Historic dockyard building to be restored

The Commissioner's House was built in 1704 and is Grade I listed

One of Kent's largest tourist attractions has been awarded £2.3m from central government to help preserve one of its buildings.

The Commissioner’s House in the Historic Dockyard Chatham is one of the oldest intact naval buildings in the UK.

The Queen Anne-style building, which was constructed in 1704, has been used for filming on the popular TV show Call The Midwife.

The Historic Dockyard, which has just marked 40 years since the Royal Navy left its site, said it was "incredibly grateful" for the funding.

The money from the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport will be used for maintenance and improvements to the Grade I listed building, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It came from the Museum Estate and Development (MEND) Fund, which has handed out £62m to museums across the country since 2021.

Chatham received the second largest amount in this round’s £22.6m.

The Commissioner's House was seen as a hotel in Call The Midwife and is most commonly used as a green room during TV and film shoots.

Queen Elizabeth II visited it during a tour of the dockyard.

The Historic Dockyard marked 40 years since the Royal Navy left its site on 30 March

A Historic Dockyard spokesperson said: "The building is largely unchanged since it was first built and the government funding will be used to make necessary repairs, as well as updating electrical systems to make it more energy efficient."

Richard Morsley, chief executive of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, said: “This Scheduled Ancient Monument is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture.

“The funding will allow us to undertake a programme of essential maintenance, including a full roof replacement, which will safeguard the building for future generations."

Work will begin on The Commissioner’s House in November.

It is expected to reopen in summer 2026.

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