2 Best things to see & do in Portsmouth

The UK’s premier maritime historical site, and part of the still-functioning HM Naval Base at Portsmouth, the Historic Dockyard brings together centuries of naval history in ten different attractions. Visitors can see HMS Victory – the Navy’s most famous warship, which took part in the Battle of Trafalgar. Also present is HMS Warrior, the world’s first armour-plated, iron-hulled warship when she was launched in 1860.

Alongside the ships, the National Museum of the Royal Navy showcases artifacts from 350 years of naval history, while the Mary Rose Museum displays the remains of the world-famous ship that lay at the bottom of the sea for 437 years.

Visitors can also take a boat trip around the harbour, try their hand at being a boat-building apprentice, and visit the newly-opened Victory Gallery, which brings together cinematic film, interactive exhibits and previously unseen artifacts to tell the story of this extraordinary ship.

One of the world’s most extraordinary historic relics, the Mary Rose is a 16th-century ship that sailed as part of Henry VIII’s navy. Sunk in battle in 1545, some 60 million people around the world watched the remains of the ship bought to the surface on live television, 437 years later.

Now located in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard complex, visitors to the museum can see the remains of the boat from an elevated walkway, with many original artifacts on display, alongside interactive exhibits that give an insight into life on-board.