The Historic Dockyard now lists No. 1 Smithery as included with a dockyard admission ticket. Check the dockyard calendar and any current notices before travelling; access to particular exhibitions may vary.
Check the official visitor information ↗ · checked 2026-09-22
Use public paths and visitor areas. Do not enter unstaffed tunnels, shafts, railway land or restricted property.
Advice before you visitInformation checked 2026-09-22. We checked published records and visitor information. No site visit or direct confirmation from the operator.
The story of this place
Construction of No.1 Smithery began in 1801 as demand for ironwork grew at Chatham Dockyard. The Dockyard Trust describes anchors and chain among its early products, followed by other foundry and workshop activities.
The courtyard and surviving features help show the scale of that work. The building is now used for exhibitions, adding a new purpose to spaces once used to make and handle heavy metal components for the dockyard.
- Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust — No.1 Smithery ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-23
What you can see
The Smithery now holds maritime collections and temporary exhibitions. Its courtyard retains the scale of the former metalworking building, including anchor pits and chimneys. The operator says the galleries are included with dockyard admission.
A temporary exhibition is advertised from 19 September to 15 November 2026. Check the dockyard’s live visitor calendar before travelling. Exhibition and building access can change, and we have checked the operator’s published information rather than visiting in person.
- Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust — No.1 Smithery ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-23
What we still need to check
The operator now advertises the Smithery as included with dockyard admission and a temporary exhibition beginning 19 September 2026. We checked the published page, not entry on a specific day.
Sources for the visiting information
- Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust — closures ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-23
About the original record
This place is recorded by Historic England / Planning Data. The details below include the original description of its building or site type.
Place details
- Category
- Industrial relics
- Building or site type (original wording)
- Chatham Dockyard, No 1 Smithery
- Period or date
- Construction begun 1801
- Current condition
- Not checked in person
- Heritage protection
- Scheduled monument
- Date protection was granted
- Not given
- Nearby town
- Rochester (approximate)
- County named in the original record
- Not supplied
- Current county or council area
- Medway
- Nation
- England
- Original record number
- 1003406
- Coordinates
- 51.395615, 0.528902 (reference point, not an entrance)
- Heritage data checked
- 2026-09-13
- Source last updated
- 2026-08-28
- Visitor information checked
- 2026-09-22
We checked the downloaded heritage record on 2026-09-13. We have not visited or inspected the site. The map point may refer to a whole site, one structure or a location where little remains.