, even if only a nickname. My first vehicle had one, it was called Uppsala. I loved that truck.

[@felixcat9318]

As a little lad, our East London boy's club arranged for us to spend a week with the Army and the same period with the Navy. We visited Chatham for the Navy portion of that trip and acrually got to see ropes and cables being stretched to their point of failure on a very long hydraulic test bed. The place seemed endless and full of cool stuff (probably not so cool for the Service personnel having to work on them, but being kids, our perspective was somewhat limited). Visiting the engine rooms of various huge vessels was my personal favorite and I specifically ssked if there was a scuttle valve (the adult in charge of us thought that was a stupid question but the Navy staff were pleased that one of us understood why those valves would be fitted). We had a great time with the Navy, and as an adult, when I heard that the yard was being closed I was saddened, as I had such fond memories of my visit. Where now there are yuppie flats once was a large part of our Naval support facilities, and I prefer to remember them as they were when I was visiting.

[@malcolmtaylor518]

The main reason Chatham stopped building battleships is that their draught was getting too much for the river Medway. The amount of dredging necessary was getting excessive. Otherwise Chatham could have built dreadnoughts or super dreadnoughts. The reason for the demise of the dockyard was really the dismantling of the Empire. A visit to the dockyard should be a must for any naval enthusiast. It houses a collection of model warships, of excellent quality which requires special permission to visit. It should be noted that apart from its prominence in wooden shipbuilding, the dockyard was a powerhouse and pioneer in metal warship building, and developed some of the technology that went into the early RN ironclads and pre dreadnought battleships. The dockyard museum contains much of interest on the metal fighting ship. Dickens commented on the building of HMS Achillies. There is so much history here. Do pay it a visit, although it can be expensive.

[@tinafoster8665]

Hmm I didn't think of that, I assumed that they moved the building operations to another part of England because this yard was so close to the European continent, thank you ❤️ for the tip xx

[@hazchemel]

Your mentioning the dismantling of the empire ..... .... is it that there was less RN ships and ship traffic?

[@malcolmtaylor518]

@@hazchemel Thank you for your question. Following the end of the second World War the British Empire increasingly relinquished its colonising governance worldwide, this being largely due to economic distress from the war and consequent war debts, and recognition by many countries in the old empire of the need for self governance. The size of the Royal Navy that had been previously needed to police the empire diminished accordingly, and the funds needed to finance a world power Navy just weren't available. After its ironclad and predreadnought building phases, the dockyard settled down to building colonial sloops, and later on light cruisers, and frigates, and eventually submarines. These kind of building programmes and the large amount of repair and refitting, we're no longer required postwar. Hope this helps. If you ever get the chance to visit the dockyard you will hopefully be very interested.

[@sixstringedthing]

Well that would be a disappointment to the commenter who suggested that Chatham would make an excellent musuem for RN Dreadnoughts and Super Dreadnoughts, if any were still around. Thanks for the info!

[@hazchemel]

@@malcolmtaylor518 yes, it makes sense, thank you. And if I'm in the Uk ever again, I'd love to visit it, although for a history buff, there's so much interesting history in so many fields.

[@LeCharles07]

It still blows my mind that a ship has been in service in the Royal Navy for longer than the US has existed as an independent nation.

[@sixstringedthing]

I suppose if you went looking you could probably find quite a few things that have been in use/service for longer. :) The same applies to my country (Australia), a fact that was solidly driven home during a holiday in the "Old World". It's definitely mind-blowing when you realise that the iron door handle or railing you're touching has been there for about five or six hundred years. Makes you stop and think about the millions of people who have touched it before you.

[@LeCharles07]

​@@sixstringedthing Oh for sure. It's thought like that that I really enjoy; they make me feel so small and insignificant and they really add to a sense of perspective.

[@khaelamensha3624]

I am fren h and I remember in a park there was an olive tree that was planted by the Roman's 1800 years ago. Very strange feeling. You can not stop you thinking about all the history went by... A marvelous experience! Very humbling.

[@eisaatana96]

The US has existed as an independent state for like 250 years... not really surprising then that plenty of things here in Europe, where we actually have history, have existed since long before the US. Not really sure why that's so mind boggling to you, it's entirely unsurprising and uninteresting to me.

[@keithmoore5224]

i use to play in cockermouth castle built in 1180 or there about just think of the generations that played there just saying

[@khaelamensha3624]

Drach! I almost spill my coffee on my desk when you talked about the fact that we are a given as adversaries 😂 Quite a good laugh. Regards and thanks from France! 🇨🇵

[@theleva7]

Fighting the French seems to have been one of the preferred pastimes of English and later British nobility with short breaks for wars with rest of the world.

[@khaelamensha3624]

@@theleva7 Well I must admit we may have shared this behavior too 😂

[@theleva7]

@@khaelamensha3624 Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who. Frankly all of the European history is endless "The king/emperor is bored and wants those lands over there, let's go to war" with the dash of the Balkans clusterfuck thrown in.

[@khaelamensha3624]

@@theleva7 I do like your comment😂 À wonderful statement of 2 000 years of European history 😇😂

[@notshapedforsportivetricks2912]

It IS nice to have a regular enemy who you get along with. Much more cozy than fighting with strangers.

[@Noble713]

I remember a while back when I suggested a "5 Minute Guide to Shipyards" series. This long-form content is amazing to kick off coverage of naval facilities in detail.

[@khaelamensha3624]

5 min is a unit in the Drach universe that may be generally converted in our universe as 5min-5hours time window. As far as I see, no one has never complained 🤣

[@gregordiesel]

@@khaelamensha3624 There's a bunch of haters out there. I know, I was shocked myself. Some indications can be found below H.I.-Sutton videos. Some people seem to have an attention span of 20 mins on maximum.

[@timothykelly7974]

I spent 41/2 years on Chatham based ships in the 60’s. Memories from that time:- The dockside toilets with the walls covered in pornographic artwork. The enormous accommodation blocks in HMS Pembroke with thousands of hammock hooks lining the walls. Pembroke was the RN cookery school and the food was the worst I ever experienced in my time in the Mob. The meat ration was enhanced with the odd cockroach hiding in the salad. Also an occasional slug to pique the appetite. Dashing down to London in no 1’s uniform to try and get on top of the pops, only to find that others had the same idea and were ahead in the queue. My claim to fame:- when we moved back onboard ship, they kept our names on the barracks rum list. We drew our tot 15 mins after the barracks so we equipped ourselves with pussers Red Devils (bikes) and raced up to get the extra tot. We then raced back to the dockyard for seconds. Somehow, the word had got out as to what we were up to and the roads were lined with dockyard mateys cheering us on. It soon ended as this was 1970 and black tot day was here. Great times!

[@stretch3281]

Great to see the place my granddad spent his working life ( and was once nearly killed by a k class) alot of the pipework in ocelot is his handiwork 😀

[@sixstringedthing]

I'm always fascinated by the "logistics" part of the Rum Ration tagline, more like this please Drach! Website looks great, I can see it becoming a fantastic resource for anyone interested in naval history, both academics and laypeople. Great stuff.

[@jamesharding3459]

Always fascinating, especially to see how much the field has changed over the course of time.

[@genericpersonx333]

I think we should call these episodes involving ports and harbors the Wednesday Evening Port, since it is such a classy thing to enjoy. I prefer Rum to Port, but Port has its place in the drinks cabinet.

[@brucie-of-bangor528]

I'll drink to that! I'm especially fascinated by the Ropey, and the Sail Loft & Mast Pond, neither of which we saw in this video.

[@sixstringedthing]

@@genericpersonx333 Anyone who doesn't enjoy Port has never had a really good Port! (I know, I know... it's just too sweet for some tastes. But one should never let the truth stand in the way of a good yarn!)

[@HUMPTYNUGGET]

@@sixstringedthing i am cursed with Gout so cant drink Port at all its a beautiful drink too ...

[@hillogical]

I am inexplicably delighted by how much you featured the ropewalk.

[@myparceltape1169]

Deeply in our minds there are probably images of people who did that all day.

[@Dave_Sisson]

That was fascinating to me as I write mountain history at the other end of the world. The connection is that in remote locations, away from the main ski resorts in Australia and New Zealand, they have still have arcane ski lifts called "nutcracker tows" and these things require natural fibre rope, wire rope or even nylon rope can't be used. Anyway the clubs that run nutcracker tows often have a lot of trouble finding 500+ metre lengths of hemp rope in this modern world. So I was curious how it was made, I wonder if they get their ropes from Chatham?

[@majormajor2258]

I have to say I am not sure ropery is a word, i have always believed that ropewalk is the correct noun

[@CanalTremocos]

He showed us the ropes. I'll get my coat.

[@rogerstone3068]

@@majormajor2258 Ropery is definitely what it is; a ropewalk was the earlier term when the rope was made by hand, and required a quarter-mile straight covered pathway where the rope could be twisted. Chatham Dockyard ropery was a state-of-the-art high-tech version.

[@ianhodgson221]

Remember Chatham Dockyard well. My father worked ( in the R.N.S.T.S) there between 1955 (approx) to late 1960s when he did a stint in London (Empress State Building) then went back to the "yard" till his retirement which was the same year the yard closed. The number of Navy Days I went to, as well as the Children's Christmas party which was held in the Sports Hall, opposite side of the road to the Main Gate. I believe it was part of the Royal Marine Barracks. The closure of the Gun Wharf, which is now where Chatham Library now is ( I think it may have moved). Living across the river in Wainscott, the narrow gauge Lodge Hill and Upnor Railway which ran from a place just by Upnor Castle to the Naval Armaments Depot at Lodge Hill where the ammo from any ship in for a refit was stored, occasionally hearing at the end of a refit the sound of the gun armament being tested with blanks. The Sail Loft, not only manufactured sails but was in latter years responsible for supply ensigns and flags to the Navy. Apparently they had books dating back years which showed all the correct colours etc. The Dockyard used to have a large collection of ships figure heads that were displayed around the yard, I am not sure if they are still there as, I was told, some seemed to vanish during closure. In later years, after my parents both died I went back to Chatham for a look round, and I'm sure that I was standing some where near the Naval Memorial looking over Chatham and could see a building with the word " Aggie Weston's" painted on the roof in faded white lettering. Finally living on the Isle of Man I met an engineer who was working on the tunnel connecting Whitewall Creek and the Dockyard that was part of the regeneration.

[@logan_e]

I of course prefer to retain my American born citizenship but I'm no USA snob, looking down on my British heritage. My personal feeling of history includes British history since both paternal and maternal lines hail from there! Really great video and info on Chatham docks Drach, thank you!

[@danieltaylor5231]

"and a ropery." Lindybeige has entered the chat. Seriously he has a very valid point about not cutting your rope. You see there how much goes into making one and just think of how much they would have cost and you can see why the cutting of a rope would be a last resort type thing.

[@janio-dariovillarsanjuan5869]

And another one on roperies.

[@Fronzel41]

And in stories I'm sure that was unstated context; "they're CUTTING the ropes! It's an emergency!" Something which gets lost by later authors who repeat the trope without fully understanding it.

[@kilianortmann9979]

AFAIK a proper splice is as strong as the original rope, so maybe it was less of a concern for the navy with enough skilled people around to splice them. Though there is a minimum distance between splices.

[@bradmiller2329]

@@kilianortmann9979 Also time, effort, and space to DO the splice. Much better to not need to!

[@highlypolishedturd7947]

Ah, Lindybeige. A mad Englishman, in the best possible way.

[@dodgydruid]

Oh I remember Chatham with fondness, in the 70's I had three uncles on HMS Warspite and my uncle Nick took me to Chatham where I got a guided tour of the sub, a cap and a chunk of flight deck off of HMS Triumph being prepped for scrap in the next bay. My father didn't like the place as when he was working at Gillingham signal box occasionally a navy train would come through and he had to wander over the track to unclip and padlock the points into the dockyard and usually in the cold and rain too because HM Gov worked out prying eyes tended not to be so much about when it was cold and raining. My uncle lived up on the navy estate of Weeds Wood which was quite a nice place, lost touch with him in the 80's sadly, he was an irony in the navy being something like six and a half foot tall, was the head cook on Warspite.

[@bill8791]

Chatham dockyard is a great museum, as are the forts around Chatham and Rochester. The area is littered with remnants of the Royal Navy.

[@idanceforpennies281]

I've had a strange experience with Oberon (O class) Class submarines. There was one on the ship lift at Henderson WA and my office looked down on it from about 1 km away and I thought it looked tiny; a minisub. But I actually went on board one at Garden Island and standing on the deck I just went "Oh". It's huge.

[@sixstringedthing]

And yet so cramped inside!

[@AsbestosMuffins]

"I hereby decree all royal navy ships dock here, except the ones which dock elsewhere, but not all of the ones which dock elsewhere."

[@johnf3f810]

Beware when visiting Ocelot, I left a (very) small piece of my scalp in there just as the guide was advising us about headroom. There was much amusement and giggling from all except me! Having said that the whole complex is fascinating. I only had a day (opening to closing time) and you really need two or three days to do it justice, particularly the indoor/undercover exibits.

[@klhaldane]

My husband has taken to wearing a baseball cap pretty much permanently after a few lumps & bumps while visiting caves, submarines, and various random places.

[@seanmalloy7249]

@@klhaldane I grew up as a Navy brat, and one of the things my father told me about his time aboard the ships he was assigned to is that whenever he was transferred to a new ship, he would wear his helmet all the time when outside his cabin until he learned where the low overheads were, so he knew where to duck. When I had to deliver and set up a training computer on the USS Iowa, I got a good refresher about that -- if I was careful about where I stood, I could stand upright, but for most of the passages and other spaces, there was piping coming down to just above my eye level. I have similar issues aboard the USS Midway Museum, but the Midway is worse than most carriers, as she was built with armored flight and hangar decks after the hull was laid down, which meant that the overhead was reduced -- there are places where there is ductwork and piping down to my shoulder level. The functioning of the ship is the primary consideration, and sometimes the crew comes off second for allocating space.

[@klhaldane]

@@seanmalloy7249 Sounds like you got some good advice! Yes, my husband wore his trusty cap while visiting the USS Midway.

[@georgewarren2841]

But what if you like both warships and trains 🤣. This place sounds like a dream hope I get to visit one day. I also love unexpected cross overs from my favourite KZbin channels 🤣

[@rogerstone3068]

There is a HUGE amount to see, and the site is still being developed. Drach has barely skimmed the surface yet. The sail lofts - where they have room to lay out and cut the canvas; like rope, you want it in one piece, because joins and seams are weaknesses - and they still have the patterns; likewise for the great ribs of oak... It is a magical place. I hope they will manage to do more with the administrative buildings. Samuel Pepys would I'm sure have trodden those corridors.

[@jessemijnders]

As a proud Dutchman I like everything that contains the word Chatham

[@chinook9785]

The drone footage was really nice only the rotation around the drone it self could be a bit slower. THanks for that awsome video.

[@peterswatton7400]

That's a great video. I live in New Zealand and we lack all that older historical stuff. i had a trip to Britain in mind to look at such things and maybe some canal boating but covid has thrown a spanner in the works. Our most remote island is named Chatham Island after HMS Chatham.

[@paulhorrox6478]

As someone who was born in Chatham and spent most of my life in Gillingham I am extremely happy to see you cover this. Although perhaps not as much as my Dad, who spent 50+ years working in the commercial dockyard next door. At 19:45 you point out the model russian submarine. For the very eagle eyed viewers you might also be able to spot the docked Russian submarine B-49 further up river by Rochester bridge.

[@dodgydruid]

I lived up and over the hill in Riverview Park on what was RAF Gravesend where they built the estate, often wandered into Chatham and Gillingham as it wasn't a hard walk or pushbike ride although coming back up that awful hill was not so much fun lol It was such an amazing place for a young lad in the 70's, you had the railway yard next Rochester station and often used to scrounge a cup of tea off me dad if he was at Cuxton or Rochester or Gillingham signal boxes or go and nose about the naval base or if really adventurous wander down to the various forts etc in and around the Medway and even one day got as far as the oil facility on Grain on my trusty chopper. Bowaters was another exciting place and us kids begged the blokes there to let us have a ride on the ropeway but they never did :(

[@cmh0748]

When driving across Rochester bridge on the way to work I always wonder why they haven’t restored it yet, they really should do something with it

[@karimdelakarim]

I worked there was on a Tug called the Mastiff.Was there the day the last Navy ship left.

[@VarangianGuard13]

I'll bet that you have some interesting stories from working on a tug, especially near an active naval base. Though, I can't help but suspect that it was a bittersweet feeling to see that last Navy ship getting under way and heading off for the last time.

[@Executioner9000]

Cool! Reminds me a lot of the Charleston Navy Yard in Boston (where USS Constitution is), which is fitting as they were both building ships in the 1700s to 1900s...

[@X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X8X]

LMM mentioned on Drachinifel: it seems all my favourite KZbinrs converge.

[@Buckbury]

HMS Cavalier was built by J. Samuel White shipyard at Cowes, IW. The yard motto was White built, well built, this company was the first approved contractor to the Admiralty and ships built here had a reputation for quality and long life.

[@jonathan_60503]

Very cool to see the ropery in use. This fall I got to visit the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut and see their section of an old rope walk. I thought that was large, but it was only 1/4 of the original roughly 1000 foot Plymouth Cordage Company’s ropewalk, and Chatham's is even longer than that was.

[@rogerstone3068]

The quarter-mile length is necessary because 'a cable's length' was a standard measurement of distance. The range for gunnery would have been described in those terms: a broadside at two cables' length, and so on.

[@lancewhite1477]

I volunteer at the National Lifeboat Collection in No.4 covered slip, so I’m there every other week. We’ve been there since 1994.

[@janwitts2688]

My wife was from Chatham... thanks for this experience... looks like a wonderful place to visit.. probably would need to allow at least 3 days for a proper tour and appreciation..

[@badgers1975]

There's a handy travel lodge virtually next door as it's definite 2 dayer. And once you go in once you can visit any number of times in the next year (i think it was an extra £1)

[@trevvalley7671]

Was only wondering this morning if you would cover HMS Cavalier then at lunch this popped up. Thanks. The annual Navy Days in the 70s used to draw huge crowds and were a great day out. As well as the Historic Dockyard the area has more history than you can shake a stick at, just count the castles within 25 miles for instance, with the nearby R.E. Museum at Brompton worth a visit too.

[@trevvalley7671]

Once, on a historic walk in Chatham a fellow participant got really excited when shown an address Nelson had stayed at. "Nelson stayed there?" She asked the guide, "Nelson Mandela?" The really fun part was she worked in Rochester's visitor centre...

[@treyhelms5282]

Very cool video. And a nice change of pace. Thanks.

[@bradsalter123]

Excellent video as always. When I was a younger man and before the world went mad, I visited the UK several times (from Canada) to visit historic places. I visited Portsmouth and Gosport for the historic dockyard, HMS Alliance and the Explosion museum....I kid you not, go there, terrific stuff. On a subsequent visit I intended to go to Chatham, but ran into a little problem. I knew I had to get there via King's Cross station, but nobody there seemed to know what I was talking about. Wandering around aimlessly on a train platform, I ran into a kindly conductor and showed him the pamphlet I had with me. He explained that it was pronounced 'Chattam', not 'Catham'. I'd read plenty about it but never heard the name spoken aloud before! He offered me a ticket for an express train departing shortly, for a 4-pound extra fare. I was ready to give him my first-born son at that point. With that difficulty behind me, I had fabulous day. I remember the ropery...there was an explanation at the end of the difference between ropes, lines, cables, et cetera that I found interesting but can't remember now, and can't find an explanation on the interwebs. Perhaps a short video on that sometime? Thanks! :-)

[@12jazion]

That is some top-quality drone footage, it gives a unique perspective of the ships at the dockyard.

[@genericytprofile852]

I really enjoyed the drone footage. Really helps you admire the ships as a whole. Please explore more of this place!

[@Alex-cw3rz]

21:24 doesn't matter much but Ajax is a 0-4-0 and I imagine you knew that and just mispoke.

[@adventuresinmodelrailroading]

Minor point: Ajax is technically an 0-4-0t as it is a tank engine.

[@jerry2357]

@@adventuresinmodelrailroading If you’re very pedantic you could call it an 0-4-0ST, because it’s a saddle tank.

[@georgehughes8698]

Thank You for wonderful tour of this fantastic piece of history. I truly enjoy your videos since myself and several of my family served in the US NAVY from WWI through the 2000's.

[@luisnunes3863]

From someone that lives in a city where the Cordoaria (ropewalk) is one of the main downtown areas but the building is long gone, thanks for the peek at this one, Drach.

[@rickway2419]

The ropery is absolutely awesome.

[@petsdinner]

As someone who went to the University of Kent at Chatham and who used to walk past this stuff every day, this episode is much appreciated!

[@deaconfrost2009]

HMCS Ojibwa, a Chatham-built Oberon-class submarine, survives as a museum ship in Port Burwell, ON. I've toured it, and it was an excellent experience.

[@tinafoster8665]

Oberon, that's so cool the English tradition of going through literature for ship names

[@deaconfrost2009]

HMCS Ojibwa is named after a First Nations tribe in Canada.

[@Dave_Sisson]

HMAS Otway was one of half a dozen Australian Oberons. It is preserved at the town of Holbrook, hundreds of kilometres from the sea. It was named after a range of cold, rain sodden hills in the state of Victoria.

[@sixstringedthing]

@@Dave_Sisson The Otway Ranges, Great Otway National Park and Cape Otway were themselves named for Vice-Admiral William Albany Otway (1756-1815), so there's a nice naval tie-in to the name. I like how they mounted her hull out at Holbrook (buried in concrete to the same level it would be dockside) instead of having the whole thing towering overhead which would have looked even more out of place! There's also a town called Oberon in NSW (which so happens to be at the highest elevation of any in the Blue Mountains region), but this has nothing to do with the naming of the class of course.

[@Dave_Sisson]

@@sixstringedthing Thanks for that, I had forgotten about Vice-Admiral Otway.

[@matthewmarek1467]

Yes!!! This is the series I've been waiting for! I can't wait for all the different locations you could cover.

[@jimyoung440]

OH WOW! I watched this on the edge of my chair and nose to the screen. Then Surprise Surprise the Rope Way tour, not high tech stuff but I have always been fascinated by rope making and cordage. Every thing from the big stuff like anchor cables to sewing with a yucca thorn with attached yucca fibers. Thank you so much. I'll never make it to England in person, thank you for the tour. Thanks to the Museum Authorities for making the best of the lock down by allowing this drone tour. Jim Y

[@peterblood50]

The rope making procedure was extremely interesting. I'd never looked into it before but it was pretty amazing.

[@jasonchatham4170]

My Family approves of this video. Great channel Drac!

[@malcontender6319]

20:43 TREASURE!!!!

[@johnchapman3601]

I was a Chatham Dockyard Apprentice engine fitter from 66-70 left to join merchant navy it was a excellent traing ground for what was to come as ships engineer.

[@headforthehillsuk]

Having watched this video I was inspired to visit this site whilst down in Kent for a trip. Truly worth a day out.

[@AccessDenied20078]

I'm very much looking forward to the interior lookings in that C-class DD, and the steam sail schooner (yes I already forgot it's name). Thanks to you, if I ever visit the UK, I'll definitely take time to visit there.

[@anumeon]

A Lawrie/Drachinifel joint venture?? Yay!!!! Two of my favorites coming together to create magic. :)

[@simonparris8304]

I live just up the road at snodland and am headed to the dockyard tomorrow. Strange coincidence! Always enjoy it and find new things each time

[@gonzomechanic7196]

Love the historic dockyard, so do my children. Thanks for excellent history.

[@degzi]

My wife and i went in September last year. It was great . Nice overview

[@johnjephcote7636]

I remember going down by train in the 1950s to several Navy Days, watching the displays in the enclosed docks from a depot ship and seeing rows of cocooned warships moored in the Medway close by. In recent years, I returned, taking school parties in the final weeks of summer term. It was interesting to view the ropery, still in business, and Marc Brunel's block making machine tool that replaced the hand-made production. (PS the steam engine is a locomotive, not a 'train' and the wheel arrangement is pronounced 'oh-four-oh'). Super episode, Drach!!

[@RCAvhstape]

This is fantastic work, Drach, your channel keeps getting better. Now I really want to visit Chatham someday if I ever get across the Atlantic.

[@jaketherake4732]

I actually did some archaeology work around the mast pond, saw pits and slipway of 18/19th century Chatham dock, and was part of a team cleaning up the timbers of HMS Namur which were found stored under the floor boards under the wheelwright's workshop.

[@adamemmrich283]

How the heck did I miss this? I'm just now finding it 2 years later. I'm a super long time subscriber.

[@lawwithmrm]

Loved this! It may not be common knowledge but people still live inside the dockyard- despite it being a museum! I myself live there in the old Surgeon Commander’s house, itself part of the old stable yard. We have our own little town council any everything as we’re separate to Chatham- if you love RN history, it’s certainly a place to live!

[@GlorfindelofGondolin]

Great video as always, Drach! Loved learning of this fine old shipyard.

[@Pippins666]

From 1969 until leaving the RN in 1977 I served in various engineering units - FMU (Fleet Maintenance Unit) and CSU (Craft Support Unit - looking after the inshore survey squadron) coupled with 2 Chatham based frigates - HMS Minerva (if I'd stayed on for another few months I would have had King Charles as a shipmate) and HMS Bacchante. One evening I was changing the starter motor (24 volt) on Egeria's diesel engine, having spent 20 minutes wriggling between the engine and the bilges, amongst oil and water. I could just see the feet of people in the engine room. A sailor came along, flashing a torch around. "What's up, mate" - "Oh nothing much - we've just had a bomb threat..." So another 20 minutes wriggling out again. Luckily no bomb

[@chiseldrock]

Sent this one to my Dad who served on the Oberon class Thanks Drach!

[@donaldrobertson117]

That's it definitely going ASAP.

[@simonbroberg969]

100% correct on ropes.. I left my narrowboat moored in one place for 6 months, using nylon ropes.. When it came to move, I had a 50ft piece of iron bar as such as it would not bend let alone coil... I replaced it with hemp rope and it was mice feel even when wet.

[@drstrangelove4998]

A fabulous video, as usual and loved the drone footage. Living in Greenwich, I’ve been visiting the Historic Dockyard since I was a student, right from the early days in its raw, original state. As a very good film maker friend was involved years ago in documenting the ropery and another social documentary on the workers and working life of the dockyard, had the chance to go to a reunion party and meeting and chatting to some of the workers. As you will know, HMS Cavalier was known as the fastest ship in the Royal Navy, and Ocelot served well in the cold-war as, strangely for an older design, was very quiet once submerged and difficult to detect. I believe the Oberon class was a development from the late war German ‘electro-boats?’

[@craigfazekas3923]

Thank you for taking me somewhere that I'd never otherwise be able to see, Drach !! 🚬😎

[@andyjanes8877]

Great video. I lived in Chatham for 10 years and went to the dockyard many times, they have some good events there. There is also a good brewery on the site. Fun fact- apparently the land where flats were built still contains some nasty contaminants from when nuclear subs were serviced at the yard, to the extent that residents aren't allowed to grow veg in their gardens!

[@joshuamorton9767]

Went here with my son 3 months ago we absolutely loved it so worth going

[@threecedarshomestead1330]

Will you be doing an in depth report/video essay on rope and cable making, seeing as you mentioned, they are very integral to the operation and structure of age of sail vessels? Rigging too, this is probably enough material for a multi-part series.

[@sixstringedthing]

Sounds like an excellent idea for a Rum Ration episode!

[@threecedarshomestead1330]

@@sixstringedthing several, a series from the guy standing on a raft holding out his cloak, to the fully rigged ships, to schooners, and everything in between. I bet he could do ten hour long episodes, or more!

[@pagejackson1207]

Dach, Thank you so very much for this video!! It was fascinating and covered a very critical component of England's ability to control the seas. I've read N.A.M. Rodger's "Safeguard of the Seas" and "The Command of the Ocean" and consider them to be necessary reading for anyone who is interested in a critical component of a successful naval strategy (very much like your videos on logistics and the US Reserve Fleet). One of the most fascinating things I learned from Dr. Rodger's books was how the English Navy's use and sale of long-term bonds allow for the financing and support of her critical navy yards. When a war would commence England had numerous ships which could be made ready for sea relatively quickly as soon as the crews were available. Oh, and I can't wait to get my hands on Dr. Roger's concluding book in his series. Thank you again, Paige Jackson

[@nigelleyland166]

I often "listen" to your Tube content whilst playing WoWS, drone footage. drat! Scuppered! But so much more informative, I'm liking it. Many thanks.

[@rockcarver1]

You made my day, week and month this time, wonderful presentation and I am saving this one for future viewing. The Ropery was a great delight to see and much easier to follow the construction of rope here than the cable winders I watched from afar at the Golden Gate Bridge years ago. Great video!

[@wilsonlaidlaw]

It's a great day out for those interested in naval history or industrial architecture.

[@ssgtmole8610]

Thank you for nurturing the tourist in me. I hope you have fun when you come visit america.

[@ricardobufo]

I last visited in the previous Millenium before emigrating to the Antipodes. A wonderful site. Give yourself at least 2 days to see the important bits.

[@Self-replicating_whatnot]

That dockyard footage. Magic of modern technology at our fingertips, i love it.

[@animal16365]

As you were flying your drone in the rope building. As you were getting closer to the ceiling. I kept lowering my head and saying 'please lower your drone before I whack my head against the ceiling'

[@Drachinifel]

The drone is small enough to safely operate indoors, but it loses its GPS station-keeping and it can be fun keeping it level on the internal air currents. :)

[@gregorywright4918]

@@Drachinifel Which probably only matters in a huge long room like the ropery... nice handling.

[@DarkVeghetta]

This video will help me bring a little more realism to my future river-based capital city in one of the DnD games I'm playing in. I especially enjoyed the ropery and shall endeavor to remake it in a more fantastical setting. As always, Drac's content is top-notch.

[@martinereeves]

Great to see the ropery, my Grandmother and several sisters worked there for many years. Thanks for the video

[@ciaranokelly3693]

I lived and grew up in Maidstone, a few miles up the Medway from Chatham. My parents took my brother and I to the dockyard whilst it was operational in the 1970's. We got to 'explore' a Leander class frigate and a submarine amongst a whole host of other exciting things back then. In 2015 my wife and I visited the dockyard against her better judgement. I had just contracted cellulitis in my left leg....but I did not let that stop me climbing all over HMS Cavalier! The excitement of a young school boy never went away!

[@theoraolson6795]

WOW, thank you. This was the most fun I've had since covid started. WONDERFUL!

[@jimrobert7623]

Can actually see the dockyard from my window across the river, and it is shocking how many people in the area have no idea of any of this covered in the video. It's such a shame local schools don't refer to drach's video and cover more of the history of the local area.

[@npickle54]

I learnt about it and we went on school trips to there

[@saltmerchant749]

I bet more people know of Chatham docks for its paranormal legends than its proud naval history.

[@feddek9325]

@@saltmerchant749 I know Chatham from the raid on the Medway. It would be a shame if someone breaks the chain;)

[@saltmerchant749]

@@feddek9325 I can imagine that one is taught heavily in Dutch schools.

[@feddek9325]

We don't learn that on school in the Nethelands. The golden age is momentarily a "black page" of colonialism in our history. They say.

[@joshwebb5016]

Literally live 5 minutes from the Dockyard. Really awesome to see local history on a such a big channel. Cheers

[@paulscott2037]

I was fortunate enough to visit Chatham quite a number of years ago now. I was in my mid teens so while I loved Ocelot and Cavalier the fascination of the rest of the dockyard may have passed me by a little. But definitely I recall it vividly in my memory. Ocelot in particular was fantastic to see. Such a treat to get to be aboard a Sub.

[@BariandHamza]

One of the many dockyards I worked in as a Shipwright.My home dockyard was Devonport

[@jumpferjoy1st]

Chatham is a great place to visit. One thing that really surprises though are the Napoleonic defences built around the town. The scale is mind boggling.

[@fenman1954]

Fascinating visit , I have watched Laurie's channel showing the dockyard.

[@jamescrutchfield2720]

Thank you for taking the time to make the video 😊

[@timcarpenter2441]

I am a sucker for industrial archaeology, especially when speculating on where things were, and why things were. The drone footage plus your commentary was so enthralling. Footage with inane babble is just footage with inane babble, and of no use to man nor beast. This, however, was most enlightening and valuable. Many thanks. I hope to get to Chatham when I manage to return to the UK.

[@nigelmorroll3343]

Being someone who lives in medway I do like to see and learn more about its history.

[@CoronisAdair]

Neat way to show off the new drone in a naval history video!

[@TheSilmarillian]

Best squarespace mention I usually skip ads this one got my attention.Great work on your uploads the history is fascinating and explained in a format that is easily understood.

[@PaulfromChicago]

I think this might be my new favorite Five Minute Guide video.

[@niccracknell9780]

Well worth a trip and if you are local like I am the ticket last a year so repeat visits are fun. Lots to see and even if its busy there is space so you never feel crowded!! Good overview Drach !

[@tulsatrash]

This is also really great for people with mobility issues. So double and triple thank you for that and please do more such things with future videos about places you go to.

[@ravenfeeder1892]

Royal Dockyards and specifically the roperies are often credited with being one of the early foundations of the Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the C18th.

[@trifidos39]

One of the first machines of the industrial revolution was a machine for making ropes for the navy

[@sixstringedthing]

If only we could convince the governments of the world to spend as much on scientific and technical development _without_ the whole "trying to blow each other up" part.

[@dodgydruid]

Next door to the dockyard was Aveling's works which supplied quite a lot in the incoming steam era of road and rail steam and supplied a lot to the RN as well as it being handy to load direct for the colonies too.

[@Goodpude]

Great video! Please consider doing one of these videos focused on Portsmouth Dockyard 🙏

[@jkull173]

A story on the Concord Naval Weapons station explosion would be cool

[@williamharvey8895]

A beginner drone pilot? Looks like a professional job to me. You must be very gifted.