The start of the Royal Dockyard
The Royal Dockyard was in that part of Sheerness known as Bluetown. From the 17th century to its closure in 1960 it was the major employer on the Isle of Sheppey.

Warships had been brought here for careening for some time before Charles 11's famous visit recorded by Pepys in his diary for 18th August 1665 "To Sheernesse where we walked up and down laying out the ground for to be taken in for a yard to lay in provisions for cleaning and repairing ships and a very proper place it is for the purpose" However it is from that visit that the history of the dockyard and of Sheerness can be dated.. Unfortunately work had hardly started when the Dutch made their daring raid on the Medway which Pepys recorded in his diary for 11th June 1667 "This morning Commissioner Pett writes us word that Sheernesse is lost last night after two or three hours dispute.The enemy hath possessed himself of that place which is very sad and puts us in fear of Chatham ”.

Pepys, himself secretary to the Admiralty, was so worried that on June 13^th he writes “ I  have also made a girdle by which with some trouble I do carry about with me some 300l in gold about my body so that I may not be without something in case I should be surprised”.

Andrew Marvell a satirical 17th century poet wrote

                  "Black day accursed!............

    The Raid on the Medway by 17th century Dutch painter Willem van de Velde the Younger depicts the Dutch fleet sailing up the Medwayon June 20 1667 and burned ships of the English Navy in a surprise attack  

The Dutch attack on the Medway June 1667 by Dutch artist Willem Schellinks.

   During the raid on the Medway the the English navy has the ignominy of having the Royal Charles carried away into Dutch waters

The development of Sheerness Dockyard described in some detail at the beginning of the 20^th century

From the Army and Navy Illustrated published by Mckearn and Newns 

It was in the beginning of the last century that the Admiralty took in hand seriously the work of extending the Naval establishments.  There was still a great deal of marsh (see end of article) about the place, and it has been estimated that piles to the number of about a million were sunk to enable the foundations of the new buildings to be laid.  It is to this period that the main gate and several other houses and edifices at Sheerness belong.  They have a family likeness to the buildings erected at other yards.  The same necessities, and the taste and experience of those concerned in the design, led to this similarity of character.  Ten years were devoted to the creation of Sheerness as a modern establishment.  Sir George Rennie was the engineer employed, while Mr. Hole, civil architect of the Admiralty, made designs for the buildings, which cost £969,326, while the outlay upon engineering works is said to have been £1,616,757, thus bringing up the total cost to a sum of £2,586,083, in addition to which the high brick enclosing wall cost about £50,000.  The first pile was driven on December 23, 1813, and in the next year Robert Viscount Melville, then First Lord of the Admiralty, visited Sheerness to lay the foundation-stone of the yard, the Commissioner of the yard then being Captain William Granville Lobb, who was succeeded, in 1814, by Captain the Hon. Courtenay Boyle, who held the post until 1822, and thus presided over the work at Sheerness almost until its completion.  The new works were opened for public service on September 23, 1823, which, as I have said, may be regarded as the beginning of the history of Sheerness as a modern Naval establishment.

The dockyard at Sheerness, completed in 1823, and grafted, if one may use the expression, upon the trunk of its Pepysian predecessor, is that which exists, developed in various ways, at the present time.  Geographical and strategical conditions have forbidden it to share to the full in the great advance made by the dockyard establishments in general.  It is a yard devoted, so far as constructive work is concerned, to the building of sloops and gunboats, and occasionally of second and third class cruisers.  Whatever has been necessary for its completeness, within its restricted limits, has been well provided.  There is more important work elsewhere.  Thus it is at Portsmouth that two of the new docks are to be lengthened to 500-ft., to admit the battleships of the King Edward VII. Class an illustration of how our Naval establishments are adapted to meet the needs of the growing fleet.  It was at Devonport that the “Implacable” was built with a relative lightness of hull and fitting, as compared with the “Formidable” at Portsmouth, which lately won the admiration of the Admiralty, and caused a conference between the officers of the two yards to be ordered-a remarkable example of how progress in one establishment reacts upon another, bringing all into a general line of advance.

           If operations of such magnitude do not take place at Sheerness, we may point to the inter-relation of the yard with that at Chatham, and to the remarkable progress that both have made.  At Sheerness, as at other yards, may be seen hammers striking terrific blows, sheers lifting monstrous weights, punching machines striking holes through hard steel as easy as a pin going through a piece of paper, drilling machines penetrating the adamantine substance with no more difficulty that a corkscrew passes through a cork, and shearing machines biting off pieces of steel as a knife cuts slices of bread.  In a word, here are many mighty forces subdued by the engineer and harnessed for the shipbuilder’s needs.

           The great changes at Chatham Dockyard, and the increase of constructive facilities there, have done much to increase the importance of Sheerness, because of the fact that many ships necessarily make a stay at the latter port for compass adjustment, taking in ammunition, and sometimes for coaling.  About five years ago the channel of the Medway was deepened and widened so as to admit of the largest vessels passing to and fro between Chatham and the sea at every tide, and in order that sufficient water might be obtained for mooring ships.  These improvements have done much to increase the value of the twin ports on the east side of the island.  The comparative Naval value of  Sheerness as a dockyard may have tended in some degree to diminish, but in case of war there can be no doubt that the place would immediately regain its old importance, and ships of the smaller classes would find facilities in the yard for extensive repair without going up the Medway to Chatham.

           At the present time the establishment possesses three docks entered from the steam basin, and two from the lower camber, as well as one important building slip adjoining the latter.  The dockyard basin is 521-ft. long, and has an extreme breadth of a little over 300-ft., and upon its margin is the great mast sheers and boiler sheers, as well as a powerful crane.  The largest of the docks is No.3, with a length of 286-ft. 8-in.  No.1 dock is only a few inches less, but no.2 dock, which is housed in, does not exceed 224-ft.  Two of these docks have been increased in length by about 25-ft. since they were first constructed, and the Admiralty some years ago entertained the idea of still further enlargement, in order that second-class cruisers, or even larger vessels, might be docked but for various reasons which do not seem to be well known, but which were doubtless concerned with considerations of high policy, the idea appears to have been abandoned.  Docks Nos.4 and 5, which are entered from the lower camber, are smaller than the others, and are adapted for sloops and gunboats only.  All the docks at Sheerness are of the best workmanship, and in their character leave a little to desire, although the officers of the yard may well wish they were adapted for larger work.  It must, however, be remembered that  Sheerness and Chatham are in a very real sense sister establishments, each being complementary to the other, and that what Sheerness cannot do can be undertaken with ease at the larger yard, which I shall presently have an opportunity of describing.

           The mention of the docking and building facilities at  Sheerness brings us appropriately to a consideration of the classes of vessels, which have been built and are being built there.  The largest ever constructed in the yard was the was the second-class cruiser “Charybdis.”  Of 4,360 tons, 320-ft. long, with 49-ft. 6-in. beam, which was launched in 1893.  She had been preceded two years earlier by the “Brilliant,” of 3,600 tons, and several third-class cruisers have been built in the yard including the “Barracouta,” 1,580 tons, and the “Pelorus,” and several other vessels of the “P.” class.  The building of sloops is constantly in hand.  The “Swallow” in 1885, the “Buzzard” in 1887, the “Daphne” in 1888, and the “Rosario” and “Condor” in 1898, are among those built at Sheerness, and the new sloops, “Vestal,” Shearwater,” “Odin,” “Merlin,” “Fantome,” and “Espiegle” are the work of the yard.  The gunboats and torpedo gunboats which have been constructed there are also very numerous.  They include the “Pigmy,” “Goldfinch,” “Alarm,” “Circe,” “Leda,” “Hebe,” “Gossamer,” and “Gleaner.”  Other gunboats, also, like the “Speedy,” “Onyx,” “Niger,” and “Renard” have been completed at  Sheerness after being delivered by the contractors.  A great deal of work was done in the yard during the Russian War, when ship’s of her great Majesty’s Navy were constantly coming and going between Sheerness and the scenes of operation.  Thirty years ago there were 870 men on the permanent list of the establishment, but within twenty-five years that number fell to 620.  Although the number of hired men show some increase, Sheerness still remains among the smallest of our building establishments, notwithstanding that a great deal of varied and indispensable work is constantly in hand there.

           The most considerable additions made in the establishment since it was completed in 1823 have been the building, and the more recent extension, of the steam factory near the south gate.  Engine building began here in 1889, when the “Goldfinch,” “Gossamer,” and “Gleaner,” followed by the “Hebe,” and the “Torch” and “Alert” sloops, wee both built and engined I the yard.  The steam factory is not, however, by any means a rival of Keyham, which has supplied much machinery for Sheerness-built boats.  The Admiralty, however, wisely recognises the importance of maintaining machine shops and steam factory in constant work at this point of vantage and ready access on the east coast.

           Adjoining the steam basin is the Royal Navy Gunnery School-the Whale Island  of the port occupying a building originally devoted to the work of victualling, and afterwards employed as Naval barracks.  The gunnery establishment has quite outgrown the limits of accommodation it provided, and in 1898 the Admiralty seriously undertook the work of supplying the deficiency.  New buildings were to be erected to accommodate 30 officers and 1,000 men, and plans were prepared for the purpose, but a difficulty occurred which caused the plan to be abandoned.  The only available site was found on examination to be unsuitable on sanitary grounds, and negotiations for a better site at Chatham were therefore begun.  The change to be effected in the gunnery school was linked with the creation of a torpedo school for Sheerness and Chatham , and the latter establishment was ready for operations about the year 1896and added largely to the efficiency of the naval port.

           The great storehouse, which is illustrated, is the largest building in the yard, and is stated to have been erected on some 6,000 piles.  Here is collected a huge aggregate of the immense variety of stores required for His Majesty’s Ships.  Here, also, are the rigging house, the chart office, and the sail loft.  On the road leading from the main gate are the smithery, the boiler shop, the saw mills, the joinery, the pay office, and the office of the dockyard reserve, as well as the timber sheds, the muster offices, a dining-room for the dockyard artisans, and other buildings.

           Near to the upper camber and to the gunnery school stand the offices of the Captain-Superintendent for Sheerness like Pembroke, is under the rule of an officer below flag rank-being the Chief officer of the dockyard, and in the same buildings the Chief Constructor, the Naval Storekeeper, and the Cashier have their offices.  Admiralty House, the official residence of the Port Admiral-the Commander-in-Chief at the Nore-lies outside the dockyard, and actually in the garrison, but the distance is very short, and there is a private way of access.  King William IV. Has left his mark upon most of our Naval establishments, and Admiralty House was built as a Royal residence whenever His Majesty, then Duke of Clarence, came to stay at Sheerness, and it is even said that the place might have received the name of Clarence Town but for the history that belonged to the old and existing name.  Admiralty House is thus interesting as associating the place with our sailor king.  Another dockyard building standing outside the yard is the chapel, of classic aspect, which is depicted.  A century ago it would appear that service was conducted on board a hulk moored off the yard; but a church was erected, which was destroyed by fire twenty years ago, when two lives were lost and several men were seriously injured.

 Allusion was made in the last article to the insufficient defences of Sheerness, which made it an easy prey for the Dutch in 1667.  The resistance then offered does not, indeed, appear to have been a very sturdy one, but probably the defenders thought it better to retire to a secure fort, where they could be of real value, than to run the risk of being cut off and captured in an outlying position.  The place remained in a state of insecurity, so far as land defences were concerned, until the middle of the last century, when attention was drawn to the unsatisfactory and dangerous condition of affairs, and the forts at Garrison Point and on the Isle of Grain, opposite to Sheerness, were therefore erected, completely commanding the mouth of the Medway, and partially protecting that of the Thames, which has for further security the works at Shoeburyness, the school of army gunnery, on the Essex side.  Sheerness may now be deemed secure against attack, though it has been suggested that long-range fire might be dangerous to it.  However, it is not likely that so important a Naval station will remain without the protection of a Naval Force.  A few years ago the fortifications on the Isle of Grain were added to, and others were erected at Barton’s Point, where a rifle range for the port has lately been opened.  Recent types of heavy ordnance have been mounted in existing works, and a considerable number of old guns have been replaced, and there is also a station for the Brennan torpedo at Garrison Point.  These are matters in which very rapid progress has been made at Sheerness, and are marks of the greater importance, which attaches to the yard, suggesting that a time may come when its resources as a Naval base will be further developed.  A considerable change has also taken place in the port.  Instead of the old wooden guard-ship, which was there a few years ago, the “Sans Pareil” is now the port guard ship, and several other vessels are also stationed there.  Thus Sheerness presents features indicating a useful and important future.  It only remains to say that Captain Gerald C. Langley is the Superintendent of the yard, that Captain Walter S. Chambre is the staff Captain and King’s Harbour-master, C. P. Lemon, Esq., the Chief Constructor of the yard, R. H. Andrews, Esq., the Chief Engineer, and J.DavissonEsq.The Naval Store Officer  

Extract from "The Navy and Army Illustrated" - by John Leyland.

The marshy land and mosquitoes of Sheerness were a major problem even before the rebuiding of the dockyard in the beginning of the 19th century. Sheerness was described as "a villainous place" by a Captain Biurrish in 1741.He deplored the marshy areas whidh produced malaria carrying mosquitoes and deemed the climate "uncommonly disagreeable".

  Sheerness dockyard officers agreed, aying that people did not wish to send their sons there. To counteract the probles the Admiralty planned to build three naval hospitals,two with 250 beds and one with 1,500.

  One of the smaller ones was to be sited at Queenborough. The scheme lay dormant for three years and Chatham replaced Queenborough as a site. Only one hospital was built at Haslar. NB Haslar is now (2007) the sole surviving navla or military hospital and that is about to be closed