Chatham

 

city (1991 pop. 65,035), Kent, SE England, on the Medway River. Chatham, Rochester, and Gillingham form a contiguous urban area known as the Medway Towns. Chatham is a major naval station, with well-equipped dockyards, dry docks, and shipbuilding and repairing equipment. There are also flour mills and timber works. The Royal Naval Dockyard is the largest installation. The first dockyard was established by Elizabeth I in 1588. The Roman Watling Street ran through Chatham.