The Paddock occupies a prime urban site opposite the Town Hall in the centre of Chatham. Built on an area of marshland reclaimed in the C16, before belonging to the War Department, the area is now owned by Chatham Council, and was purchased around the turn of the C20. Once reclaimed, the Paddock formed part of the defensive 'field of fire', however, following the Napoleonic wars its use became redundent. The are was planted with trees, becoming a green space.

The land wall (now Globe lane) was completed by 1633 (possibly 1588) which allowed the reclaiming of the marshland either side. Closest to the river lies the Riverside Gardens, formally New Gun Wharf used by army ordnance. During a period of the enlargment of fortifications in the area (such as the building of Fort Amherst), Military Road was built, parallel to Globe Lane. The land inbetween became the Paddock (c.1805). The area was initially used for the storage of timber but by 1842 the land is depicted as an open space with established ornamental trees, both conifer and deciduous. The are was known as the Shrubbery. After its acquisition by the council, the Shrubbery changed its name to the Paddock by 1910.

During the Second World War, the Paddock was being used as a car park. By 1955, along with the acquisition, and development, of New Gun Wharf (now Riverside Gardens) by the council, the Paddock was restored to a grassed area with ornamental flower beds and a mix of survivng mature trees.

In 2014, the Kent Gardens Trust performed a review of historical information relating to the The Paddock, Chatham.

Taken from the review:
"STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This Edwardian park is a typical example of Chatham Corporation’s early C20 civic activity in creating public open space. Built on an area of marshland reclaimed in the C16, the site was initially cleared as a defensive ‘field of fire’ but, following the end of the Napoleonic wars, it was no longer needed and was planted with trees, becoming a green space in the centre of the town. Because of this continuous use, the site has significant archaeological potential specifically as a source of pre C18 and C19 evidence.
The Paddock survives as an important and highly valued open space for the people of Chatham. Together with the Riverside Gardens, Town Hall Gardens and the slope of Fort Amherst, the Paddock forms a significant landmark feature along the historic approach road past the former Town Hall and St Mary’s Church to the Historic Dockyards which are important as a tourist attraction.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT: … [the land currently occupied by the Paddock and Riverside Gardens was formally marshland. To the north of this marsh, between the church and the river lay a strip of land on which the Tudor dockyard was laid out 1547-67 (Cull), initially repairing and then building ships; the marshy area was probably used for storing masts. The yard became important because of its proximity to London and it was here, in 1588, that the fleet of Lord Howard of Effingham was fitted out before meeting the Spanish Armada. Because of its increasing importance and size, the dockyard was moved northwards to its present position in 1618-22 (Hasted) and the old dock became Gun Wharf, used for the storage of ordnance. By 1633 (probably by 1588) a land wall had been built across the marsh southwards from the dockyard to Chatham High Street (Kendal) which was maintained at a cost to the government (Hasted). This provided a barrier against the river as well as forming a tidal millpond and allowing the construction of a roadway (the present Globe Lane) for easier access to the dockyard from Rochester and London. The land on either side of the wall was gradually reclaimed between 1715-45 (Crawshaw), that to the south providing land for a major new part of the town and that to the north (the site of the mill pond) became New Gun Wharf to be used by the army ordnance.

Following the disastrous attack on the Medway in 1667, fortifications were increased to protect the dockyard. Much of the surrounding land was purchased by the Ordnance Board in 1708 (Cull) and from 1758, a series of palisades and entrenchments were constructed around the whole dockyard, eventually surrounding the parish church of St Mary (Hasted). These changes are clearly shown in the Mudge map of 1801 and it is apparent that by this time considerable building had taken place either side of the land wall both on New Gun Wharf and in Chatham town. The fortifications were further enlarged from 1805-12 with the building of Fort Amherst on the hills to the north immediately overlooking the town and the dockyard to the west (Crawshaw).

At the same time a new road, the Military Road, was built along the land wall parallel to Globe Lane to connect the dockyard and Fort Amherst to the recently built Fort Pitt on the south side of the town. It was on the land between the two roads that the Paddock was laid out c.1805 and initially used as a storage area for timber but by the mid C19 (tithe map, 1842) it is depicted as an open space with well-established ornamental trees of several different species, both conifer and deciduous (poplars being identifiable), which suggests an element of intended design.

…Ownership of the Paddock remained with the Ordnance Board who let the land for grazing. During the next 50 years the only change was to its surroundings with the building of two schools, one immediately to the north of the Paddock on the site of previous fortifications and the other, a National School, on the smaller area of landscaped land (tithe map no. 1951), leaving an open area between this and the Paddock (OS maps 1864 and 1897). The town of Chatham became incorporated in 1890 and it was here that the Town Hall was built in 1898-1900, a building (designed by GE Best of Rochester) dominating the Paddock. The new council needed green spaces within the town for recreational areas and, as a result, the Paddock, the old burial ground and Victoria Gardens came to be acquired in the last decade of C19.

A coloured postcard of c.1905 (MALSC) shows the Paddock with sheep grazing under mature trees, some of which appear unhealthy, the Town Hall in the background and surrounded by roads with trams. Another photograph of the same period, from its northern end, shows the trees of the western side the Paddock along Globe Lane and the wall of Gun Wharf (c.4m high) while to the east were shops and houses. Postcards, postmarked 1910 and 1919 (MALCS), show that extensive work had been carried out and the name had been changed from the Shrubbery to the Paddock. Many of the older, apparently unhealthy, trees had been cut down, the fence replaced by (c.1m) iron railings set on a low stone wall and an entrance with gates hung on pillars built in front of the Town Hall. Shrubs and new trees are shown planted in beds along the eastern border of the Paddock while down the centre ran a serpentine path bordered with flower beds.

During the Second World War the Paddock was used as a car park and by 1955 a public lavatory and restaurant had been built on the site (OS map 3rd edition). An aerial photo (1973) shows a line of buildings erected between the trees and occupying most of the site though the site’s boundary remains intact.

[In 1955, general changes to the area took place with the acquisition of New Gun Wharf by Chatham Council. The land was cleared of buildings and resulted in the creation of the Riverside Gardens.] … At the same time the Paddock was restored to a grassed area with ornamental flower beds and a mix of surviving mature trees, mainly horse chestnut…2011 saw the building of the new bus station (Dynamic Bus Facility) in Globe Lane and on part of Riverside Gardens (former New Gun Wharf) along the western side of the Paddock, thus obscuring its view to the river and to Rochester Cathedral and Castle. Initially planned to occupy part of the Paddock, the finished bus station was moved a little to the west on land within the Riverside Gardens site.

SITE DESCRIPTION
The Paddock lies on the east side of Globe Lane immediately south of its junction with The Brook (A 231), close to the civic centre of Chatham and 300m south of the parish church of St Mary which, with the Historic dockyard, is visible through its trees. The 0.4 hectare site is roughly lozenge-shaped and approximately 130m by 30m…The Paddock is bordered to the north-east by the Brook on which stands the former Town Hall, now an arts centre and theatre…To the west the Paddock is bounded by Globe Lane and the C21 bus station beyond which are Riverside Gardens and the White House (c.1819, formerly the deputy storekeeper’s house and now part of the bus station)…Although the Paddock is level, the surrounding roads decline slightly southwards, effectively raising it about one metre at the southern end. It is therefore contained by a brick retaining wall (0.3-1m) which inclines inwards to prevent erosion, except on the northern side where the grass is carried up to the road…There are three entrances to the Paddock…Nothing remains of the earlier entrance created at the northern end of the park in 1910-19.

GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS
Entering the Paddock from the northern end, it is possible to view the whole site. The central path leads approximately south for 130m. On either side mature trees, set in mown grass, form an avenue; wrought iron and wooden benches are placed at intervals along the central path, together with litter bins. The east side of the avenue comprises all horse chestnut, one of which has a girth of 3.40m and another of 3.20m, making a total of eight; to the west are seven rather younger trees, perhaps planted in the 1960s when the buildings were pulled down and the ground restored. The larger trees appear considerably older and may be survivors from the C19 when the site was known as Shrubbery.
Other mature trees include a yew, a whitebeam, a maple and an ornamental cherry. The most recent planting is of three Ginkgo biloba along the northern border and a further three along the western side, perhaps dating from the street refurbishment of 1993. A C21 beech hedge is planted on the bank along the south and west perimeter of the site beside the bus station.
Three ornamental flower beds in the central area of the park provide some seasonal colour while at the southern end of the Paddock is a large ship’s anchor set on granite paving, a gift to the City of Rochester upon Medway by the Royal Navy commemorating their presence and that of the Royal Dockyard in Chatham 1547-1984." (1)

<1> Kent Gardens Trust, 2014, The Kent Compendium of Historic Parks and Gardens for Medway: The Paddock, Chatham (Unpublished document). SKE31418.