Stepping into the ropery at Chatham's Historic Dockyard is like stepping back in time. Little has changed in its 400-year history – the same techniques are used now as they were when the ropery helped to build the iconic HMS Victory.

But the ropery is very much moving with the times – it has to so it can survive.

The rope made at Chatham was once used to rig some of Britain's most important navy vessels that mastered the world's oceans, including Nelson's Victory. But with modern rope now taking its place in the shipping industry, the team must find other ways to make sure the tradition doesn't die out.

What is made at the ropery is now used for everything from theatre rigging to sports equipment, with many of the products made specifically for each customer.

The team can supply bespoke products for the building trade, for gardens and outdoor projects such as borders, climbing frames and swings, as well as more traditional marine ropes for moorings and rigging on cruise ships, yachts and ferries.

The rope is used for props, set dressing and special effects in the theatre and the film industry, and the team regularly work with fitness trainers to develop and produce products for sports clubs and gyms like battle ropes.

Tucked away in a small office next to the ropewalk is general manager Alex Rowling. When she joined the dockyard seven years ago she was given the task of making sure what they make could be sold to a modern market.

On the day we visit, on her desk are enquires from a theatre company, a film production team, a boat owner and someone who wanted spiders made out of rope.

Alex said: "They type of rope used in modern shipping is all polyester and nylon. But for films and things (what we make) is fantastic which is why we have to adapt to survive.

"We still do what we do and there is still a market for it. It is used in theatre rigging for instance, climbing rope in schools, pet products, and edging for lawns."

The rope toys made at the dockyard were recently featured on a pet blog. They are perfect for pets to chew because they are made from natural materials. While items such as coir edging are popular with gardeners as it keeps the slugs and snails away.

And no rope is ever wasted - those pieces that don't pass the dockyard's rigorous safety testing are quarantined and later donated to groups such as Scouts and forest schools.

Alex has created the ropery gift shop because "people come for a tour and want to take something home."

The shop is a treasure trove packed with everything from dog leads and cats toys, to trinkets and keyrings, door stops and paper weights.

One of the most popular items is their mini rope men magnets, which sell in their thousands every year and have travelled as far as New York.

The ropery has also tapped into popular trends and now creates rope Christmas wreaths we can be decorated at home or during in-house workshops, along with macrame plant holders. They sell around 600 wreaths every year.

Chatham's ropery is the only one of the original four Royal Navy ropeyards to remain in operation and it is the last of the navy dockyards to still make rope the way it was made in Victorian times.

It was once home to the whole ropemaking process with the ground floor as the ropemaking or laying floor, and other floors being home to spinning rooms. Today the ropemakers still use the ground floor with one working rope machine.

The 18th century building is a quarter of a mile long - the distance once needed to make rope the correct length of an anchor - and machinery from the Victorian era is still used.

The ancient craft of rope making still takes place daily, by a small team of five including the only female ropemaker in Europe. The tradition of producing the finest ropes continues, using natural and synthetic fibres.

The ropemakers present daily demonstrations and tours of the ropewalk so dockyard visitors can find out for themselves how the rope is made.

Alex said: "There are quite a few smaller ropewalks in the country but they don't make rope like this. The techniques are exactly the same as they were 400 years ago.

"It is a three-year apprenticeship to learn the ropes.

"We used to have the last remaining master ropemaker here who was Fred Cordier, he retired a few years ago, but he worked here man and boy.

"We keep his bible which includes how to make each rope because it is a formula - it has to have a certain number of fibres per strand."

The ropery's current longest serving employee Dave Cheer added: "We still have the saying 'what would Fred do?'."

Dave, who has been working at the ropery for 22 years, began his career at the dockyard as a seasonal tour host.

He said: "When the season ended, the boss called me and asked if I wanted four months work in the ropery. Then 72 hours later, I was a ropemaker and I'm still here 22 years later."

He added: "An electric motor is all that has changed in 400 years."

The ropermakers still supply HMS Victory her rope as they originally did from the start.

Current projects include supplying rope for five feature films, making rope for the pipelines in the United Arab Emirates and re-rigging Victory.

Alex explained: "We have just started the consultation as they are looking at re-rigging HMS Victory. Fred Cordier is helping us with that."

Despite the techniques not changing in 400 years, Alex said every day for her is different.

She added: "We are just a moment in time as far as the dockyard goes. I'm just a temporary custodian here and there will be someone after me, and someone after that.

"It is just about keeping it going and making people understand why Chatham was so important in the age of sail.

"We are here to promote the heritage of rope manufacturing and here to keep it alive."

Looking to the future, the newly appointed collections, galleries and interpretation manager, Nick Ball will oversee renovations to the ropery gallery.

He said: "I am thrilled to be joining the trust at such a pivotal time – the dockyard continues to provide outstanding collections and galleries to visitors, while building on its digital interpretations.”

“My first gallery renovation project is a fantastic opportunity to delve into the collections and display some of the wonderful rope related artefacts that tell the story of the historic dockyard’s working ropery.”

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