UK Film Location: COM-12252 Kent

DETAILS

A brilliant, multi-use location including an empty Georgian house, brewery and a beautiful waterfront.

This fascinating high street was the historic haunt of sea captains (Nelson drank here while serving at Chatham dockyard), shipbuilders, architects, brewers, publicans, river workers and shopkeepers. It's surrounded by Georgian architecture, 17th and 18th century weatherboarded buildings, cobblestone lanes, waterfront warehouses, houseboats, bridges and pier landings looking out to the river and across to the historic dockyard at Chatham (north facing). This conservation area is a focus for Historic England to preserve the unique heritage.

PHOTOGRAPH GUIDE

Chatham House: 4 - 68
Hulkes Lane: 69 - 71
Featherstones House: 72 - 86
Garage: 87 - 88
Lions Brewery: 89 - 90
Dockyard: 91 - 116
Record Shop: 117 - 119
Waterfront Warehouses & House Boats: 120 - 130

CHATHAM HOUSE The grand portico entrance with yorkstone paving and cast-iron railings, opens into a paneled hallway with a spectacular staircase to the first floor and original wc. Interior original features include sash windows, shutters and fireplaces in all rooms and full paneling in the first-floor double reception room. The ground floor double reception room faces south onto the High Street with high ceilings and cornices. Down short stairs to a little chapel of worship just off the panelled room, with stained glass window and cupola. On the lower ground floor, the old kitchen and scullery maintain their original ranges, stone sink and panelling. Steps lead down to the small, vaulted brick wine cellar with shelves from the paved hallway. The rear stairs lead up to the second floor where there are 2 fully panelled sitting rooms and a large, light open space, with views over the river, the traditional tiled roofs and St Bart’s water tower.

LION BREWERY To be restored and eventually re-opened as a craft brewery/restaurant. The brewery closed in 1912 and the industrial brick building became the Featherstones’ carpet and furniture shop.

It features large open galleries with high walkways, a traditional goods hoist and a number smaller limewashed, wooden grain-store rooms which have already been used in a number of films. The lower ground floor workspaces feature cast iron columns and strong acoustics with a double door entrance at ground level. The building is accessed from the private cobbled Hulkes Lane running down from the High Street to the Riverside with a door opening to the narrow Ship Lane to the rear.

FEATHERSTONE HOUSE Partly in state of restoration, this was location of the first department store opened by the Featherstone family. Constructed over the top of an Elizabethan mansion house (thought to have belonged to the Pett family and used by Sir John Hawkins) and a row of Georgian town houses on the High Street.

With rear weatherboarding looking out over the back yard to the river Medway. The front of the House was later stuccoed to look more uniform as a single shop. However, many original features are still in situ including the 1912 office with impressive American filing system and furniture, the 1912 tea-room with paneling, the unique painted directors’ room, the original Ashenden staircases in each townhouse, windows and fireplaces. At the end of this row is the maritime arch house leading down to what was Central wharf for the paddle steamers. It is now the home of a number of small businesses.

HULKES LANE Original narrow cobbled lane leading to waterfront and waterfront brick warehouses and cottages. North/South facing. Access to Ship Pier.

WATERFRONT 18th century warehouses/cottages/houseboats/wharfs/piers and floating piers and ample parking for location equipment. Recording studio and Vinyl record store in the old timber framed, cast iron chandlery store. Spectacular view up to the town and the layers of buildings on the hill, and across the river to the historic dockyard, industrial activities and river birds enjoying the tidal mud. This north facing view has wonderful light.