Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Upnor Castle
(
&
01634/847747;
www.english-heritage.org.uk), off the A228
in the village of Upnor,
is an Elizabethan fortification to protect warships moored at
Chatham (but it failed to do so in 1667, when the Dutch sailed past it to attack the
English fleet). Open daily April to October, 10am to 6pm; closed November to March
(£5 adults, £3.50 seniors and children 5-15).
Historic Dockyard Chatham
HISTORIC SITE From the Spanish
Armada to the Falklands Crisis, ships were built and repaired here. By the mid-18th
century it was the largest industrial set-up in the world, with thousands of skilled
workers. Records date back to 1547 and within a few years most of the English fleet
wintered on the Medway. Nelson's flagship, HMS
Victory,
was built here and
launched in 1765. Today it exudes history, and has featured in many movies such as
Sherlock Holmes,
with Robert Downey, Jr., and
The Golden Compass.
In addition to beautifully preserved buildings, you can visit the Victorian Navy
sloop HMS
Gannet,
the submarine HMS
Ocelot,
which served until 1991, and the
World War II destroyer HMS
Cavalier.
There's also a huge covered slipway from 1838
with a display of a midget sub, tank, and other vehicles; an exhibition of Nelson and
the Battle of Trafalgar, and the Royal Navy Lifeboat Institute's national lifeboat col-
lection. Even the restaurant, Wheelwrights, is part of history, housed in a 1738 build-
ing forged from old warship timbers. Its menus are full of Kent produce.
Nearby is
Fort Amherst
(
&
01634/847747;
www.fortamherst.com), a fort from
the times of the Napoleonic war with a large network of tunnels. It was part of origi-
nal fortifications that extended 4 miles and enclosed the Royal Dockyard. Entry var-
ies, but the grounds are open Monday to Friday 10am to 3:30pm.
The Historic Dockyard.
&
01634/823800.
www.thedockyard.co.uk. Admission £16 adults, £13 seniors
and ex-service members, £11 children 5-16, £42 family ticket. Daily Feb-Nov 10am-6pm (4pm in Nov);
closed Dec-Jan. From junctiont 1 of the M2, follow the brown tourist signs.
Where to Eat & Stay
Ship and Trades
This former quayside engineering shop from 1875, overlooking
one of the yacht basins at the dockyard, has been converted into a smart pub-cum-hotel
by local brewer Shepherd Neame. The result is excellent beer (try the Spitfire) in a
relaxed, modern setting with ropes, maps, and other nautical memorabilia on the walls.
Waterfront seating looks across the Medway. The bar has decent pub fare while the
upstairs restaurant serves modern and traditional meals. Main courses (£7.25-£17)
include liver and bacon in gravy, and a 16-oz. T-bone steak.
Ship and Trades offers 11 guest rooms, smartly modern (one especially designed
for disabled access) and available on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
Maritime Way, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 3ER. www.shipandtradeschatham.co.uk.
&
01634/895200.
11 units. £70 double. Rates include English breakfast. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
Breakfast room.
In room:
TV,
hair dryer. Wi-Fi (about £10 per 24 hr., access from www.btopenzone.com).
6
WHITSTABLE & MARGATE
Whitstable is 50 miles SE of London; Margate is 65 miles SE of London
This is one of Britain's few areas of north-facing coast, and has a very different light
to other regions—which is why the painter J. M. W. Turner was attracted to it. It is an
area devoted to the pleasures of the sea, whether the charms of seafood
(Whitstable)
or the fun of the seaside
(Margate).
But it is also a place to get away from it all on
the
unspoiled beaches
between the towns of Herne Bay and Margate. Across the
