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For
over 300 years “Britannia ruled the waves” and Portsmouth
Dockyard keep the British fleets supplied. Even before that
Roman fleets based here.
Today, visitors can see Henry VIII’s flagship,
Mary Rose, which sank back in 1545. More successful ships
include Nelson’s Victory, the 100-gun flagship at
Trafalgar that kept Napoleon penned up in Europe, and the Warrior,
a wonderful example of Victorian engineering that’s the
first thing one sees when the train from Victoria Station
pulls into the Southampton end of the line just an hour from
London.
A
chronological approach probably works best except on weekends
when the Victory collects crowds:
The
Mary Rose exhibit is the best display of a 16th
century warship anywhere as heavily laden with soldiers it
capsized and only about three dozen survived.
Everything stayed under the harbor mud and more than
20,000 different items came up when the hull was resurrected
from its underwater tomb. Longbows, food dishes and everything
else needed for life afloat are on display here in a gallery
just to the right of the dockyard gate, and it takes a good 30
minutes to skim the exhibits. Then it’s time to walk back past
the Victory to the Ship Hall that preserves the
timbered remains under mists.
Every
British schoolchild visits the Victory where Nelson
died as his ships won the most important battle of the
Napoleonic Wars.
This massive 100-gun ship is still commissioned and in
“as-new” condition.
The conditions, and the height, of the gun decks
suggest Jack Tars where tougher, and shorter than today’s
sailors.
The galley and the magazines deep in the ship deserve
special attention.
After
visiting the Victory work back towards the train
station through the Royal Naval Museum – don’t miss the
Battle of Trafalgar Gallery, and consider Brunel’s Block
Mills exhibit where the first mass production – of the
pulley blocks that hang like Christmas tree ornaments on
sailing ships – took place.
If you’re hungry try the Tradewinds Restaurant right
across Main Road from the last of the museum galleries.
The restaurant also schools apprentice cooks for the
Royal Navy, and dishes like potpies and soups define good
quality and value.
The
ship closest to the train station, the Warrior, comes
as a surprise to most visitors.
It was the first armored frigate that could outgun or
outrun anything else afloat.
The massive armor, huge engines and giant
breech-loading guns require special attention.
Then
it’s decision time.
Back to London?
How a harbor boat trip or the shuttle to the excellent
Submarine Museum? Both leave from the dock next to the Warrior.
Want some hand’s on experience check out the Dockyard
Apprentices exhibits.
In Southampton, there’s a D-day Museum to visit as
well.
Address: Portsmouth
Naval Base, Property Trust, 19 College Road, HM Naval Base,
Portsmouth, POI 3LJ
Nearest
Underground: N.A.
Train line ends on a pier next to the dockyard.
Phone:
023 9286
URL:
www.stvincent.ac.uk,
www.flagship.org.uk
Admission:
Walk around the dockyard free and buy individual tickets to
ships for about £6.00
Adults:
£12.50 ($18), Senior £ 11.00 ($16) Children/Student £ 9.30
($14)
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