This iconic vessel was built in 1765, she is still on active duty as the flag ship of the home fleet.
This photo is off the internet as she is undergoing a 20 year restoration and is covered in scaffolding on some of the exterior.
This ship was Nelson’s flag ship for the Battle of Trafalgar where Nelson defeated the French even though he was out numbered. He was fatally shot during the skirmish and died not knowing of his victory.
It had a complement of 821, most of the sailors were crammed onto the gun-decks beside their cannon.
The captain (Harding) had a large suit of cabins.
And Nelson’s cabin was even bigger.
He had a cute bed, but he wasn’t that tall and only had one arm so needed a bed he could get into and out of by himself.
Both Captain Harding and Admiral Nelson’s cabins were at the back of the ship, looks like a mini apartment block.
Due to the large number of crew, the ship carried tonnes of cargo, mainly food and ammunition.
The ship had a huge coal oven to cook for the crew, a functional carpenters workshop and even a small forge.
The ship’s surgeon had very rudimentary equipment and amputations could be performed in 90 seconds! No anaesthetic, antibiotics, or lengthy consultations.
This is a massive ship
Life aboard would have been very hard for 90% of the crew, but the officers and midshipmen fared better. It functioned well as a fighting ship, and deserves its place in British Naval History.
If you intend to visit the Portsmouth Historical Dockyards I’d recommend getting the Ultimate Explorer ticket. It is more expensive but it allows you to go to the all exhibits. You’ll need more than a day to see everything, we took 3 days but only 5-6 hours each day as you can only take so much in each time.
Check when exhibits are open, the Submarine and Explosions exhibits are only open on certain days, and there is a timetable for the Harbour Tour water bus.
The Ultimate Explorer ticket is valid for 12 months so you can visit as many times as you like within that period. You can’t give them away either, they ask for photo ID each time you go in, we had photos of our passports.
It’s a great place to visit, I loved it and Sally enjoyed it a lot more than she expected to, so something for everyone!
Traveling Further 