Experience the sounds of the Chatham Historic Dockyard through time

This soundmap has been created by the Sonic Palimpsest research team led by Dr Aki Pasoulas at the University of Kent. It presents events that took place at Chatham Dockyard between its foundation as a working yard in 1547 and its closure in 1984. During that time, more than 500 warships were launched in the dockyard and thousands more were repaired. Countless of stories have been collected throughout this period through diaries, oral history archives, written accounts, maps and photographs. This soundmap represents a small sample of those stories, eavesdropping on past ages through a virtual time machine.

Credits: Soundscape compositions created by Aki Pasoulas, Brona Martin and Andrew Knight-Hill. Original texts by Purni Morell, performed by members of Rainham Theatrical Society: Hugh Bailey, Kerry Bailey, Luke Bailey, Jill Balderston, Neil Balderston, Steve Berry, Linda Brown, Larry Davis, Alan Godman, Joanna Godman, John Sansom and Alice Tilley. The actors’ voices were recorded at the Oasthouse Theatre in Rainham. Special thanks to the Chatham Historic Dockyard staff, especially to Victoria Mulford, for their invaluable support throughout this project. Web design and development by Sade Adesida and Allen Tullett.