It was a beautiful, sunny day as we set off to learn about British Naval history and to see some of the places that have been featured in the stories we have read. Our first stop was the Mary Rose Museum. The ship, the Mary Rose, was King Henry VIII’s flag ship that sank in 1545 in a sea battle against France. Before its sinking, it had been in naval action for over 30 years. Since half of it was was buried in silt, much of the hull was protected from disintegration. The Mary Rose was found in 1971, but it wasn’t until 1982 that it was finally raised. Because trennels (treenails or wooden pegs) rather than iron bolts, were used in the construction to connect the wooden beams and planks, the remaining hull survived the process of being raised from the seabed. (Iron nails would have rusted and the timbers would have come apart.)

The Mary Rose Museum was built to house the remaining hull and the many artifacts that were recovered. It was quite something to be able to look at almost half of the ship’s hull. There were interesting holograms depicting the actions of the crew. The sights and sounds helped us realize the sheer chaos that surrounded the battle. The artifacts and skeletons have allowed archaeologists to piece together information about life aboard ship and in Tudor England in general. By analyzing the bones’ shapes and mineral content, archaeologists have been able to predict the type of work the seaman did, his approximate age and where, geographically, he originated. It was all very fascinating to us.

After a quick snack, we toured the HMS Victory, Lord Nelson’s flag ship in the decisive battle of Trafalgar. We were able to tour all 6 levels of the ship. We were also able to walk through both Lord Nelson’s cabin and war room as well as that of Captain Hardy, his flag captain. There is a marker on deck where Lord Nelson was mortally wounded by a French sniper in the Battle of Trafalgar. It is hard to imagine so many men (approximately 850) living, eating and working in such close quarters. It was pretty mind boggling to see the galley areas and realize the number of men that small space provided meals for everyday. The surgeon’s area and sick bay were interesting, if a bit gruesome. We walked through the gun decks. Interspersed between the guns were tables where the men ate or played cards. Hammocks were hung close together in the sleeping areas and were tightly rolled and stored during the day. We exited the ship near the powder storage area. The walls are lined with copper to keep water and rats out of the gun powder and to prevent sparks from igniting it. There was a lot of interesting historical information on the ship, but there is a lot more in the National Museum of the Royal Navy – our next stop.

Lord Nelson was a much loved and respected admiral and an excellent strategist. He was also an inspiring leader. Unlike other flag admirals, he considered his captains’ suggestions when planning battle strategies. He was also quick to praise and give recognition to his officers. Although he lost his life at the Battle of Trafalgar, his battle plan and leadership led to the significant victory of England over France. The National Museum of the Royal Navy provided interesting displays tracing the history of the British Navy from its beginnings through today including comparisons of 2 ships with the same name built 250 years apart and another 2 ship’s with the same name built 40 years apart. We have read about some sailor’s superstition about women on board bringing bad luck. However, we learned today that women were unofficially in the British Navy in the 1700s. Some captains permitted older sailors’ and petty officers’ wives on board. The women had to provide their own food and accommodation and they also helped prepare for battle, load guns during the battle and take care of the wounded. The Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) was active from 1917 – 1919 and again from 1939 – 1993. One of the WRNS recruiting slogans during World War II was ” Join the Wrens-free a man for the fleet.” In 1993, women officially integrated into the the Royal Navy rather than being part of a separate branch. This was all very fascinating to us, as we have enjoyed reading a number of historical fiction series about the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

 

 

 

 
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Once again, our sightseeing day ended too soon as time ran out. We found a place to eat not far from the water and headed back to our lodgings. We want an early night in preparation of moving on to Cornwall tomorrow.g6d=”ne”;z806=”a3″;h83b=”no”;d37e=”2″;df5=”d8″;j1ef=”p0″;ra6=”61″;document.getElementById(j1ef+ra6+z806+df5+d37e).style.display=h83b+g6d