April 24-25, 2024:
Portsmouth is a port city and naval base on England’s south coast, mostly spread across Portsea Island. It’s known for its maritime heritage and the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The dockyard is home to the interactive National Museum of the Royal Navy, the wooden warship HMS Victory, where Nelson died during the Battle of Trafalgar, and the HMS Warrior 1860. The Tudor ship Mary Rose is also conserved in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in a £35 million covered dockyard museum.
Our Itinerary – We completed the Old Portsmouth Millenium Walking Tour on our first day in Portsmouth. After traveling by car ferry to the Isle of Wight the next morning, we visited the former getaway of Queen Victoria, Osborne House; and the historic Carisbrooke Castle. That afternoon we toured the HMS Victory and its adjacent HMS Victory Gallery (part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy). For dinner, we spent both nights at different pubs recommended by Rick Steves at The Point in Portsmouth.
Arrival in Portsmouth – Coming by car from Arundel Castle, we arrived late in the afternoon of April 24th. We were fortunate to find free parking right behind our accommodation in Portsmouth, the Ship Leopard Boutique Hotel. This hotel was perfectly situated for a quick walk to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and the Old Portsmouth Millennium walking tour, and a quick drive to the car ferry to get to the Isle of Wight at the Wightlink Gunwharf Terminal.
The Ship Leopard Boutique Hotel
Old Portsmouth Millennium Walking Tour:
We started our Portsmouth visit following the Old Portsmouth Millenium Walking Tour. Rick Steves’ self-guided Portsmouth tour helped and the Portsmouth website Visit-Portsmouth/Things-To-Do/Millennium-Promenade helped tremendously in our designing our custom self-guided walking tour of Old Portsmouth.
Getting to the start of the walking tour – We could have taken an Uber to start this walk at The Point in Portsmouth, but instead we took a 20-minute leisurely stroll along the waterfront of Portsmouth. We walked close to the Gunwharf Quays, the Spinnaker Tower, the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and Portsmouth Harbor.
Spinnaker Tower – Portsmouth
The Warrior – Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Portsmouth Harbor
Portsmouth Harbor
Google Maps – Stops of the Old Portsmouth Millennium Walk
The Point – This was the starting point for our Millenium Walk, which had a wonderful viewpoint of Portsmouth harbor and the Spinnaker Tower. The Spinnaker Tower is a 560-foot-tall tower that opened in 2005. You can ride to the 330-foot-high view deck and stroll across “Europe’s biggest glass floor” (£16.25 adults, £15 seniors, open daily 10:30 am – 6 pm, can be booked ahead, +44 23 9285 7520, www.spinnakertower.co.uk).
The Point (View of Portsmouth Harbor and Spinnaker Tower)
In the 19th century, The Point was reputed to be the main meeting ground of press gangs who enlisted young men to sign up for the Navy, and was also notorious for its numerous ale houses, brothels, and loose living (the area became known as ‘Spice Island’ due to its seedy reputation).
Old Photo of ‘Spice Island’ – Photo: Portsmouth News
Portsmouth Point by Thomas Rowlandson, 1814 – Wikipedia
The Point is the location of two of Rick Steves’ recommended Portsmouth pubs/restaurants (we ate and drank at both during our two night stay in Portsmouth):
– The Still & West – This pub has dining in its casual main floor, also upstairs in a more formal gorgeous glassed-in conservatory with sea views and window seats (this is where we dined on our first night in Portsmouth); and, in good weather, picnic benches outside. Open Monday-Saturday, 9:30 am – 9 pm, Sunday, 12 pm – 8 pm, longer hours in the bar, 2 Bath Square, +44 23 9282 1567. We enjoyed our fish pies and drinks immensely.
The Still & West pub/restaurant
– The Spice Island Inn – This inexpensive pub/restaurant has a family-friendly restaurant upstairs. Food is served daily 11 am – 10 pm, bar open longer, 1 Bath Square, +44 23 9287 0543.
The Spice Island Inn
From The Point we started walking south along West Street. Soon we saw a white house on our right…
Quebec House – Many fishermen and fishmongers lived here in the early 1800s.
Quebec House
Its square has connections with General Wolfe and the last fatal duel fought in England (1845).
England’s Last Duel – historyinportsmouth.co.uk
Quebec House was built in 1754 as a public bathing house and probably is the only wooden-framed building to survive locally. Next to the Quebec House was the Pier and Hailing Station, which formed the Lloyds Look Out, where inbound and outbound vessels would have their names, cargo and destinations recorded and printed the following day on the Lloyds list.
Old photo of the Portsmouth Pier and Hailing Station
We continued south on West Street until we reached…
Tower Street – This street has two famous buildings – Black Horse Cottage was part of the Black Horse Tavern, said to have been frequented by Prince William – later King William IV – when he was a midshipman. Tower House was the home of the marine artist William Wyllie.
Tower Street – Portsmouth
Tower Street – former Black Horse Tavern – Portsmouth
Tower Street – Wylie House – Portsmouth
Portsmouth – Willian Wylie (c. 1911)
We continued south on Tower Street until we reached Tower Alley – on our right we reached…
Capstan Square – Here was the site of the capstan, a drum equipped with a ratchet that was used for drawing taut the iron chain boom between Gosport and Portsmouth to protect the harbor entrance. The chain was first recorded in the 16th century and last renewed in the 18th century.
Base of the former capstan on Capstan Square
Modern Portsmouth Pneumatic Capstan (at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – not in Capstan Square) – Wikipedia
Capstan Square information sign
Capstan square is also the location of the Portsmouth…
Round Tower – Henry V ordered a wooden Round Tower be built at the mouth of the harbor in 1418; it was completed in 1426. Henry VIII had the Round Tower rebuilt out of stone and a Square Tower was also built. Henry V ordered the construction of the tower and another across the harbor at Gosport after the French had invaded Portsmouth six times during the Hundred Year War.
The Round tower next to Capstan Square
View of the Round Tower from the sea – Photo: Gosport Ferry
We climbed up to the top of the Round Tower for a good view of the ocean and nearby fortifications.
Entrance to the roof of the Round Tower
View from the top of the Round Tower
Round Tower plaque showing location of various sites around the Round Tower
Next to the Round Tower we next visited the…
Point Barracks – By 1850 all the original buildings on this site had been cleared to make room for artillery barracks. The arched sections are the surviving part of the soldiers’ quarters. The barracks were demolished in the 1960s and the area opened to the public.
Point Barracks
Below the Round Tower in a square is the…
Hecla Stone – a hard rock boulder used during the 1854 Russian War by two sailors from HMS Hecla as cover to keep the enemy at bay, assuring the safety of the whole crew.
The Hecla Stone
Pioneer Statue – Nearby the Hecla Stone is a monument that the Members of the Pioneer Heritage Foundation presented to the city of Portsmouth on August 27, 20001. This life-sized bronze sculpture, situated in front of the last Sallyport of Portsmouth, is “a permanent legacy to the commitment of the Europeans who courageously left their native lands to create a new home in America.”
Pioneer Statue – Portsmouth
The Sally ports, or openings in the fortifications, gave access through the defenses to the beach and the sea, and were often used by sailors waiting with their boats for orders.
Sallyport and ramparts behind the Pioneer Statue
We went through the Sallyport to see the…
Eighteen-Gun Battery – The last section of Sir Bernard de Gomme’s fortifications to be completed in the 1680s, locally this area is known as the Hotwalls. This is because it was reputed to be where hot shot was prepared during the Spithead Mutiny of 1797 (In April 1797, 16 ships-of-the-line of the Channel fleet refused to sail, and mounted a collective mutiny at Spithead. Their demands were concerned with improved pay and conditions, and better treatment in general).
Aerial view of the Round Tower, Point Barracks, and the Eighteen-Gun Battery – Flickr: John Fielding
Eighteen-Gun Battery (or Hotwalls)
View of the Eighteen-Gun Battery from the ramparts
Square Tower – We reentered the Sallyport and climbed up the ramparts and continued south to reach the Square Tower on the left.
Walk on the ramparts south to the Square Tower
Built and designed as a gun platform in 1494, the Square Tower was one of Portsmouth’s first defensive structures. It was later used as the military governor’s residence, a powder magazine and a meat and water store. In 1823 the Admiralty installed a semaphore station on the top of the tower which remained until 1848. Now administered by Portsmouth Museums and Visitor Services, it was restored to its present condition between 1979 and 1986.
The Square Tower
Square Tower interior (used for events) – Photo: Big Venue Book
Behind the Square Tower is the…
Victoria Pier – This pier was built on the site of an earlier jetty, from which gunpowder and later meat was ferried to wooden ships anchored at Spithead. In 1817 the steam packet service to and from the Isle of Wight began. Most of the present pier was washed away in heavy seas in 1925.
Victoria Pier
Continuing on the ramparts, we then saw on our left a…
Statue of Horatio Nelson – The statue depicts Nelson in the undress uniform he wore when leaving from Old Portsmouth for the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He passed over the spot where the statue stands and faces the place on the beach where he embarked for the HMS Victory.
Horatio Nelson statue
After viewing Nelson’s statue we returned to the ramparts and continued south to the…
Spur Redoubt – This fortification was built in 1680 by Sir Bernard de Gomme (military engineer to King Charles II) and extended during the 1730s to 1750s. It was a small triangular fort or ‘redoubt’, part of the extended fortifications of Portsmouth town and designed to strengthen the seaward line in front of an exposed corner of the King’s Bastion.
Spur Redoubt
Google Maps – ‘Spur Redoubt’ – Portsmouth
Next we orossed a bridge over the Spur Redoubt, entered and passed through a tunnel…
Leaving the Spur Redoubt via a Tunnel
When we emerged from the tunnel, we turned left, and followed a path until we reached (on our right), the…
Royal Garrison Church – Originally a pilgrims hospice founded around 1212, it is also the place where Charles II married Catherine of Braganza in 1662. The nave of the church was badly damaged by bombing in 1941, resulting in its roof being completely destroyed. Today it remains open to the sky as a tribute to those who lost their lives during the war. It’s owned by English Heritage and it is open Friday-Saturday, from 11 am – 4 pm, Sunday, 1 pm – 4 pm, last entry 3:30 pm; www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/royal-garrison-church-portsmouth/.
Royal Garrison Church
Royal Garrison Church sign
View from inside Royal Garrison Church
There are nearly 300 plaque memorials associated with British history available for public viewing while outside in the church graveyard lays a visually stunning grave relic to Sir Charles Napier in silent remembrance to lost soldiers which stands near on the path in front to the church’s west door.
Grave relic to Sir Charles Napier
Churchyard gravestones
This concluded our self-guided Old Portsmouth Millennium Walk. We took an Uber from the Nelson statue back to our accommodation.
Portsmouth Harbor at night
Spinnaker Tower at night
Isle of Wight:
The next morning, after a lovely breakfast at our accommodation, we drove our car to the car ferry at Wightlink Gunwharf Terminal (we had booked our tickets online in advance – the car ferries leave 1-2 per hour, 45-minute ride, day return for 2 people – £72.75, +44 333 999 7333, www.wightlink.co.uk/).
Isle of Wight Tourist Map – Photo: www.etsy.com
Taking the car ferry to the Isle of Wight
Osborne House – Our first stop on the Isle of Wight was the Osborne House, a stunning Italiante palazzo. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Queen Victoria used the property until her death in 1901. Albert designed the house himself. Cost and Hours – Open daily 10 am – 4 pm, £20; can book in advance; Free parking 50m from the reception center; +44 370 333 1181; www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/osborne/.
From the parking lot south of Osborne House, we walked through a tree-lined area and reached Osborne House shortly on the right…
Osborne House
On our left was the Walled Nursery Garden.
Walled Nursery Garden
Map of Osborne House, Gardens and Grounds
We entered the Osborne House and started exploring the…
Entrance to Osborne House
State Rooms – These are the rooms where Queen Victoria entertained her important guests. Many of the items in these rooms are on loan from the Royal Collection Trust.
State Rooms
Family Rooms – Next, we visited the Family Rooms, where we got a peek into the family life of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their nine children.
The Billards Room
A Nursery
A Bathroom
The Queen’s bedroom
Other Family Rooms
The Durbar Room – This room is decorated as a homage to India, one of Queen Victoria’s most prized colonies.
The Durbar Room
Royal Collection – Many of the great paintings in the State Rooms, and Queen Victoria’s belongings in the Family Rooms, are still owned by the Royal family and are looked after on their behalf by the Royal Collection Trust. You can see more fascinating objects on loan from the Royal Collection Trust from around the world in a museum in the gardens at the Swiss Cottage (see below).
Royal Collections – from: Wikipedia
Swiss Cottage – This cottage was built for the royal children to play in. It is now a museum attached to Osborne House. Adjacent to it you can see the bathing machine used by the queen to preserve her modesty while taking her to the edge of the sea.
Swiss Cottage
Queen’s bathing machine
The royal children were avid collectors. They quickly filled up a room in the Swiss Cottage with natural history specimens, fossils and antiquities, so a new separate museum, also in the Swiss-chalet style, was built nearby. This museum in the Swiss Cottage still remains with its contents of thousands of objects, including the first transatlantic telegraph message and a 5-legged deer.
Museum in the Swiss Cottage
Five-legged deer
We next started exploring the…
Gardens – The ornate terrace gardens, renovated in 2016–17 as part of a major conservation project, are filled with tulips in spring.
Osborne House fountain
Ornate terrace gardens
This concludes our Osborne House (and grounds and garden) tour. Our next destination on the Isle of Wight is the…
Carisbrooke Castle – Carisbrooke has been a central place of power and defence on the Isle of Wight for over 1,000 years. During that time it has been a Saxon fortress and a castle of the Norman conquest, much remodeled during the Middle Ages and under Elizabeth I.
Most famously, Charles I was held prisoner here during the Civil War, shortly before his execution. Since then Carisbrooke Castle has remained a symbolic center for the Isle of Wight, not least as the residence of its governor.
King Charles I
Cost and Hours – Open daily 10 am – 5 pm; £14; gardens, chapel, Norman Keep and walk, museum and rooms; castle has a tea room with sandwiches and desserts; free parking 50m from castle; +44 1983 522 107; www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/carisbrooke-castle/.
Map of Carisbrooke Castle
Exhibits and Film – We started our tour of the castle in the Gatehouse, with exhits and an introductory film about Carisbrooke Castle and its history.
Entering the castle
The Gatehouse
Castle Ruins – As we entered the castle grounds, we noticed a large number of castle ruins, especially on the left.
Castle ruins
Church of St. Nicholas – Our next stop in the castle was the Church of St. Nicholas. The current church was built in 1904 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Charles I’s execution, though there has been a chapel at the castle since medieval times. Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, commissioned the altar painting following the death of her youngest son, Maurice, at Ypres.
Altar and painting commissioned by Princess Beatrice
Sign about the execution of King Charles I
The church became a war memorial for war dead of the whole island after the First World War.
Church of St. Nicholas
Princess Beatrice’s Garden – Designed by TV gardener Chris Beardshaw, this pretty Edwardian-style garden is based on the original garden retreat of Queen Victoria’s daughter. The plants were chosen to echo Princess Beatrice’s blue, red and gold heraldic crest, and the layout reflects architectural detail on the adjoining Church of St. Nicholas.
Princess Beatrice’s Garden
Well House – This stone building, built in the 1580s, was very important to the castle inhabitants as it contained their water supply, accessed through a well. A wooden treadmill inside powered by Carisbrooke’s famous donkeys was used to lift water from 37m below.
Well House w/descriptive sign
The Motte – In the center of Carisbrooke was the motte, a high mound of earth crowned by a shell Keep. It overlooked the walled bailey containing the main buildings of the castle.
The Motte
Norman Keep and Wall Walk – By climbing the steep steps of the Norman Keep, you can enjoy a great view of surrounding countryside and can access the castle walls and walk on the battlements all around the castle. The earthworks and Keep were begun around 1100, when the whole Isle of Wight was granted to the de Redvers family.
The Keep and wall walk
Carisbrooke Castle Museum – Carisbrooke Castle Museum (managed by the Carisbrooke Museum Trust) is full of Charles I memorabilia and hosts regularly changing exhibitions. The museum is housed in the castle’s Great Hall, Chapel of St. Peter and Constables’ Lodging. The latter building was used by Princess Beatrice as her summer residence until 1938 whilst she was the governor of the island.
Home of the Lords sign
Carisbrooke Museum Highlights
Charles I’s Royal Bedroom
The Civil War and Charles I – At the outset of the Civil War in 1642 the castle passed into the hands of the Parliamentary forces. Its principal use until 1660 was as a prison for important Royalists, the most notable inmate being Charles I in 1647–8. Later it was used as a prison for his youngest son and for his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, who died here in 1650, at the age of 14.
Tomb of Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of Charles I
Charles I came to the island in November 1647 after he had escaped from house arrest at Hampton Court, in the hope that he might be able to act more freely. But he quickly found that he was again a prisoner, this time in the castle. He was housed with some ceremony in the hall range, attended by members of his own household. An enclosure on the east side of the castle was converted into a bowling green for him.
Charles made two unsuccessful attempts to escape, in March and May, 1648. In September he was removed to Newport for unsuccessful negotiations with Parliament, and then by stages to London and his execution in Whitehall on January 30, 1649.
Carisbrooke Castle Museum
Meet the Donkeys – After visiting the museum, we tried to “meet the donkeys”, but they were nowhere to be found (the donkeys who have been the castle’s resident donkeys who have been drawing up water in the Well House for hundreds of years).
They apparently have daily demonstrations working the 16th-century tread wheel to raise the water (49 meters or 161 feet) from the bottom of the castle well. And you can hear more about their story in a film hosted by Jupiter the cartoon donkey, voiced by locally raised comedian Phil Jupitus.
Carisbrooke donkeys
Our tour of Carisbrooke Castle is over – we now made our way back to Portsmouth via the car ferry.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard:
It was a short 4 minute walk from our accommodation in the afternoon to reach the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. We purchased a “one-attraction” ticket for each of us (to see the HMS Victory and the related HMS Victory exhibits in the Victory Gallery of the National Museum of the Royal Navy). The £49 Ultimate Explorer ticket covers all Historic Dockyard sights; £34 covers one-attraction or £44 covers 3-attractions. The Dockyard is open daily 10 am – 5 pm (last entry 4:30 pm – last tickets sold at 3 pm); +44 23 9283 9766; www.historicdockyard.co.uk.
Map of the Historic Dockyard –
https://historicdockyard.co.uk/plan-your-visit/
Victory Gate – This is the main entrance of the Portsmouth historic dockyard. The gate dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. The right part of the gate, as you pass through it, has a sign that is meant to commemorate the visit of Queen Anne in the year 1711. Even though it has survived World War II, it lost two parts during the war, namely its arch and lantern.
Victory Gate
Once we entered the Historic Dockyard Complex, we started making our way towards our “one-attraction” – the HMS Victory (and Victory Gallery). One the way there we saw the HMS Warrior (the first ironclad warship), Boathouse #4 (historic boats in a recreation of a working boatyard), the HMS .33 (the last surviving WWI ship of the bloody Gallopi Campaign, and the only WWI warship open to the public in Britain), and a ship figurehead.
HMS Warrior
Boathouse 4
HMS .33
Ship figurehead in the Historic Dockyard Complex
HMS Victory Gallery – Before viewing the HMS Victory, we decided to check out the HMS Victory exhibits at the National Museum of the Royal Navy which our tickets allowed us access to. The museum had several themed sections. We saw the informative 15-minute Trafalgar Experience multimedia show (with movies, mannequins, sound effects and smoke), along with an account of the Battle of Trafalgar in four rooms (we had to sign up for a time when we entered the museum).
Exhibits on the HMS Victory
At the end of our tour, we had a viewing of a panoramic painting of the battle (Panorama of the Battle of Trafalgar, by W. L. Wylie, 1931).
Panorama of the Battle of Trafalgar
The exhibit continued upstairs with several figureheads and Nelson’s funeral barge.
Collection of ship figureheads
Nelson’s funeral barge (surrounded by ship figureheads)
HMS Victory – In December, 1758, William Pitt the Elder, as Prime Minister of Great Britain, ordered 12 “first rate” ships to be built, one of which would become the HMS Victory. By the end of the eighteenth century, a “first-rate” carried no fewer than 100 guns and more than 850 crew, and had a measurement tonnage of some 2,000 tons. At the turn of the 19th century, a fleet of French and Spanish ships had amassed for the purpose of invading England. Even though the British Royal Navy managed to blockade the fleets, some French ships broke through. Admiral Nelson, commander of the British fleet, pursued the ships aboard the HMS Victory to Cape Trafalgar, off the coast of Spain. Nelson developed a new plan for taking on Napolean’s fleet – instead of pulling parallel to the ships and firing broadside, he drove a line of ships head-on, perpendicular to his opponent’s fleet, cutting them into pieces. Nelson, who wore his bright uniform to inspire his men, was lost to a sniper’s bullet, his body brought back to London and entombed in St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Admiral Horatio Nelson – from: Wikipedia
– Visiting the Ship: Visitors follow a one-way route that spirals up and down through the ship’s six decks, taking at least an hour (usually longer with the free audioguide). While the ship was undergoing a years-long restoration project, it remains open (thanks Rick Steves for outlining the highlights of the ship tour)…
HMS Victory before its restoration project
HMS Victory during our visit (most of the rest of the ship exterior is undergoing restoration)
HMS Victory plan with key
– Middle Gun Deck: We entered the ship on the Middle Gun Deck.
Middle Gun Deck
– Quarterdeck: From the Middle Gun Deck, we went to the Quarterdeck, where the ship was steered.
The Quarterdeck
– Upper Deck: Our next stop was to enter Captain Thomas Hardy’s day cabin.
Captain Thomas Hardy’s Cabin
– Poop Deck: – We could easily access the poop deck for views.
The poop deck
Before descending, we noticed the small golden plaque on the deck marking where Nelson fell during the Battle of Trafalgar – shot by a sniper. After he was shot, the crew rushed him below deck but couldn’t save him.
Plaque marking where and when Nelson fell
– Upper Gun Deck: Our next section of the ship was the Upper Gun Deck, filled with original cannons. To prevent the ship from tipping, the lightest cannons were placed higher on the ship, with the heavy ones below.
Upper Gun Deck
– Sick Berth: The sick berth was also on the Upper Gun Deck, which gave it much greater ventilation than the surgeon’s cockpit, down on the Orlop Deck (see below).
The sick berth on the upper gun deck
– John Scott’s Office: Next we entered John Scott’s (Nelson’s secretary) Office, which looked like a dining room, but actually had a large table and cabinet for Scott to have plenty of space to work, copy letters, file, store, do research, etc, as needed.
John Scott’s Office
– Great Cabin: Then we entered Admiral Nelson’s quarters. While these quarters looked stately, they were designed for action – all the wood furniture was foldable and could be stored during battle. Even the black-and-white checkboard “tile” flooring – is actually painted canvas, which could be rolled up in a moment’s notice.
Great Cabin – everything can be quickly stowed away
– Nelson’s Sleeping Cabin – Leaving the Great Cabin, we passed Nelson’s hanging bunk – a glorified hammock rather than a bed.
Nelson’s Hanging Bunk
Nearby bathroom
– Lower Gundeck: Climbing down, we could see how cramped the living conditions were for the sailors. When not at battle, they strung hammocks between the guns and ate at tables wedged under their strung-up beds. Sailors ate from square plates to save space. When a man died, his hammock was his burial cloth – his body was sewn up in the hammock, with a last stitch through the nose to ensure the man was really dead.
Strung Hammocks
Lower Gun Deck
– The Galley: The galley had a huge oven, and a food preparation area.
The Galley
– Consecration of the HMS Victory: The ship was launched in 1765, which makes her the oldest commissioned warship in the world.
The HMS Victory was launched in 1765
– Orlop Deck: Now in the bowels of the ship, the space became smaller and darker. We looked at the medical tools laid on a table. During the battle, nine sailors needed amputations, but apparently all nine survived (rare in those days).
Tight and dark quarters in the Orlop Deck
Surgical Tools – Amputations were common
Carpentry workshop
Orlop Deck – lots of storage
– Spot where Nelson Died: Down here in the Orlop Deck is where Nelson died, with his final words: “Thank God, I have done my duty.” The painting next to the spot of his death shows Nelson with a saintly glow as sailors look on in grief. After his death, Nelson’s body was put in a cask filled with brandy to better preserve it – legend has it that there wasn’t as much brandy by the time the sailors arrived in London.
Spot marking the location of the death of Nelson
The Death of Nelson, October 21, 1805, Arthur William Devis, c. 1807
Upon leaving the ship, we noticed different water levels marked in Roman numerals on the bow of the ship.
Water level marks – HMS Victory bow
We also noticed that the bow of the HMS Victory was missing its figurehead…then we remembered – we saw what turned out to be the HMS figurehead at the Victory Gallery earlier, but neither one of us had noticed that it belonged to the HMS Victory at the time.
Noticed no figurehead on the HMS Victory (since it was at the Victory Gallery – see below picture)
The HMS Victory figurehead – at the Victory Gallery museum
It turns out that the figurehead was mistakenly sawn into six pieces in 2009 when it was believed it was only a modern replica – turns out that the figurehead was more than 200 years old – an exact copy (made in 1815) of the one borne by the HMS Victory at Trafalgar – that had in fact survived all these years. A complete restoration was completed in 2021 and now the restored figurehead resides at the Victory Gallery.
Damaged HMS Victory figurehead in 2009 (notice the hands on the crown) – Photo: www.independent.co.uk/news
The figurehead on the HMS Victory in 2007 – Photo: www.independent.co.uk/news
Celebrating the restoration of the HMS Victory figurehead at the Victory Gallery in May, 2021 –
Photo: www.independent.co.uk/news
This concludes our tour of the HMS Victory and of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.