Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is home to three of the most important ships ever built. Henry VIII’s favourite warship Mary Rose, Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory and the pride of Queen Victoria’s Navy, HMS Warrior 1860. They are set alongside the Royal Naval Museum, one of the country’s leading maritime museums and the hi-tech, modern Navy showcase Action Stations to create an unforgettable venue for a truly memorable event.
The Robot suggests seeing (as a minimum):
Mary Rose
The only surviving 16th century warship on display anywhere in the world, the Mary Rose was one of the earliest ships to carry heavy guns. A favourite of King Henry VIII, she sank off Portsmouth in 1545 during an engagement with a French invasion fleet, in full view of the King, the screams of the men onboard, ringing in his ears. The rediscovery of the Mary Rose during the 1970s and her raising in 1982 were seminal events in the history of nautical archaeology, watched by a worldwide audience of over 60 million people and remembered by a generation. The Mary Rose Museum offer guided tours starting at 10.30am and 3.30pm during weekends and school holidays and at 3.30pm only during the week.
HMS Victory
The Royal Navy’s most famous warship. She is the world’s oldest commissioned ship and a proud memorial to Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, Britain’s greatest Naval hero. Standing proud in her home of No. 2 dry dock, HMS Victory is one of the most famous warships ever built. Built between 1759-1765, Victory was a first-rate, ship-of-the-line. In 1805, Vice Admiral Lord Nelson on board his flagship, HMS Victory, led 27 British ships into battle off Cape Trafalgar against a much larger combined French and Spanish fleet. Thanks to Nelson’s inspired leadership, the British won a great victory and the Battle of Trafalgar has become a defining moment in our history. But Nelson paid the ultimate price – struck by a single bullet as he paced the quarterdeck with his captain, Thomas Hardy, he survived just long enough to learn the outcome of the battle. See the Great Cabin where the battle was planned, the spot where Nelson died and the once crowded decks where over 800 men lived, worked and fought.
HMS Warrior 1860
When built, HMS Warrior was, quite simply, bigger, faster and more heavily armed than any other warship afloat. Warrior was the world’s first iron-hulled, armoured warship powered by steam as well as sail and constructed of wrought iron. She was the ultimate deterrent. She never once fired a shot in anger. Her strength was her ability to keep the peace. She represents Pax Britannica at its zenith. However within a decade she was obsolete, her technology surpassed.
Family activities in 2009:
Tudor dressing up at the Mary Rose Museum – what would you look like as a Tudor? Don’t forget your camera! Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 January
5 & 6 September
14 & 15 November
11am – 12noon & 2pm – 4pm
FREE with valid ticket/children must be accompanied by an adult
Meet the Tudor gunner at the Mary Rose Museum – join in with a Tudor gundrill.
26 & 27 September
21 & 22 November
11am – 12noon & 2pm – 4pm
FREE with valid ticket/children must be accompanied by an adult
Tudor life ashore at the Mary Rose Museum – find out what life was like for the families of the Mary Rose crew.
21 & 22 March
17 & 18 October
12 & 13 December
11am – 12noon & 2pm – 4pm
FREE with valid ticket/children must be accompanied by an adult
‘Knots and rigging’ at the Mary Rose museum – learn about the rigging on the Mary Rose and try your hand at making anti-boarding netting and knots.
28 & 29 March
6 & 7 June
20 & 21 June
4 & 5 July
12 & 13 September
5 & 6 December
11am – 12noon & 2pm – 4pm
FREE with valid ticket/children must be accompanied by an adult
Opening times:
Open daily from 10am (closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day)
From April to October the Dockyard closes at 6.00pm
From November to March the Dockyard closes at 5.30pm
By road:
The Historic Dockyard is less than 5 miles from Junction 12 of the M27. Follow the brown Historic Waterfront signs from the M275 into Portsmouth. Car parking is available on-site, or if the car park is full an alternative car park is available within a 5 minute walk. Please see our car parking page for more information.
For those using satellite navigation devices, the post code of the Historic Dockyard car park is PO1 3LA.
By train:
Portsmouth Harbour – 90 minutes from London Waterloo – South West Trains
By bus:
Many local and regional bus services stop at the Hard Interchange (adjacent to Historic Dockyard entrance) – First Bus, Stagecoach and Bluestar Bus services
Website:
www.historicdockyard.co.uk
Address:
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Visitor Centre, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ (Map)
General Enquiries – 023 9283 9766
Advanced Sales – 023 9283 9766
24 hour Information – 023 9286 1512
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