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BRITAIN BENEATH · GUIDE · 8 OCTOBER 2026

Chatham’s No.3 Slip: A New Job for an Old Shipbuilding Roof

No.3 Slip’s wooden roof sheltered ships under construction. When the dockyard began building larger ships, the covered space became less useful. An upper floor later turned it into a boat store.

Based on published records and visitor information. We have not visited these places.

Wooden beams and sloping braces above the upper floor of Chatham’s No.3 Slip in July 2021.

The wooden roof of No.3 Slip in July 2021, seen from the upper floor. This is not a check of its condition today.

Internal roof structure of No3 Covered Slip at Chatham Dockyard by HawkeyeUK · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; no cropping. The converted images remain available under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Shelter for ships being built

Chatham built No.3 Slip’s wooden roof to shelter warships during construction. By the 1850s, the dockyard was building ships too long to fit beneath it. The building remained, and workers later gave its covered space another use.

In 1904, they added an upper floor to store ships’ boats. That floor still offers a closer view of the roof inside today’s gallery, 3 Slip: The Big Space.

The Dockyard Trust dates the slip to 1836 and its cover to 1838. A slip is a sloping area where a ship is built and then launched into the water. Vehicles, vessels and machinery now fill a space first made for that shipbuilding work.

How the wooden roof stands

Builders made the roof about 91 metres long and 44.5 metres wide. Heavy posts, sloping braces and beams support it. The frame extends beyond the posts on both sides, and a curved end allowed room for a ship’s bow.

The Dockyard Trust credits naval shipwright Sir Robert Seppings with the design. Historic England gives that attribution as probable. We retain the qualification because the two accounts differ in certainty.

The July 2021 photo looks along the frame from the upper floor. It shows how repeated beams and braces support the large space. It is a dated picture, not a check of the roof today.

A new job for the building

The upper floor added in 1904 made room to store ships’ boats. The roof now sheltered stored boats rather than a warship under construction. Adding a floor changed how the space was used while keeping the old wooden frame.

That explains its two names. The catalogue’s No.3 Boat Store and the attraction’s 3 Slip: The Big Space refer to the same building. Kent’s heritage record also links the boat store’s protection to the separate listing for its roof.

Other early covers were lost. The Trust records No.1’s removal and No.2’s destruction in a fire in 1966. No.3 survives beside later covers made with metal frames.

Seeing the roof inside

Dockyard entry includes 3 Slip: The Big Space. Large vehicles, vessels and machines fill the gallery. The attraction page lists stairs and a lift to the upper floor, where you can see the roof more closely.

Check the access guide and latest notices. We have not tested the lift or inspected the facilities.

Use the visitor entrance from Western Avenue. The historic Main Gate off Dock Road is for tenants and residents. Check selected autumn closure dates and the winter closure. Follow signed routes inside the gallery.

Sources and further reading

Historic England, Kent County Council and Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust sources were checked on 7 October 2026. An old local summary gives 1837; the detailed listing and Trust give 1838 for the roof. Historic England says Seppings probably designed it. We have not visited or checked access for a specific day. The Trust lists winter closure from 16 November 2026. Check its latest calendar. The photo’s subject, date and CC BY-SA 2.0 rights were checked separately. The 1 place records below give more information.

You can follow the links to read the original sources. Sources and permissions.

Places in this story

Industrial

Chatham No. 3 Covered Slip and Boat Store

Near Chatham

Researched guide · October 2026

Visitor access offered