Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Gunwharf Quay
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Historic Ships: The dockyard houses three iconic British warships:
HMS Victory: Admiral Nelson’s famous flagship.
HMS Warrior: The world’s first armored warship.
Mary Rose: A Tudor warship that was raised from The Solent seabed in 1982. (see image). Mary Rose
For over 500 years, Portsmouth Dockyard has been crucial to England’s naval strength. King Richard I granted Portsmouth its first Royal Charter in 1194, and King Henry VII oversaw the construction of the world’s first dry dock there. The dockyard played a pivotal role in naval history, including the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
HMS Warrior
Mary Rose
HMS Victory
By the turn of the 19th century, the Royal Navy had 684 ships, and Portsmouth Dockyard was the largest industrial complex globally. It even hosted Horatio Nelson before his final voyage on HMS Victory, leading to the Battle of Trafalgar.
World War Connections
During both World Wars, Portsmouth remained a vital naval port. It served as a departure point for D-Day landings in 1944, and the naval base faced bombing attacks due to its strategic importance.
Gunwharf Quays
Historical Origins: The site was once HM Gunwharf, established by the Board of Ordnance. It stored cannons, ammunition, and other armaments for land and sea use. Later known as HMS Vernon, it closed in 1995 and reopened as Gunwharf Quays in 2001 after extensive reconstruction, including restoring surviving 18th and 19th-century Gun Wharf buildings.
Gunwharf Quays
The iconic Spinnaker Tower, standing near the site in Portsmouth Harbour, opened in 2005. It offers breathtaking views of the city and the Solent.
Gunwharf Quays boasts one of Europe’s largest arrays of solar panels on a shopping center. These panels power the car park, ensuring sustainability.
Shopping and Dining: With over 90 stores offering up to 60% discounts on regular retail prices and more than 30 restaurants, bars, and coffee shops, Gunwharf Quays is a vibrant shopping and leisure destination.
Gunwharf Quays
Spinnaker Tower
WORKBOOK
HMS Victory
1. Which famous battle did HMS Victory take part in?
2. HMS Victory is the oldest Flagship in the world. What is a ‘Flagship’?
3. Where on the ship was Admiral Nelson shot by a French sharpshooter? (Hint: Look for a plaque)
4. In Nelsons Cabin on the far right next to the window is a small secret room. What is in it?
5. How many guns did HMS Victory have?
6. The Right hand side and Left hand side of the ship are called what?
7. When and where was HMS Victory Launched? (Hint: There is a colourful Armament on the ship look out for it!)
WORKBOOK
Mary Rose Museum
1. The Mary Rose was the flagship of which English king?
2. When did the Mary Rose Sink?
3. How many men were on board the ship when it sunk? And how many survived?
4. How many years was she under water?
5. When the ship was raised in 1982 it had on board lots of preserved artifacts which gives us an understanding of how people lived hundreds of years ago. Which period in English history does the Mary Rose give us an insight into?
6. What do we call the front and back of the ship?
7. Which current King was interested in the restoration of the Mary Rose and dived to see the Mary Rose under water?
WORKBOOK
The Galleries
1. What was the exact date of the battle of Trafalgar? (Hint: Look above the portrait of Nelson)
2. Where did Nelson lose his arm?
3. Where in London Nelson’s column? (Hint: look for a model of it)
4. Where is Nelson’s body buried?
5. What is Grog?
6. What do we call the front and back of the ship?
7. Why did sailors develop Scurvy?
