The Historic Dockyard Chatham is one of Britain’s most significant maritime heritage attractions, welcoming visitors to over 400 years of naval history. But the organisation is much more than a visitor destination. As an independent charity, it preserves historic buildings, protects nationally important collections and delivers education programmes that safeguard the Dockyard for future generations.
Following the success of the previous website we had designed, the Dockyard returned to us to evolve the experience. The business had expanded, visitor expectations had changed and the website needed to do far more than sell tickets. It had to communicate the breadth of the organisation, showcase its attractions and create clearer journeys for visitors, donors, educators and supporters alike.
The heartbeat
Every visitor arrives with a different purpose. Some want to plan a family day out. Others are researching naval history, booking an event, making a donation or discovering the Dockyard for the first time. The website needed to support all of those journeys while introducing a story many visitors never knew existed: that every ticket helps protect one of Britain’s most important historic sites.
We reorganised the information architecture around real visitor needs, creating intuitive pathways through attractions, events, learning, retail and charitable giving. The Dockyard’s independent charity status became a much more prominent part of the experience, woven naturally throughout the website rather than hidden behind corporate information. Interactive maps, richer storytelling, improved accessibility and a refreshed UI brought greater clarity to an extensive and evolving destination, while collaborative workshops with internal teams ensured the platform could continue to grow long after launch.
The impact
The redesigned website gives the Historic Dockyard Chatham a platform that reflects the scale and significance of the organisation, balancing visitor inspiration with charitable purpose in one connected digital experience.
Clearer navigation, integrated booking journeys, ecommerce functionality and a more flexible content management system have made it easier for visitors to discover everything the Dockyard has to offer while empowering internal teams to manage and expand the website independently. More importantly, the platform helps visitors understand that every interaction supports the preservation of one of the world’s most complete historic dockyards, strengthening the connection between heritage, education and the charity’s long-term mission.
