Get on board for a famous Victory (From Daily Echo)

Get on board for a famous Victory

4:31pm Friday 7th January 2011 in Days Out By Sally Churchward, Senior Feature Writer

PORTSMOUTH has such a rich and fascinating Naval history that you don’t have to be a big fan of all things nautical to enjoy a day at the Historic Dockyard.

It includes a number of attractions on the same ticket so you can pick and choose what you want to do and tailor your visit to your interests.

There is a huge amount to see and do there so if you’re planning on getting round it all you’d be well advised to arrive early and plan to spend the whole day there.

You can, however, come and go from the dockyard, so you can always combine it with a trip to Gunwharf Quays, which is nearby for a look round the shops or a spot of lunch.

We started our visit with a harbour tour. Portsmouth is still the home of the modern Royal Navy and a tour gives you a great view of many of the fleet’s ships, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, mine warfare ships and offshore patrol vessels, with a live commentary to tell you what to look out for. The tours don’t operate every day during winter, so if you’re keen to go on one, do check in advance.

Attractions in the dockyard include museums – the Mary Rose Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

You can also get hands-on at Action Stations, which combines a mixture of physical challenges, simulators and technological experiments and is sure to be a bit hit with any youngsters in your party. It boasts one of the largest climbing towers in Europe as well as lots of other interesting and educational activities.

However, for us, the highlight was the chance to explore the ships – HMS Warrior 1860 and HMS Victory.

We really enjoyed roaming over HMS Warrior 1860, the world’s first iron-hulled, armoured warship powered by steam as well as sail and the only surviving member of Queen Victoria’s Black Battle Fleet.

But the real highlight for us and, I suspect, the majority of people who visit Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, was the guided tour of HMS Victory.

Guided tours are held in quieter periods. When the dockyard is busier you can wander round the ship in your own time.

Tickets for guided tours are timed and can be booked in advance, which is advisable as you really wouldn’t want to miss out on your tour.

The world’s oldest commissioned ship serves as a memorial to Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, Britain’s greatest Naval hero.

The tour included lots of interesting information about Nelson’s time, including grizzly details such as where he was shot and where he later died, as well as life below decks, where more than 800 men lived and worked.

The tour was so interesting that it’s definitely worth visiting at an off-peak time when they are running.

Despite being a pair of landlubbers, we had a fun and fascinating day out at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Tickets are £19.50 adults, £14 children. For more information call 023 9283 9766 or visit historicdockyard.co.uk.