Day-time in Portsmouth
History & Heritage
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, just voted best ‘Large Visitor Attraction’ in the Enjoy England Excellence Awards, is a short break in its own right. The Dockyard is home to the Mary Rose, the pride of Henry VIII’s fleet of warships, raised from the seabed in 1982, as well as to the world’s first iron-hulled armoured battleship, HMS Warrior 1860 and to Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory.
The world’s oldest commissioned warship, HMS Victory fought and won the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and it is a splendid black and gold sight in its Portsmouth harbour home. Tours show the spot on deck where Nelson fell and, below, the simple bay where he died.
There are several ‘must see’ museums in the dockyard including the Victory Museum with a fantastic display of ship Figureheads and the funeral barge that carried Nelson to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Naval Museum has clever, educational exhibits for kids.
Families shouldn’t miss Action Stations, an interactive centre that explains the role of the modern navy. Highlights include a Rapid River fast reaction challenge, helicopter flight simulator and a cross-country
skiing test.