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03 May 2017
Boathouse 4 Shipbuilding Historic Dockyard Portsmouth UK
Boathouse 4 allows visitors to see ship building and repair on a variety of boats.
There's a variety of wooden boats on display and interactive activities
Food is available at the Midships Cookhouse.
Boathouse 4 is close to the Visitor's Centre.
At the time of this post, there was no entry fee.
01 May 2017
Jutland Battle 1916 Portsmouth UK
Jutland Exhibit, Historic Dockyard |
The battle involved 250 ships and 100,000 men. The audio-video presentations, storyboards, and artefacts present the historical context, timeline, and personal stories to make the events come alive.
The Battle began in the afternoon of 31 May, 2016 off the coast of Denmark's North Sea.
Following the battle, both the Germans and the British claimed victory; however, the larger British fleet remianed in control of the High Seas.
As of this writing in 2017, the exposition is scheduled for a limited time- until 2019.
Allow about 1-2 hours to walk through the presentation.
The odd-shaped presentation screens and position of the speakers can interfere with a straightforward telling of the story. To get more out of the presentation, it might be helpful to read a summary of the battle.
I am glad I saw the presentation but it is not the best exhibit at the Historic Dockyard.
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Harbour Tour Historic Dockyard Portsmouth UK
A tour of the harbour is included with a multi-attraction ticket to the Historic Dockyard. I recommend taking the tour early on to get an overview of the area and introductory information about this busy port.
In addition to the ships, which are amongst the attractions, there are various Royal Navy and other ships in the harbour. I'll include a few examples from my April 2017 visit.
HMS Westminster |
HMS Diligence |
Whitonia |
Powerful & Helen |
Victoria |
102 and 81 |
Also, here is a brief video clip from the tour.
30 April 2017
Historic Dockyard Portsmouth, England
Visitor Centre 2017 |
I consider the Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth to be an outstanding experience and good value. You will need a few days to enjoy the many attractions.
Because there are so many attractions, I recommend viewing the website and planning a visit. I also suggest the harbour tour early on to get an overview with commentary. Sit on the starboard side for most of the commentary.
Here's a brief videoclip of the harbour tour.
Because there are so many things to see, I will review them separately. A few highlights in 2017 included HMS Warrior, HMS Victory, Mary Rose, and HMS Alliance.
Other museums and experiences are worth a visit so plan on a few days.
Video of boating in front of Action Stations, which is Boathouse 6.
Tips and Suggestions
The multiple attractions ticket purchased online is the best value. I got mine on the morning of the first day. Show the confirmation email to collect the ticket and keep it handy to show at each attraction. There is a shorter line for returning visitors.
Toilets are in building 7 and elsewhere but not in the Visitors Centre.
There are several restaurants or cafes in the different attractions as well as places for a picnic.
The gift shops offer both educational and other souvenirs-- some made outside the UK.
The dockyards are family friendly with many activities for children. I saw a number of care providers/ parents and children interacting. Some locations even had board games.
A few activities might scare young children e.g. blood, amputations, explosions.
Photos are permitted in most places but flash is often not permitted.
Some attractions require bending over to enter or negotiate small spaces e.g., in Submarines.
See the Historic Dockyard website for details.
EXPLOSION The Museum of Navy Firepower Gosport UK
The museum located in Gosport takes visitors on a tour of naval weaponry housed within buildings dating to the 18th century.
I visited as part of a mulsti-attraction ticket to the Historic Dockyards in Portsmouth. The included waterbus service from the Dockyards adds to the experience, which affords pleasant views of Portsmouth Harbour.
Inside you will see a variety of weapons along with storyboards and audiovisual presentations. There are also interactive exhibits.
A variety of naval guns are outside the complex.
There is a cafe and outdoor tables for picnics. And places to view the harbour.
Learn more about the museum at their website http://www.explosion.org.uk/
Monitor HMS 33 Gallipoli and WW I
HMS 33 by Geoff W. Sutton 2017 |
Following the audio-visual presentation, there's opportunity to inspect the insides and topside, which includes some re-creations of shiplife.
The ship is a small, spartan war machine- home to 72 crew for more than three years.
The tour is worth including in a visit to the Historic Dockyards in Portsmouth.
Learn more at the website https://www.nmrn.org.uk/exhibitions-projects/monitor-hms-m33
Royal Navy Submarine Museum Gosport UK
After visiting the star attraction, HMS Alliance, outside the submarine museum, it's worth having a look at the history of submarines inside the museum.
The exhibits and storyboards depict the progress made from small and simple underwater craft to modern stealth machines capable of quick, silent, moves far below the waves.
I visited as part of a multi-attraction ticket. A waterbus provides transportation between the museum and the main dockyard buildings.
See the website for more details. https://www.submarine-museum.co.uk/
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