Ships Ahoy! Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard’s Reopening

HMS Warrior. Image by Geni, creative commons licence.

3 historic ships and many other nautical wonders at Portsmouth’s reopened dockyard.

Nelson, HMS Victory, the Mary Rose, the Royal Navy… all stirring names from Britain’s history. All happen to be part of Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, which reopens on Monday 24 August 2020.

Portsmouth -- less than 2 hours by train from London or a simple car journey -- is packed to the gunwales with family activities. 

Its most famous treasure is, perhaps, HMS Victory -- the Trafalgar flagship upon which Admiral Nelson met his heroic end. You can also see the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s own flagship, which was raised from the Solent in 1982 (to much coverage on Blue Peter, as I hazily remember). The third major vessel is HMS Warrior. This dates from 1860 and was the Royal Navy’s first ship with an iron hull. Her massive scale must have been awe-inspiring back in the Victorian era. It still is today.

All three ships will reopen on 24 August to prebooked ticket holders. The Historic Dockyard contains much else besides, including the Royal Navy Museum plus various other ships and a submarine. 

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Those with a head for heights might take the chance to climb the Spinnaker Tower, which offers stunning views of Portsmouth, the nearby coast and across to the Isle of Wight.