In parallel with the SPD, HTA produced a Heritage & Wayfinding Strategy for Medway Council to help reconnect Chatham’s high street with its wider historic assets. Working in collaboration across planning and landscape teams, the strategy explored how visual and experiential cues could be used to tell stories, aid navigation and reinforce the area’s identity. The process began with on-site analysis and a review of existing signage and movement routes. We identified two key routes of opportunity: one linking Chatham Railway Station with the Historic Dockyard, and the other following the high street corridor through Intra to Rochester. Based on these, we developed two narrative-led visual concepts. The ‘yellow thread’ concept references the rope-dyeing traditions of Chatham’s naval past, proposing a continuous visual cue that draws visitors through the area. The ‘dazzle’ concept draws inspiration from naval camouflage patterns, bringing bold, graphic interventions into public space. The strategy complements the SPD by grounding future wayfinding and interpretation in local heritage – offering a cohesive, place-specific identity that supports cultural tourism, legibility and pride of place.
