| NAVAL HERITAGE MEETS CONTEMPORARY STYLE AT THE SHIP AND TRADES
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Naval heritage meets contemporary style at The Ship and Trades, Chatham Maritime, which has been reinvigorated with a £400,000 refurbishment by Kent brewers Shepherd Neame.
Dating from 1875, the Ship and Trades' basic structure is a steel frame that once housed dockyard offices and an engineering shop.
Today, the 'skeleton' has been totally transformed into a modern bar, restaurant and hotel, overlooking one of the yacht basins at the former Royal Naval Dockyard.
The interior has been transformed into a stylish, contemporary space, completely remodelled in blue, mulberry and cream, with new fireplaces, a comfortable lounge area and two "snugs" for more intimate gatherings. Images of boats, maps and ropework celebrate the area's nautical heritage.
Comfortable furnishings and soft lighting create a relaxed, laid-back ambience, in which guests can enjoy bar meals, snacks and Shepherd Neame's selection of traditional Kentish ales, distinctive international lagers and carefully-chosen new world wines.
The first-floor restaurant, which offers stunning views of the marina, is open from noon to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm weekdays and noon to 6pm on Sundays and offers a full range of modern dishes and traditional favourites, as well as daily chef's specials. A lift is available for easy wheelchair access.
Outside, the Ship and Trades has ample waterfront seating overlooking the pleasure boats in the marina and across the River Medway to historic Upnor Castle.
The pub's 11 en suite letting rooms are being redecorated in the same style and to high contemporary standards, making the Ship and Trades the perfect base to explore an area brimming with attractions.
The pub is a short stroll from Dickens World, The Historic Dockyard Chatham and Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre and just a mile from historic Rochester, with its Norman castle and ancient cathedral.
