Wow!

That was my reaction when I saw this amazing structure. All those supporting beams are made of wood.
Please have a look on large view if you have a moment.

Today was my birthday and Lester took me back to Kent, the county in which I was born, for a day's sightseeing. We started off in Chatham, the town in which I was born and raised.

This is the ceiling of Number 3 Slip at Chatham Royal Naval Dockyard. The dockyard dates back to the 17th century and was still used in the 20th century, although it eventually closed in 1984. It is now operating as a museum. HMS Victory, Horatio Nelson's flagship, was built at Chatham Dockyard.

This was taken while we were standing on a mezzanine floor at the top of the building. I don't know how tall the structure is but ships were accommodated there, so the apex of the roof is really quite a way up! I hadn't been up there before - Lester had and calls it one of his favourite buildings in the whole world, and I can quite understand why - it's one of mine now, too.

[judith deacon]

Happy Birthday! what a great way to celebrate, Kent is also the county I was born in but I haven't been to the Dockyard at Chatham since they have turned it into a museum, you have just convinced me I must! This is an awesome image. I hope you really enjoyed your birthday!

[Michael Witt]

Amazing structure!

[Susan Bell]

Beautiful!!!!

[Jen Hudson]

Happy birthday. Def one to view close up, it's an overwhelming structure. Great pov.

[m9f9l]

Yowza! Amazing structure and you captured it beautifully! Happy Birthday! (Don't they have a fight scene in a place like this in the Shirlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr.?)

[m9f9l]

Yup! Just found this online: “They had found an actual location in the Chatham Dockyards,” recalled Fawkner, “which is almost like a theme park for ship historians. It’s still a working slipway and the building we used was at one time the widest single-span structure in the world.”

[Alison Hewitt Bailey]

@m9f9l Thank you :-) That's interesting - it's not mentioned at the building at all!

[elkehochban]

Happy Birthday, Alison! Very interesting roof structure!

[vorka]

Wow, thats a seriously cool structure.

[Brian Baptie]

Happy birthday Alison. I hope you have a wonderful day and this is a great shot!!

[Simon]

Happy belated Birthday

[Carole Imes]

Happy Birthday, Alison.....what a wonderful way to celebrate. Yes indeed this is a most amazing structure ....viewed large, awesome! Fab photo and perspective. Enjoy your day and the rest of your trip!! xo

[Milanie]

This is an architectual beauty! Viewed large is is really awesome. Great eye for a great composition.

[Jean Tookey]

This is an amazing structure. Great perspective. I'm glad you enjoyed your time in Kent.

[Jennifer C]

wow, i bet some great tall ships were built there over the years! thanks for this, I just read all about Chatham on wikepedia, it was fascinating! hope you had a great birthday x

[Celia Leaberry Gould]

Definitely wow.

[Robin]

Stunning structure. Sounds like a great birthday treat.

[Netkonnexion]

A belated HB2U!
Wow! What a picture. Love the geometry and great lines in this. Wonderful.

[Hamble]

Happy birthday for Thursday! Hope you had a great day! Oh, and a great shot too, interesting structure!

[carol white]

Great shot!!I believe my dad was stationed at Chatham during the war.

[Rachel Holbrook]

amazing!! - I am planning a trip to Kent :-)

[Alison Hewitt Bailey]

@rvm I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself, there's lots to see and do; Kent has so many different aspects to it.