Portsmouth, England – We were looking up, and up and up at the ship known as HMS Victory, the world’s oldest commissioned warship, and centerpiece of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. At very first glance it is easy to see how commanding and formidable this ship would have appeared to its enemies.

HMS Victory is best known as Admiral Nelson’s flagship and for its stunning victory at Trafalgar. To step aboard this magnificently restored and preserved ship is to step back in time to the days when Britannia ruled the waves.

Every inch of the ship is alive with history, from the Great Cabin where Admiral Nelson lived to the forecastle, the only part of the ship where sailors could smoke and have some relaxation, to the gun decks, hold and quarter deck, where Nelson was shot by a sniper during the Battle of Trafalgar.

HMS Victory is still manned by Officers and Ratings of the Royal Navy and is the flagship of the Second Lord of the Navy.

HMS Victory is only one of the many exhibits at Portsmouth Dockyard. The Mary Rose, the “flower” of Henry VIII’s war fleet; the HMS Warrior, one of the first ironclad, steam-propelled warships; the Royal Naval Museum, Action Stations and Harbour Tours all combine to make your time at the Dockyard a full, and very complete experience. Plan to spend at least one day, if not two, exploring this vibrant slice of history.

The various museums within the Dockyard provide intimate glimpses of naval life through the centuries. A collection of Nelson memorabilia contains uniforms, silver plate, his watch, the miniature of Emma Hamilton he wore round his neck, and even a lock of his hair. From the Mary Rose types of tankards and flagons reflected the status of the crew members – wooden tankards for the sailors and pewter flagons for the officers.

A very special exhibit is the Mary Rose, the only surviving 16th century warship on display anywhere in the world. Sunk off Portsmouth during an engagement with a French invasion fleet in 1545, the ship remained on the ocean floor for more than 400 years. The raising of the ship in 1982 is a marvel of both technology and archaeology. More than two decades later, the ship is still undergoing a conservation process that will hopefully preserve her forever.

More than just a safe harbour for historic ships the dockyard itself is a wonder. During the 18th and 19th centuries this was one of the largest industrial complexes in the world. And the history continues. A significant amount of training for the Royal Navy still takes place in and around Portsmouth and many Portsmouth-based ships are active in combating illegal drug-running in the Caribbean and taking part in NATO activities.

Finish your day with a tot of rum to toast Admiral Nelson at Boathouse #7 or at a local pub.

ACCESS
For more information on Portsmouth Historic Dockyard visit the website at www.historicdockyard.co.uk.

For information about visiting Britain go to: www.visitbritain.com



Ann Carroll Burgess, a Parksville-based travel writer is a member of the Travel Journalists Guild, and the Society of American Travel Writers