After leaving Windsor, DH and I headed for Portsmouth. 
We had allocated a day to checking out 3 famous ships which are on display there...the 'Warrior', Nelson's 'Victory' and the 'Mary Rose'.
There were 'heaps' of cannons!
So on a cold and wet March day we saw three ships; not a-sailing but 2 were moored and the other (what was left of it) was in its own big room with temperature and humidity all controlled, in what has to be one amazing conservation of heritage project.
First we toured the Warrior which was the first ship in the Royal Navy which was powered by both steam and sail. It was used as a warship for 22 years before being decommissioned and taking on a number of ignominious roles including being used as an oil jetty. It was 'rescued' and completely restored at the cost of several million pounds.
It was a magnificent ship...and the restoration work was impressive...
The cannons were big!
And there were also racks of guns!
The captain's sitting room looks very comfortable...
The dining room for the captain, officers and visiting dignitaries...
The sailors slept in hammocks strung up between the cannons and fire buckets!
The kitchens featured a big range and magnificent copper cookware...
The shelves which would have held the sailors's kit bags...
The next ship we toured was Nelson's Victory...
A lot darker on this ship with low ceilings...this is Nelson's sitting room...
The stairs between the various decks were even steeper than in the Warrior!
The tour guide showed us the spot where Nelson fell, mortally injured...he was taken to the doctor on the ship and apparently was in excruciating pain for a number of hours before he died...
We kept going down until we were able to see the huge beams in part of the hull that was accessible...
Reportedly this is one of Nelson's uniforms...the large ropes in the background prevent the cannons being thrown back to the other side of the shop when fired.
The third ship we looked at was inside a building. The Mary Rose had been built in Henry viii 's time as a warship and it was sunk during a battle. It was recovered and a massive conservation effort ensued. For the last 20 or so years it has had a wax solution pumped into the timbers to prevent the cells in the wood collapsing after so long under water and mud. Now the ship's timbers are being dried out and this will take a number of years also...
The ship is behind glass/Perspex walls with convenient viewing windows on the walkways on the exterior...
The black pipes are supporting the structure...
You can see the outline of the various decks...
Another interesting fact I learned that day was that Nelson's ship the Victory, has never been decommissioned...it is still a Royal Navy ship.
Thanks for taking me along with you.... soooo interesting! :)
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful! Somewhere else I will have to add to my travel wishlist.
ReplyDeleteCath @ Bits 'n Bobs
Very interesting! It is amazing to see these old ships. And what a difference of how the captain and officers lived, and the sailors.
ReplyDeleteDear Maria. I am thoroughly enjoying reading your travelogue of your wonderful trip over in the UK. You make everything so interesting - and I love the pics.
ReplyDeleteSuch an incredibly interesting post Maria, full of facts I enjoyed reading. The restoration works are nothing short of fantastic, and the preservation works as well. Thank you so much :D)
ReplyDeleteHi Maria, loving your blogs, I hope you can see my comment as it is the first time I have been able to comment. You asked me if I saw a comment on my blog, but only on the first one in February, not on the last two I wrote.
ReplyDeleteValerie