All three SS Richard Montgomery masts are at the Historic Dockyard Chatham. A £500,000 government contract covers their storage and conservation to next August.

The masts of the wartime “bomb ship” SS Richard Montgomery are now at the Historic Dockyard Chatham. They stood in the Thames Estuary for more than 80 years.

Maritime minister Keir Mather told Parliament on 19 October that all three had been removed and delivered to the Dockyard. He said the job finished ahead of schedule and below forecast cost, without giving figures.

The wreck lies 1.5 miles off Sheerness, about 11 miles north-east of Chatham. It sank in 1944 and still holds an estimated 1,400 tonnes of munitions.

The masts were cut because their weight was straining the ageing hull. The government put £9.5 million into the project.

What the Dockyard is being paid to do

The Department for Transport awarded the Dockyard a direct contract worth £500,000 before VAT, or £600,000 with it. It runs from 26 September 2026 to 31 August 2027, by the notice’s estimate.

The notice lists the work as:

  • receiving and handling the masts
  • condition surveys
  • conservation planning
  • stabilisation work
  • ongoing storage

It also allows for further purchases once an estimate for the conservation work is finalised. So £500,000 may not be the final bill.

What visitors should get

Paul Barnard, Deputy CEO of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, said in July that the masts “will become part of a live conservation project”. He said that would give visitors “a rare opportunity to watch specialist conservation in action”.

He called the masts “a familiar landmark for generations of people living around Medway and Swale”.

The government’s July announcement said the masts would be displayed locally in Kent and would bring thousands of pounds in regional tourism benefits. It did not name a permanent home or put a figure on the benefit.

The Dockyard’s website has not yet published a start date for the project.

What it means for you

If you are visiting the Dockyard: contact the Dockyard first if the masts are the reason for your trip. We could not find a published viewing arrangement on the Dockyard’s own site.

If you live near the estuary: only the masts have gone, and the munitions remain on the wreck. The minister said the wreck stays under continuous monitoring, and the exclusion zone and flying restrictions remain in force.