TQ 76 NE CHATHAM CHURCH LANE (West side) Chatham Dockyard 762-1/8/39 Former Cashier's Office 24.5.71 GV II* Cashier's office. Late C18, extended at Wend c1808 by Edward Holl, architect for the Navy Board. Red brick with patterned brick jambs to upper windows and stone dressings, brick rear lateral stacks, and hipped slate roof. Mid Georgian style. PLAN: single-depth axial 4-room plan. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; 12-window range. A long parapeted range has a plinth and broad pilasters to the ends, 2 doorways 1 and 5 bays from the right, with rusticated pilasters to a triglyph frieze and modillion cornice, and doors with 8 raised panels half glazed, the right-hand one set in an elliptical-arched recess with imposts. Segmental-arched windows with shallow-recessed 6/6-pane sashes. Blind rear elevation includes a French window with raised surround and cornice to the N end. 2-window returns, that to the S end with step up to an inserted doorway. A lower single storey; 5:7-window range extends from the N end, in 2 sections, with a parapet ramped up to the S end. Rubbed red brick arches over 4 doors and 6/6-pane sashes as the main range. INTERIOR: a rear late C19 stair against the wall to a large formerly open first floor, with rear plain stone fire surrounds. Stair case has been moved from its original position at the Wend. HISTORY: John Dickens, Charles' father worked in these offices between 1817 and 1823, when the building contained the Navy Pay Office on the first floor. The lower Wend was built for offices for the Commissioner and his staff, first floor clerk's office, and a waiting lobby at the E end. The presence of specialist pay offices reflects the size and complexity of the dockyards in the C18. Occupies a prominent position in this complete Georgian dockyard. (Sources: Coad J: Historic Architecture of Chatham Dockyard 1700-1850: London: 1982: 173 ; Coad J: The Royal Dockyards 1690-1850: Aldershot: 1989: 48 ; MacDougal1 P: The Chatham Dockyard Story: Rainham: 1987: 102, 166). Listing NGR: TQ7592969081