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Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional defences. For 414 years Chatham Royal Dockyard provided over 500 ships for the Royal Navy, and was at the forefront of shipbuilding, industrial and architectural technology. At its height, it employed over 10,000 skilled artisans and covered 400 acres (1.6 km²). Chatham dockyard closed in 1984, and of the Georgian dockyard is now managed as a visitor attraction by the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. ==Outline history== The Treasurer of the Navy's accounts of the King's Exchequer for the year 1544 identifies Deptford as the Dockyard that carried out all the major repairs to the King's Ships that year. That was soon to change, although Deptford remained a dockyard for over three centuries. In 1547 ''Jillingham'' (Gillingham) ''water'', as Chatham Dockyard was then known, is mentioned as second only in importance to Deptford; followed by Woolwich, Portsmouth and Harwich. In 1550 ships that were then lying off Portsmouth were ordered to be harboured in Jillingham Water, "by reason of its superior strategic location". Chatham was established as a royal dockyard by Elizabeth I in 1567. She herself visited the yard in 1573. In 1622, the dockyard moved from its original location (now the gun wharf to the south) to its present site. The growing importance of the dockyard was illustrated with the addition of two new mast ponds, and the granting of additional land on which a dock, storehouse, and various brick and lime kilns were planned. By the late 17th century it was the largest refitting dockyard, important during the Dutch wars. It was, however, superseded in the following century, first by Portsmouth, then Plymouth, when the main naval enemy became France, and the Western approaches the chief theatre of operations. In addition, the Medway had begun to silt up, making navigation more difficult. Nevertheless, the decision was taken to invest further in Chatham, which developed into a building yard rather than a refitting base. Among many vessels built in this Dockyard, and which still exist, are HMS ''Victory'', launched in 1765 – now preserved at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (formerly Portsmouth Royal Dockyard), and HMS ''Unicorn'', (a Leda class frigate) launched 1824 – now preserved afloat at Dundee. By the year 1770 the establishment had so expanded that, including the gun wharf, it stretched a mile (1.6 km) in length, and included an area of in excess of 95 acres (384,000 m²), possessing four slip ways and four large docks. The officers and men employed in the yard also increased, and by 1798 they numbered 1,664, including 49 officers and clerks and 624 shipwrights. Additionally required were the blockmakers, caulkers, pitch-heaters, blacksmiths, joiners and carpenters, sail makers, riggers, and ropemakers (274), as well as bricklayers, labourers and others. Between 1862 and 1885, the yard underwent another large building programme as the Admiralty adjusted to the new technology of steam-powered ships with metal hulls. Three basins were constructed along St Mary's creek: of , and . There were four new dry docks. Much of the work was done by convict labour. The construction materials required regenerated the North Kent brick and cement industries. It is estimated that 110 million bricks were used. These basins formed the Victorian Dockyard. Chatham built on average, two new ships each year.〔Chatham Dockyard in Old Photographs, Philip MacDougall, 1994, pub Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, ISBN 1-84015-038-6.〕 When the yards at Deptford and Woolwich closed in 1869, Chatham again became relatively important and remained so until its closure in 1984. With the 20th century came the submarine. HMS ''C17'' was launched at Chatham in 1908, and during World War I, twelve submarines were built here, but when hostilities ceased, uncompleted boats were scrapped and five years passed before a further ship was launched. In the interwar years, 8 "S" class submarines were built at Chatham but this was a period of decline. During World War II there were 1,360 refits and sixteen launchings.〔 The final boats constructed in Chatham were Oberon class submarines – ''Ocelot'' was the last vessel built for the Royal Navy, and the final vessel was ''Okanagan'' built for the Royal Canadian Navy and launched on 17 September 1966. In 1968, a nuclear submarine refitting complex was built complete with refuelling cranes and health physics building. In spite of this in June 1981, it was announced to Parliament that the dockyard would be run down and closed in 1984.〔 HMS ''Hermione'' was the last ship launched from Chatham, though she had not been built there, but merely refitted. In the mid 1980s Defence Estates disposed of the former Royal Navy ratings Married Quarters on the nearby Walderslade Estate which were sold by public auction. These were previously occupied by personnel from the Royal Navy dockyard Chatham with 110 married quarters being sold. The Georgian site is now a visitor attraction, under the care of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. The Trust is preparing an application for the Dockyard and its Defences to become a World Heritage Site.〔(BBC Report:-World heritage bid for dockyard )〕 The Basins have new uses, St Mary's Island is now housing and part of the Victorian Dockyard forms the portal to the Medway Tunnel. The former naval barracks have now been refitted and are used by the Universities at Medway. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chatham Dockyard」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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