Storehouses

    Filled with flammable naval stores, storehouses were frequent victims of fire.  The two great storehouses at Chatham, the largest in the history of the Royal Navy, have survived since 1785 and 1805.  Essentially enormous warehouses, the storehouses would hold, until needed, various items used on ship - rigging, sails, and so forth.  Although not as glamorous as some other dockyard buildings, storehouses served a vital function for the Georgian navy.

Anchor Wharf

    Built next to each other, the two buildings combined roughly match the length of the ropery, of which the ropehouse alone is 1,100 feet long.  With four floors each, the storehouses were truly enormous.  The modern car park between the river and the buildings was once a busy scene with items being transferred, with the help of cranes, between the storehouses and boats in the river, which would take the materials to and from waiting warships.  

Southern End of No. 3 Storehouse - Note the Ropery in the background, the dockyard wall on the right, and a small cobblestone section next to the steps.  The southern gate is nearby.	A Crane on the Building's Exterior - The doors opening to nowhere four stories high become understandable when you see the cranes perched outside of them.

Behind the storehouses is a cobblestoned area roofed over with cannon used for supports.

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