Historic dockyard Visit 1 - Chatham Medway

Historic Dockyard 

Date: August 2023 

location: Medway 

Abandoned or Public: Public 

Delmoished: No 

Although I live near the dockyard, I haven't had the chance to explore it until recently. Usually, I only visit for events. However, in August, I brought my three-year-old to the dockyard to explore the boats, submarines, and other rooms. We initially thought we had enough time, but we ended up running out of time. We plan to go back to explore the boats and the rope room. My child particularly enjoyed the Submarine tour, which requires booking when you enter the main dockyard. 

The dockyard has a rich history and has been used for various purposes, including as a university and for film and television sets like "Call the Midwife" and documentaries..

Fan Bay Deep shelter - Dover

 Fan bay deep shelter 

Date: August 2023 

location: Dover

Abandoned or Public: Public 

Delmoished: No 

Yesterday, we had a day without our daughter, as she was spending time with her grandad. We decided to take advantage of this and visit the Fan Bay deep shelter in Dover, which was the final exploration I wanted to do in this area. As National Trust members, we were able to take the tour for free, otherwise, it would have cost £10 per adult or £5 per child above 8 years old. We parked at the visitor center and enjoyed a 40-minute walk to the tunnels, taking in the beautiful views. When we arrived at the tunnels, we had to wait until 1:30 pm for our tour to start, as the previous tour was still ongoing. Our guide was very knowledgeable and made the tour enjoyable with his humor. The tunnels were well-maintained, and we highly recommend the tour if you have an hour to spare while in the area.

The history of Fan Bay Deep Shelter is quite fascinating. It was built within a span of 100 days and used by soldiers to take shelter. The bunker was constructed between 1940-1941 and was utilized in both World Wars. However, in 1950, the tunnels were abandoned and later in 1970, rubble was placed to prevent unauthorized access. In 2012, the National Trust acquired the land and restored the tunnels, making them accessible to the public.