Originally invented in China, gunpowder was first manufactured in Britain around 1530. Production in the Faversham area is believed to have started some twenty years later and continued for nearly four hundred years. Eventually the area's close proximity to mainland Europe was considered too vulnerable to possible attack, and operations ceased in 1934. Throughout its working life the Chart Gunowder Mill played a key role in warfare supplies, but during the Napoleonic Wars when it reached its peak, it almost certainly produced some of the powder used at Trafalgar and Waterloo.

So why did Faversham become so dominant in this industry? Quite simply, Faversham had the required infrastructure and environment to facilitate all aspects of the manufacturing process. The three main ingredients of gunpowder are charcoal, saltpetre and sulphur, but the latter two were unavailable in Britain. Having to import the materials from India and Sicily respectively was made relatively easy via the local creeks that allowed good access from the sea. Furthermore, the abundant growth of both Willow and Alder trees in the rich Kentish soil provided the best source of charcoal conveniently at hand, and readily available. Finally, there was a good water source due to the proximity of the North Downs, and all these factors combined with Faversham's easy access to the major dockyards and armouries of North Kent and London, made it an ideal location.

Chart Gunpowder Mill, now the only surviving gunpowder mill in the UK, formed part of the Home Works complex, and made up the bulk of manufacturing in the area together with Oare and Marsh . Known as an 'incorporating' mill, Chart Gunpowder Mill undertook one of the most critical (and dangerous) processes in gunpowder production, incorporating being the process by which the three ingredients were combined to form an explosive powder. This process determined the quality, power, and evenness of burning of the finished product. Chart Gunpowder Mill comprised of two water wheels, each driving two mills apiece, but only one of the wheels and a single mill has survived intact. The pit of the second wheel, and the circular bed stones from the other three mills can still be seen.

The surviving wheel is a low, breast shot wheel of iron construction and is controlled by a series of sluices. Inside Chart Gunpowder Mill, the gearing arrangement is not dissimilar to that of a traditional corn mill, but the most noticeable changes occur at the 'business' end. In a corn mill the grain is fed into the centre of a pair of horizontally mounted grooved grinding stones, whereas in a gunpowder mill the ingredients are laid out on a large pan. Over this pan, two grinding wheels are mounted vertically and opposite each other on a centre shaft and, as the shaft rotates, the 'running edges' of the stones revolve around the pan. To ensure best coverage of the pan, the wheels are set at different distances from the central shaft. Two 'plough' like devices are also connected to the shaft in an effort to eliminate any powder build-up occurring at the inner and outer edges of the pan. The revolution of the running stones would be approximately 10rpm, as opposed to 30rpm in a corn mill, and the whole process for each batch of powder would last for 5-6 hours. On completion of the batch, the whole area would have to be thoroughly washed down before the next batch could be started.

Chart Gunpowder Mill is a rare survivor, escaping an order to be destroyed by a local resident. Normally, once production ceased gunpowder mills were burned for safety reasons, but one water wheel and mill were spared at Chart, the owner of nearby St Ann's House decided that he needed the equipment to pump water up to his gardens and greenhouses. In the 1960s the Faversham Society rescued the Chart Gunpowder Mill from dereliction by instigating a programme of renovation and repairs. The main structure was stabilised and largely re-built, a new pan rim was installed, and running stones were recovered from the defunct Oare works. Now open to the public, Chart Gunpowder Mill contains an interesting exhibition on the Faversham gunpowder industry, and volunteers are always on hand to answer any questions that visitors may have.