Command of the Oceans display opens in Chatham

COMMAND OF THE OCEANS, a permanent display at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, has opened. It tells the story of the dockyard’s pivotal role in British naval history, from the 16th century when Francis Drake learned his skills at Chatham to its golden period of the Age of Sail from 1700-1820 when dockyard built ships that transformed the British Navy into the world’s most powerful sea force.

The attraction is built around the 260-year old skeleton of the Namur, preserved where she was discovered and still lies. The Namur was one of the Royal Navy’s most significant warships of the Age of Sail and was discovered by chance in 1995 during routine conservation work at the dockyard’s wheelwrights’ shop.

The exhibition includes objects from the Invincible, a French warship that was captured by the British in 1747, taken into the Royal Navy, and sunk by accident in 1758.

Dan Snow, TV historian, said: ‘The Namur is the ship that defined the course of British history. Her remains enable us to better understand the shipbuilding ingenuity at Chatham which was crucial in developing British naval dominance which in turn helped to extend Britain’s influence around the world.’

www.thedockyard.co.uk

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Picture Credit: By Nilfanion - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,commons.wikimedia.org 39285912