The Historic Dockyard Chatham
On 18 February 2010, the Telegraph ran an article on Fred Cordier, Master Ropemaker at the Dockyard. According to the newspaper, the Ropery ‘… built in 1790 … was the longest brick building in the world’. At the time of the article, Fred had worked at the Ropery for almost fifty years. With rope still in high demand at the time, Fred’s employment was a job for life, and during his time at the Dockyard he had experienced a few ghosts, according to the newspaper. ‘I’ve seen a few ghosts. Sometimes it can feel a bit funny, especially when you are switching the lights off at night. Each light has to be switched off individually and, as you are walking along, you hear people behind you.’ <picture – The haunted Ropery> The Ropery is also said to be haunted by a handful of ‘Bobbin Boys’, children dressed in tatty attire dating back a couple of centuries or more. In September 2011, one of the security guards at the Dockyard mentioned that, whilst working late one night in the Ropery, he’d been spooked by the sound of footsteps when there was no one else in the building. The Smithery also has a couple of intriguing stories attached to it. During the nineteenth century a boiler exploded in the area, killing several people; this was the second tragedy connected to the location. During the Second World War an enemy plane dropped a bomb in the area, resulting in several deaths. The area of the new gallery at the Smithery is haunted by an unseen presence that, on one occasion, pushed a cleaner who was working there. According to Pam Wood, the woman resigned from her post, so unnerved was she by the encounter. During a ghost investigation on 12 May 2011, a strange ball of light was observed in the area too.
- Haunted Chatham, p.48 -
The Telegraph published an article on February 18, 2010, about Fred Cordier, the Master Ropemaker at the Dockyard. The Ropery, built in 1790, was described as the world's longest brick building at the time. Fred had worked there for nearly fifty years, and his job was considered secure due to the high demand for ropes. The article mentioned Fred's encounters with ghosts in the Ropery, particularly when he had to turn off lights at night and felt as though people were behind him.
The Ropery was rumoured to be haunted by "Bobbin Boys," children in old-fashioned clothing from centuries past. A security guard at the Dockyard had reported hearing footsteps when no one else was present. The Smithery, another area in the Dockyard, had its own share of haunting stories, including a boiler explosion in the 19th century and a bomb dropped by an enemy plane during World War II, both resulting in deaths. An unseen presence in the new gallery at the Smithery once pushed a cleaner, causing her to resign out of fear. Additionally, during a ghost investigation on May 12, 2011, observers witnessed a strange ball of light in the area.
