1st Ealing North Scouts spent Saturday 3 October at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, where the Royal Navy built and repaired its ships for 400 years. The day began early outside Ealing Broadway station, with the Elizabeth line to Abbey Wood, a second train into Kent and a bus through Chatham to the dockyard.
Near the entrance lay a heap of rusted anchor chain, each link as thick as a Scout's arm, which set the scale for everything that followed. Inside, the galleries took us back to the age of sail: a model warship under full canvas with her gun ports open, and diagrams showing the fleets at Trafalgar laid out ship by ship. The Scouts tried the dockyard trades for themselves, taking an end each of a two-man saw, leaning into the bars of a capstan and hammering rope into the gaps between planks. In 1803, the yard employed over 2,500 people in 26 different trades.
All aboard the anchor
Then came the ships. On HMS Cavalier, a destroyer of the Second World War, the Scouts climbed to the open bridge and inspected the guns. HMS Ocelot, the last warship built for the Royal Navy at Chatham, sits in dry dock with her whole hull on show. There is little space inside, but just enough for the Scouts to board her. The Victorian sloop HMS Gannet, with her masts and rigging, completed the set.
The view along one of HMS Cavalier's guns
HMS Ocelot in dry dock
The Victorian Ropery was a highlight. Our Scouts have made good use of ropes across our activities, so it was great for them to see how rope is made. The Scouts took turns at the handle to make a length of their own rope, then got to run along the ropewalk, a quarter of a mile long.
Taking a turn at the handle in the Ropery
The quarter-mile ropewalk
A tired but happy carriage of Scouts rode the Elizabeth line home to Ealing. Thanks to Terry for organising the day, and all of the other leaders who provided support. Next on the calendar is the Grimsdyke Hike on Saturday 28 November.