The Kent Shipbuilding conference organised jointly by KAS (Maritime Kent Research Group) and Chatham Historic Dockyard.
There is an exciting programme with a good variety of subjects and speakers. The conference will be a great opportunity to highlight Kent's rich shipbuilding heritage and to meet people who share an interest in the county’s maritime history more generally. There is also the chance to visit the historic Chatham Dockyard and attend an evening talk about one of the ships built at the dockyard HMS Cavalier.
Programme
Thursday 7th November
9-9.30am Registration and Coffee
10.00am Welcome and Keynote - Richard Morsley (CEO Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust)
10.30am Outline of conference/ sessions – plus Maritime Kent SIG (5 mins) Stuart Bligh
10.35am Session 1- Restoration and Replica (Chair – Stuart Bligh)
Dover Bronze Age Boat – Paul Bennett
The Whitstable Oyster Yawl Gamecock: Past, Present and Future - Gordon Vincent
11.15am Panel questions
[11.35am Coffee/Tea Break]
12.00pm Session 2 – Ship Archaeology (Chair – Catherine Holt)
Uncovering the Mysteries of the Sandwich Bay wooden wrecks - Peta Knott
The Graveney Boat – Damian Goodburn
12.40 Panel questions
[1-3pm Lunch to include tours/time to look around CHD/networking etc]
3.00pm Session 3 – Shipbuilders/social (Chair – Vanessa Sanderson)
The Shipwrights of Deptford Dockyard – Brian Lavery
Shipbuilding, labour and politics in Kent yards since 1700 - David Killingray
The Austins - Shipwrights and Barge Builders – Sarah Austin
4.00 Panel questions
4.30pm Finish
Friday 8th November
9-9.30am Registration and Coffee
10.00am Session 1 - Shipbuilding during wartime (Chair – Martin Crowther)
Shipbuilding at Richborough Port during WW1 - Colin Varrall
James Pollock, Faversham; Making the Best of It – Henry Cleary
10.40 Panel questions
[11.00am Coffee/Tea Break]
11.30am Session 2 - Resources and research (Chair – Emma Ovenden)
Ship and Boatbuilding at Gravesend in the Days of Sail & Oar – David Patient
Shipbuilding in Kent: an overview of the ship plan archives at the NMM – Alex Grover
12.10 Panel questions
[12.30pm Lunch]
2.00pm Session 3 - Shipbuilding at Chatham (Chair – Nick Ball)
Achilles – The Ship that transformed Chatham - Dr Philip MacDougall
The Unicorn – Matthew Bellhouse Moran
The London Wreck: Rediscovery and Excavation – Jools Maxwell
3.00 Panel questions
3.30 Closing remarks – summary of key points from conference etc including next steps etc for the Maritime Kent SIG
Some of the Royal Navy’s most famous ships were built at Chatham, including Nelson’s Victory, and yards like James Pollock & Sons in Faversham supplied ships and boats for customers across the world. Thriving local fishing businesses led to the construction of custom-built boats that are unique to Kent, like the Whitstable Whelk boats and the Medway Doble and Gravesend’s role as the entry point for the Port of London led to the development of a specific type of boat, the Gravesend Waterman’s skiff, to ferry passengers, pilots and customs officials back and forth to the ships at anchor off the town. Similarly, Deal Galleys were designed specifically to take people and goods out and back to ships anchored on the Downs.
