HMS Belfast on the Thames London England UK

 The HMS Belfast is a World War II Royal Navy warship on the Thames River in London. It is an IWM (Imperial War Museum) site on the Queen's Walk near Tower Bridge. I took the photo above in 2021.

After paying for my visit at the dockside office, you walk past the small gift shop and down a ramp to the main deck and the commemorative bell. My photos are from 10 November 2021.

The tour route is marked with arrows. Entering a door, I arrive at one of the many gun turrets. HMS Belfast was one of the ships firing over the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

As you walk about the ship, you glimpse life 

as it was for the sailors decades ago.

Toilets

Workroom

A massive kitchen...

Stores (a nice look back at old products)...

a dentistry

and a bunk for some kip

There's plenty of ammo below.

Of course, there's a ship's cat.

I took a break for a light lunch before seeing a few more rooms and guns.

You can walk about nine decks.

Get a pilot's view...

and appreciate an amazing experience.

So, it's easy for me to recommend a visit to HMS Belfast and the other IWM locations.

Here's a view of HMS Belfast and the area from the Shard, which I took in 2018.

Photo: HMS Belfast on the Thames with the

 Tower of London upper right and Tower Bridge to the Right (East)

Notes

On board HMS Belfast

  Arrows mark the tour route.

  Numbers indicate what numbers to press on the included audio guide

  Some areas require ladders or small steps.

  There are toilets on board

  There is a café on board

  There are activities for families--see the website

Tube stations:  London Bridge, Tower Hill

Google Map of the area

Address: The Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2JH

The 5 IWM (Imperial War Museums)

IWM LONDON

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, LONDON

IWM DUXFORD

IWN NORTH- MANCHESTER

HMS BELFAST, On the Thames in London

 Visit Places Nearby

Tower Bridge

The Tower of London

the Shard

Cruise the Thames

Learn More About HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast at D-Day

HMS BELFAST 1938-2018: Commemorating the 80th Anniversary.

HMS Belfast Books Google Link

Models of HMS Belfast on AMAZON

Jutland Battle 1916 Portsmouth UK

Jutland Exhibit, Historic Dockyard

The National Museum of the Royal Navy presents the Battle of Jutland covering a 36-hour period (website).

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.

See More of My World War I Travels

Guide to World War I in France

Guide to World War I in Belgium

Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

My Books   AMAZON     GOOGLE PLAY STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

LinkedIN Geoffrey Sutton  PhD

Publications (many free downloads)

     

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton   (PhD)

     

  ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton   (PhD)

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.

EXPLOSION! Museum

Royal Navy Submarine Museum

HMS 33- survivor of Gallipoli

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.

Monitor HMS 33 Gallipoli and WW I

HMS 33 by Geoff W. Sutton 2017

HMS 33 is the only British war ship from the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign. As you enter the ship at the Historic Dockyard, you experience a sight and sound experience of war--including the perspectives of those on board.


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/

HMS WARRIOR, Historic Dockyards Portsmouth Uk

HMS Warrior Geoff W. Sutton 2017

HMS Warrior 1860 is a restored mid-nineteenth century warship designed to compete with progress in the French fleet. It is the first Royal Navy ship with an iron hull and a symbol of pride in Queen Victoria's fleet.

The ship was powerered by both sail and steam.

The figurehead is modeled after the original.

Some lived in fine quarters.

The tour offers an in depth look at the components of a warship and a glimpse of life on board. The staff answer questions and add to the experience.

Her firepower was greater than any other ships of her era carrying both 25 68-pounders and 10 110-pounders. 

On her first sailing, the crew numbered about 700.

Laundry- Geoff W Sutton 2017

I  consider this a very good experience if you like ships and a bit of history.

There's some climbing.

It is family friendly.

It is a good value when combined with a multi-attraction ticket.