The new Ropery Gallery at the Historic Dockyard Chatham explores the craft of ropemaking and tells the unique stories of those who worked at the dockyard.

Rope has been made at the Medway dockyard for four centuries. The iconic buildings are home to machinery from the 1800s Industrial Revolution and the incredible quarter-mile Rope Walk, which workers would walk 25 times a day.

The new gallery, which opens this Saturday, will double capacity at the dockyard and tie even more people to the story, as well as sharing one of the finest collections of rope and rope tools in the world.

In the place where 31 miles of rope were created for Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar Victory, rope is now constructed for sailing ships, gymnasiums and some of the most exciting cinema releases of the last few decades, including James Bond and Harry Potter.

However, it’s the people of the ropery, drawn from the Dickensian town, whose stories connect everything as tightly as the rigging on HMS Victory.

One such story is that of Fred and Jan Cordier. Fred was awarded with an MBE for his 50 years of service at the dockyard and Jan worked in the spinning room for over 40 years. They met and married at the dockyard - and were the last couple to do so.

“They tried to keep us apart, the men downstairs and the women upstairs, but we got into secret places to see each other,” says Jan, who turns 80 this year. “We were told that we mustn't mix but, on a Friday, we used to go to the fish shop in Brompton High Street at the top of Chatham - that's where we really got together.

"I still think about my time at the dockyard, meeting Fred, the laughs we had in the spinning room - it was good and we had fun.”

The couple, who still live opposite the dockyard gates today, will open the exhibition to the public.

Visitors can explore the new gallery, which features a unique rope screen, photographs of the Ropery through time and a world-class collection of rope artefacts acquired from Des Pawson MBE’s now-closed Museum of Knots & Sailor’s Ropework in Ipswich.

“I have spent 40 years pulling together my collection which includes both decorative and practical rope work,” says Des, author of Handbook of Knots. “I’m so pleased that Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust is going to look after it for future generations.”

The Ropery is still in operation and produces rope for multiple sectors, from dog leads to film sets. The team, which is made up of just four ropemakers, provide daily demonstrations and show the machinery in practice.

With tales of love, empire, the rise of the Navy and the Industrial Revolution, the new Ropery Gallery has plenty to offer.

From Saturday, March 26, the Ropery Gallery is open to the public and the Historic Dockyard Chatham is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Book online here.