Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is an ideal day out for groups and tours.
Ask anyone to name the most famous warships in the world and the Mary Rose, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior 1860 are sure to feature - in turn the favourite of Henry VIII, Nelson's victor at the Battle of Trafalgar and the ship that never fired a shot in anger during 10 years of sea domination.
2013 was a momentous year for the brand new and internationally-renowned Mary Rose Museum which has reunited the hull of the Tudor galleon with the 19,000 perfectly preserved artefacts that were raised with her from the seabed in 1982.
Add 800 years of history at the National Museum Royal Navy Portsmouth, an interactive showcase of the modern Royal Navy, Action Stations, a boat tour of Portsmouth and a truly memorable maritime day out with your group is to be had at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
- The group ticket includes access to new Mary Rose Museum, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860,
- National Museum Royal Navy Portsmouth, Action Stations and Harbour Tour
- Discounted rates for groups of 15 people or more
- Full day or one attraction tickets - flexible to the time your group has available
- Exclusive behind the scenes tours for groups available
- No maximum group size (larger groups will be split into parties of 30-35)
- Free entry for coach drivers and group leaders
- Catering for large groups available in unique settings (even if not visiting the attractions)
Landmarks
The main entrance to the Historic Dockyard, Victory Gate dates back to 1711 and features a plaque on the right hand wall which marks the visit of Queen Anne in the same year. Formerly Main Gate, it was widened during the Second World War to allow large vehicles to enter and the wrought iron scrolled arch and lantern that spanned the two pillars was lost.
The Porter's Lodge was built in 1708 as a domestic building where the Dockyard Porter resided. The porter had an extremely important role with three functions. He guarded the Dockyard's boundaries and property and marked working hours by ringing the muster bell which was located on the side of Boathouse 5 and closing the gate against latecomers. He policed the workers to prevent excessive theft and also sold beer to the men 'to enable them the better to carry on their labour and not to distemper them'. He was the public face of the Dockyard, the daily interface between the inside and outside communities.
Adjacent to Porter's Lodge is a statue of Antarctic explorer Robert Scott, commissioned and sculptured by his widow. The statue was previously in Long Row in the working Naval Base.
Dating from 1813, the Benbow was one of the largest battleships ever built and this figurehead stood, for many years, at the gate of HMS Vernon, now known as Gunwharf Quays. Admiral John Benbow experienced differing fortunes in his life but ultimately won the hearts of the Navy for his gallantry after refusing to leave action stations during battle.
M33 is one of only two British warships to survive from World War 1. Built in 1915, the 53m (177ft) monitor is a floating gun platform designed to bombard coastal positions from the sea. She saw action at Gallipoli and later was used to help the White Russians in the White Sea in 1919. M33 is owned by Hampshire County Council Museums Service.
At the top of Main Road, beyond HMS Victory, is the Great Ship Basin. This was the hub of the Dockyard during Georgian times, when it was filled with wooden ships of the line. No 1 basin and No 5 Dock date from 1698 and No 6 Dock came into use two years later.
The basin was extended in the 1780s and the other dry docks finished by 1802. Now it is home to HMS Victory, the occupant of No 2 Dock since 1922 and the hull of the Mary Rose, which has been in No 3 Dock since 1982.
Education
Our learning venues; The NEW Mary Rose Museum, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, National Museum of the Royal Navy Portsmouth and Action Stations offer a fantastic range of education visits for groups at all levels from Foundation Stage through to Post 16. We provide experiences that can't be created in a classroom and bring learning to life.
All visits are designed to maximise pupils' learning experiences and depending on your learning outcomes, time and budget you have available there are a range of options to suit your needs.
Workshop visits
We offer a great variety of cross-curricular workshops involving pupils in practical hands-on activities which are led by members of our Learning teams.