Royal dockyard remembers Nelson

No 2 Dock at Chatham was renamed Victory Dock this year

One of Britain's historic dockyards will be the focal point of celebrations in the South East to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Chatham Dockyard was where HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, was built between 1759 and 1765.

Events this weekend include fireworks over the River Medway on Friday and beacon lighting across the region.

On Sunday, walkers in East Sussex will be visiting the site in Uckfield where it is said the first cannon was cast.

Kent's maritime history - with its strong connections with the Royal Navy and the former Royal Dockyards - has made Trafalgar Day particularly relevant to the county.

The first permanent royal dockyard was established at Portsmouth at the end of the 15th Century, followed by additional dockyards along the Thames and Medway to ensure the Navy were positioned close to London.

SOUTH EAST BEACON SITES Kent beacon sites include Broadstairs, Challock, Cuxton, Dymchurch, Folkestone, Hythe, Kemsing, Lydd, New Romney, Ramsgate, Sandwich, Smardon, Tenterden and Whitstable East Sussex beacons are being lit in Ashburnham, Bexhill, Brede, Brightling, Crowborough, East Chiltington, East Hoathly, Heathfield, Rye and Winchelsea West Sussex will have a town council beacon at Bognor Regis, and charity-run beacon events at Arundel, Haywards Heath, Shoreham and on the beach at West Wittering Surrey beacons being lit by councils and charities can be found at Chertsey, Farnham, Godalming, Guildford, Headley, Horley, Lingfield, Shackleford and Woldingham

The additional royal dockyards were at Woolwich, Deptford, Sheerness and Chatham, which was used to repair warships moored on the Medway during the winter.

Nelson arrived in Medway in 1771 as a 12-year-old midshipman.

His flagship in the Battle of Trafalgar had already been built at No 2 Dock in the Chatham shipbuilding yard.

The dock was renamed Victory Dock this year.

Events in Kent include an exhibition of embroidery by Horatia, Nelson's only daughter, in Tenterden where she lived for almost 30 years.

And Nelsons of the future will also be celebrating in Westerham when the first sea cadet unit is opening in the south of England for more than 20 years - 30 youngsters from the Sevenoaks area have already signed up.

Events listed in the Sussex area include a celebratory dinner organised by the Hastings and Battle Astronomical Society, where one of the members is said to be a descendant of Lord Nelson.

HMS Victory will be at the centre of the Trafalgar celebrations

The member will be piped into the society's viewing dome carrying the Vice Admiral's reading glasses, the Trafalgar Weekend website says.

In Surrey, the Dorking Friends of Cancer Research UK will be celebrating at the Tithe Barn in the town's Burford Bridge Hotel, which is said to be the place where Lady Emma Hamilton would meet Lord Nelson.

Fireworks, bell ringing and the lighting of beacons will take place in towns across the South East region.

Bell ringing at Wouldham in Kent will mark the place where Walter Burke, the Purser on HMS Victory, lived.

Walter Burke held Nelson as he died on board Victory, and is himself buried near the church. On Friday, children from the village primary school will lay flowers on his grave.