Portsmouth Historic Dockyard facts for kids
The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a special part of the Royal Navy Base in Portsmouth, England. It's open for everyone to visit! Here, you can explore amazing old ships and historic buildings. It's like stepping back in time to see how the Royal Navy worked.
This dockyard is looked after by the National Museum of the Royal Navy. They work with several groups, like the Mary Rose Trust and the HMS Victory Preservation Company. Their main goal is to help people learn about the Royal Navy's history and its famous ships.
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What is the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard?
The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a place where you can discover the rich history of the Royal Navy. It's not just a museum; it's an active naval base with parts specially set aside for visitors. You can walk around, see incredible ships, and learn about the people who sailed them.
A Brief Look at its Past
The main museum here, the National Museum of the Royal Navy, first opened its doors in Portsmouth in 1911. Over the years, it grew to include more responsibilities. It now helps look after other important naval museums.
Amazing Ships and Attractions to See
The dockyard is home to some of the most famous ships in British history. Here are a few you can explore:
- HMS Victory: This is the most famous ship here! She was the flagship of Admiral Horatio Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. You can visit her and imagine what life was like for sailors hundreds of years ago. She has been open to the public for almost 200 years. She has been in her current dry dock since 1922.
- HMS Warrior: Launched in 1860, this ship was a true marvel of its time. She was the world's first warship with iron armor plating. This made her incredibly strong and a big step forward in naval design. She opened to visitors in 1987.
- HMS M33: This is a smaller but very important ship from the First World War. She is a type of ship called a "monitor," designed to fire big guns from close to shore. She opened to the public in 2015.
- The Mary Rose: This incredible warship belonged to the Tudor navy and sank in 1545. After many years, her remains were brought up from the seabed in 1982. About one-third of her hull survived. You can see her in a special museum, along with thousands of items found from the shipwreck.
- HM Coastal Boat 4: This is another First World War vessel. It's a fast torpedo boat. This particular boat is famous because Lieutenant Augustus Agar used it to earn a Victoria Cross. He carried out a daring raid on Soviet warships and sank the cruiser Oleg.
Inside the National Museum of the Royal Navy, you'll find many original items from naval history. One amazing item is a piece of the original sail from the Battle of Trafalgar. The museum also has an interactive area called "The Trafalgar Experience." Here, you can walk through and learn all about the famous battle. It ends with a huge painting of the battle by William Lionel Wyllie.
Historic Buildings and Training
The Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust helps keep all the old buildings in the Historic Dockyard in good shape. They work hard to preserve these important parts of history. This Trust also started the Memorial Flotilla, which is a collection of small boats used in conflicts from the late 1800s and 1900s.
They also run the International Boatbuilding Training College (IBTC) in Boathouse 4. Here, people learn traditional boat building skills. Many volunteers help restore and operate the Trust's collection of historic boats.
