Chatham, Kent

Chatham is an English town that developed around an important naval dockyard on the east bank of the River Medway in the county of Kent. Together with Rochester, Gillingham and Strood it is today part of the Medway Towns conurbation.

History

Chatham dockyard was established by Henry VIII and the small village of Chatham grew in size. At one point thousands of men were employed at the dockyard, and many hundreds of ships were launched from there. It ceased to operate as a naval base in 1984; a large part of it became a historic site and the rest has been developed for housing, industrial sites and as a commercial marina.

Related Topics:
Chatham dockyard - Henry VIII

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Chatham is also the site of many of the fortifications built to protect the dockyard from invasion. The Chatham Lines (abbreviated from "lines of defence") were built across the neck of the peninsula formed by the bend in the river. By 1758 this stretched for more than a mile from Fort Amherst (today a heritage site) to Gillingham Reach. Later, forts were built above the town, among them Fort Luton, Fort Pitt and Fort Horsted. Most still exist, though disused.

Related Topics:
Fort Amherst - Forts

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The town was also the location for several military barracks, all of which have now closed. Although the postal address of Brompton Barracks (the headquarters of the Royal Engineers) indicates Chatham as its location, Brompton was an entirely separate village within Gillingham parish.

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Chatham became a market town in its own right in the 19th century, and a municipal borough in 1890. By 1831 its population had reached more than 16,000. By 1961 it had reached 48,800.

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