How many candles will you be able to fit on the Historic Dockyard Chatham’s 400th birthday cake?

Chatham’s home to all things nautical is marking its 400th anniversary this year and to celebrate, is holding a Bake Off contest, where the winning cake will be chosen as the dockyard’s official birthday cake.

Managers have been looking at how the site has sparked creativity over its 400 years through art, photography and music.

Now they want creative bakers to make their birthday cake in a special Dockyard Bake Off.

Do you have the baking know-how to impress the judges in their summertime contest?

The theme will be your memory of the dockyard, and judging will be carried out by the chief executive, Bill Ferris, who himself started out as a baker, and Frances Quinn, the winner of the Great British Bake Off series four.

Bake Off day at the dockyard will be on Sunday, July 15 when the Commissioner’s House marquee will be decked out to display the cakes.

In the garden, the winners will be announced and the Polka Dot Dolls - regulars at the Salute to the 40s event - will be performing.

Bakers can sign up online to enter and for a small fee they and a friend have access to the dockyard for the day too.

Cakes will be judged on the categories of taste, appearance, most unusual ingredients and an overall winner.

Winners will be awarded prizes later in the day.

Entrance costs £10 for the baker and a plus one. Cakes must be no bigger than 30-45cm wide but can be as tall as you like. Cakes can be dropped off at the Commissioner’s House between 11am and 12.30pm ready for the closed judging.

Entrants need to provide information with their cake about the design, ingredients and memory, as well as their name.

The judging process will be a closed judging session but people that have entered the competition will have the opportunity to meet the judges afterwards. Get your apron at the ready and start baking - sign up at thedockyard.co.uk by Monday, July 2.

The dockyard's Festival 400 - from 1618 to 2018 - features events including an art exhibition, Powerful Tides, and coming up Brick History: Walk Through History in LEGO Bricks. For details of what’s on go to thedockyard.co.uk