Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1809 to 1899

Summary from record TQ 76 NE 97 :

The Main Offices, built c.1808

Monument Types

• OFFICE (OFFICE, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• OFFICE (OFFICE, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• SITE (Post Medieval - 1809 AD to 1899 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 76 NE CHATHAM MAIN GATE ROAD
(South side) Chatham Dockyard
762-1/8/72
Former Admiral's Offices and
forecourt walls and attached
iron railings
24.5.71
GV II*
Offices. 1809, by Edward Holl, architect for the Navy Board. Brick with stone dressings and 4 brick axial stacks and a slate roof. Late Georgian style. PLAN: double-depth with a central axial passage, rear wing and mid-late C19 N extension. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; 6: 15-window range. A symmetrical range with left-hand section set back; plinth, plat band and moulded eaves cornice, with a central pedimented 5-window section set forward with a Royal cartouche in the pediment, and distinctive wide round ground-floor 3-light bays at each end with cornices. An ashlar porch has curved steps up each side to flat-headed doorways, panelled corners, cornice and blocking course, and a central round-arched window. Rubbed brick flat arches to 6/6-pane recessed sashes, with similar windows to the left-hand end. Right-hand return 6-window range with single-storey porch with half-glazed door and sunken panel above, with carved timber herms each side with skewed Ionic capitals and a bust and furled flags to the top. Left-hand extension with similar windows with a round-arched doorway with double doors and large fanlight. INTERIOR: large entrance hall divided by 2 Doric columns to antae, with round-arched doorways each side to axial passages between end doorways, giving on to front and rear offices, and a rear stone dogleg stair with cast-iron stick balusters, curtail and wreathed rail, lit by a lantern; 6-panel doors with panelled reveals and moulded cornices.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: attached low front forecourt walls and iron railings to the entrance steps.
HISTORY: replaced a 1750 office, and to the same plan as the 1780$ South Office Block at Portsmouth (qv). An early specialist office building in a national context, indicative of the complexity of administration produced by the scale of the early C19 Yard, and forming part of a fine and remarkably complete assemblage of Georgian naval buildings.
(Sources: Coad J: Historic Architecture of Chatham Dockyard 1700-1850: London: 1982: 173 ; Coad J: The Royal Dockyards 1690-1850: Aldershot: 1989: 47; MacDougall P: The Chatham Dockyard Story: Rainham: 1987: 166; The Buildings of England: Newman J: West Kent & the Weald: London:1976:206)
Listing NGR: TQ7591369157

Description from record TQ 76 NE 97 :
(TQ 7592 6915) SAM No. 219 [Main Offices: scheduled]. (1) The Admiral's Offices. Originally built as a Mold Loft in 1813. 2 storeys and basement with forecourt. Brown brick. Listed Grade II. [Full architectural description]. (2) Admiral's Offices built 1808 to designs by Edward Holl, replacing a block built in 1750 after the latter were declared unsafe. (3)

<1> English Heritage 1:1250 SAM location maplet (OS Card Reference). SKE41612.

<2> DOE (HHR) Borough of Chatham May 1971 (10) (OS Card Reference). SKE39906.

<3> Jonathan G Coad, 1989, The royal dockyards 1690-1850: architecture and engineering works of the sailing navy. No.1, Page Nos. 46-7, Plate Nos. 21,23 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6362.

Sources and further reading

Related records