Averof Museum history

Launched in May 1911, the warship was built at the Orlando Shipyards in Livorno in Italy between 1908 and 1910. The armoured cruiser was bought from the Italian Navy for 24 million drachmas and was paid for with loans from other countries plus the help of one of Greece’s most significant benefactors, Georgios Averof – after whom the ship was named.

Over the following decades, the Averof had a long service history. She saw action in both the first and second World Wars as well as during the two Balkan Wars of 1910-1912 during which she led Greece to victory and aided in the transport of refugees from Asia Minor in 1922.

The battleship had therefore become such an emotionally significant symbol for Greeks that she was tenderly referred to as ‘Papa George’ or ‘Barba Yiorgis’.

Averof Museum today

Decommissioned in 1952, the Averof has now been renovated and transformed into the Averof Museum, a naval museum that serves to honour all those who lost their lives at sea fighting for their country.

Open between 9am and 2pm on weekdays and 10am and 5pm at weekends, visitors to the Averof can learn the history of the Hellenic navy and the museum also organises exhibitions and seminars exploring Greek and international nautical history.

Getting to the Averof Museum

Nowadays, the Averof battleship is moored in Trocadero Marina only a few minutes from Athens’ centre. The closest bus stop is Oylen and closest tram stop is Trokantero which is on routes 1 and 3.

HMS Belfast history

Launched in March 1938, HMS Belfast was commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1939, not long before the outbreak of World War Two.

World War Two
During the war, HMS Belfast took part in the blockade on Germany, patrolling northern waters from the Scapa Flow naval base in Orkney. Having managed to intercept SS Cap Norte – a German liner – in 1939, HMS Belfast was then severely damaged by a mine later that same year.

For almost three years, HMS Belfast would not sail as part of the fleet again, yet during this time the ship was overhauled and massively upgraded. In fact, when she returned to the action in 1943, HMS Belfast was one of the Navy’s most formidable vessels and certainly its largest. As such, she was designated the flagship of the Tenth Cruiser Squadron, which protected Arctic convoys travelling to the Soviet Union.

Some of the most important successes of HMS Belfast include its contribution to the sinking of the German battle cruiser Scharnhorst during the Battle of the North Cape in December 1943, its assistance in disabling the German’s last heavy surface unit, Tirpitz, in 1944 and its part in ‘Operation ‘Neptune’, the naval element of the Normandy Landings of D-Day, also in 1944.

End of World War Two
At the end of and after the Second World War, HMS Belfast carried out several roles in the Far East, including helping to evacuate prisoners from internment camps and taking part in peace keeping missions.

Korean War And After
HMS Belfast’s next wartime role would occur in the 1950s, during the Korean War, where she was one of the first ships to go into action to support American and South Korean Troops. This gruelling undertaking would end on 27 September 1952, after which HMS Belfast was involved in a few peacetime missions before finally being taken to London in 1971.

HMS Belfast today

Today HMS Belfast is a museum dedicated to telling the ship’s fascinating history and the wider history of Britain’s 20th century conflicts. Situated on the Thames, visitors can experience what it may have been like for soldiers aboard the HMS Belfast over 9 decks of history, climbing the very same ladders and hatches used throughout its long career.

A number of exhibitions feature throughout, including ‘Feeding the Crew’, ‘Life on Board’, and ‘Serving the Seas’, that detail various aspects of a soldier’s life aboard the ship.

Getting to HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast is situated on the Thames between London and Tower Bridge and can be accessed via the Southbank side. The nearest train station is London Bridge, 0.5 miles away, where both trains and tubes run, while the nearest bus stops are Abbots Lane and Hay’s Galleria, where the 47, 343, and 381 services stop.

HMS Victory history

Early Career

Launched in 1765 and commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1778, HMS Victory was a first-rate ship, witnessing her first main role during the American Revolution under Admiral Keppel.

In 1793, HMS Victory formed part of the fleet during the French Revolutionary Wars under Lord Hood, and in 1797 was also the warship under the remit of Admiral Sir John Jervis in his victory against a Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent. However, it was her role in the Napoleonic Wars which would define HMS Victory.

Battle of Trafalgar

On 21 October 1805, HMS Victory served under the flag of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar. This naval battle saw Nelson lead the British to victory against the French and Spanish, despite the fact that the British fleet of 27 ships was greatly outnumbered. This decisive victory confirmed the supremacy of the British navy and instilled Nelson as a national hero.

However, this success came at a great cost as Nelson was shot and mortally wounded at the Battle, living just long enough to learn that he had been successful.

HMS Victory Today

Today, HMS Victory is located at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where the well-preserved warship now serves as a museum. As you step aboard you are transported back to 1805 where HMS Victory prepares for the Battle of Trafalgar, with a number of decks and cabins open to explore.

8 guns used at the battle remain aboard the ship, alongside an original section of its mast that was shot through by the French ship Redoubtable. Guided tours are available, while elsewhere at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard may be found the HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s favourite ship.

Getting to HMS Victory

HMS Victory is located at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which can be reached via Junction 12 of the M27 by following the brown tourist signs. Portsmouth Harbour Train Station / Hard Interchange coach and bus station is a few minutes walk away, while a park and ride service also runs every 15 minutes and is signposted from the M275.

HMS Warrior history

Built over the course of 35 months and launched in 1860, HMS Warrior represented a marked innovation in naval design. She was unique amongst the world’s armoured warships in having a wrought-iron hull and dual steam and sail power source, and became the name ship of the Warrior-class ironclads.

Yet despite – or indeed because of – her military superiority, HMS Warrior never fired a shot in the course of conflict. Instead, she served as a symbol of the power of the British navy and a deterrent to its enemies, before it was decommissioned in 1883. As it had been at the forefront of naval innovation, just 10 years after construction HMS Warrior had begun to be considered obsolete as newer models were designed. It was later later restored however and is now open to the public at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

HMS Warrior today

Today, a visit to HMS Warrior offers the public the chance to immerse themselves in the world of the Victorian sailor and view firsthand this triumph of 19th-century engineering. It has been preserved in perfect 1860s condition with 4 vast decks to explore, and guests are encouraged to have a truly hands-on visit.

With costumed staff acting at the Victorian crew of the ship, visitors are afforded an in-depth look into its history, and when combined with visits to HMS Victory and the Mary Rose give a larger view into how Britain’s naval past developed over the centuries.

Getting to HMS Warrior

HMS Warrior is located at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with the entrance through Victory Gate at the corner of Queen Street and The Hard. It can be reached by leaving Junction 12 of the M27 and following the brown tourist signs on the M275, with parking available near the docks. Portsmouth Harbour Train Station, The Hard Bus Interchange, and the Gosport Ferry and Wightlink/Fast-Cat foot-passenger terminal are all a short walk away.

Visitors can walk in and around the 5 submarines, experiencing for themselves what life on one of the vessels would have been like during their deployment.

Royal Navy Submarine Museum history

First established in 1963 with a small and rather unknown collection, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum really came into its own 15 years later, when it acquired HMS Alliance and installed it as its main attraction. Over the years, the museum’s collection grew and today houses a total of 9 submarines and a large collection of submarine memorabilia.

Among the 9 historic submarines that make up the museum’s collection are: Holland I, the first submarine commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1901; HMS X24, which saw service during World War Two; the German torpedo submarine Biber; and HMS Alliance, commissioned in 1947.

Each submarine is paired with a gallery of information pertaining to its history, giving children and adults alike the chance to see the history they are reading about.

Royal Navy Submarine Museum today

Visitors can partake in 40-minute guided tours of HMS Alliance given by a submariner who will regale his audience with stories of life below the sea. Or you can wander by yourself as the children explore the newly opened ‘Horrible Science of Submarines’ exhibition.

The museum also contains an extensive collection of historic photographs and artefacts available for visitors to browse, including medals, equipment, art and personal effects of those who lived and served onboard the vessels and ones like them.

Throughout the year the museum hosts a variety of talks, presentations and readings by a variety of guests. Whichever time of year you choose to visit there is bound to be something for all the family.

Getting to Royal Navy Submarine Museum

The museum is located in Gosport near Portsmouth, and can be reached via Junction 11 of the M27. Following this the A32 may be taken towards Gosport following the brown tourist signs, with free parking available at the site.

The nearest train station is Portsmouth Harbour, from which the ferry to Gosport may be taken.

History of Scar Boat Burial

The site was discovered by a local farmer, who, after a ferocious storm which stripped away much of the sandbank, saw a number of bones jutting out from an exposed sandbank, and picked up and took home a small lead object. It was only 6 years later, in 1991, that visiting archaeologist Julie Gibson visited the site, and recognised the object as a lead bullion weight used by Norse traders to weigh gold and silver on a balance scale.

Battling against Orkney’s tumultuous weather, archaeologists swiftly uncovered the remains of a burial boat. All that remained were marks left in the sand by over 300 rusted iron rivets which marked out the shape of the boat, which would have been 6.5m long, wooden, plank-built, and oared rowing boat known as a faering. The boat had been buried in a stone-lined pit which formed a burial chamber.

Alongside the human remains were a treasure trove of grave goods which are unparalleled in Britain in terms of their state of preservation, including a decorated whalebone (now known as the Scar Plaque), a gilded brooch, an iron sword, a quiver containing eight arrows, a bone comb, a set of 22 gaming pieces, a sickle, a weaving sword, and two spindle whorls.

Based upon the artefacts and later radio carbon dating, the site has been dated to between 875 and 950 AD.

Scar Boat Burial Today

Today, artefacts from the Scar Boat Burial are on display in the Viking Gallery at the Orkney Museum, alongside a number of fascinating artefacts. The museum is located in a striking townhouse which dates to the 1570s, which also surrounds a beautifully kept walled garden.

Getting to Scar Boat Burial

The Orkney Museum is located centrally in the town of Kirkwall, which is the administrative centre of the Orkney Islands. It’s a 7 minute walk via Junction Rd/A963, or a 2 minute drive by car. A number of buses also stop outside the St Magnus centre, from where the museum is a 2 minute walk.

History of the SS Great Britain

The SS Great Britain was launched in 1843: designed by the pioneering engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the ship was the biggest of her kind, with a new screw propeller, 1000 horsepower steam engine and made of iron. Prince Albert officially ‘launched’ the ship, boarding the ship and inspecting it on a tour. The ship was described by contemporaries as ‘revolutionary’ in its design.

In 1852, she was purchased by Gibbs, Bright & Co for use as a passenger ship, transporting those who wished to emigrate to Australia. They added in an extra deck, bringing the ship’s capacity up to 700 passengers, and decided to primarily use wind power rather than the engine to save money.

After 30 years as a passenger ship, she was retired to cargo, primarily carrying exports between the UK and the west coast of America. On one such voyage, which went round Cape Horn, off the bottom of South America, the ship was badly damaged and sought refuge in the Falklands. Repairs would have been astronomical, and so the ship was sold to the Falkland Islands Company, who kept her working until 1933.

A salvage operation managed to refloat the SS Great Britain to tow her ‘home’ to Bristol in 1970 – a whopping 8000 miles.

Corrosion was the biggest threat facing the iron ship: conservators spent three years cleaning, repairing and restoring the ship, ensuring its preservation and preventing further corrosion or deterioration.

SS Great Britain today

The SS Great Britain is one of Bristol’s most popular attractions. The complex includes the Dockyard Museum (which charts the ship’s history from her conception to the modern day, featuring some helpful historical context to steamships and personal effects from those associated with the ship), the ‘Being Brunel’ exhibition which explores Bristol’s most famous resident in greater depth, and the ship itself, which has been lovingly restored.

The ship in particular is fantastic to wander around: from the first class dining saloons to the engine rooms, you get a real feel for what the ship would have felt like, and how impressive it would have been to contemporaries (as well as how cramped it would have felt with 700 passengers).

Make sure to spend time out on the deck to soak up the views of Bristol.

Getting to the SS Great Britain

The SS Great Britain is on a dry dock on Bristol’s harbourside. It’s easily accessible on foot from anywhere else in the city centre, and close to Wapping Wharf if you need refreshments.

Buses to and from the airport stop approximately a 5 minute walk away from the SS Great Britain, and it’s approximately a 30 minute walk (or a 10 minute taxi) from Bristol Temple Meads station (trains to/from London twice hourly, frequent connections within the south-west and midlands).

History of the Edwin Fox

The Edwin Fox was first commissioned as a trader, but was soon being used as a troopship carrying soldiers and some civilians to the Crimean War. After the end of the war, she was again commissioned as a trader and carried alcohol and immigrants across the world, making her first voyage to the antipodes in 1856, the journey to Melbourne taking four and a half months.

After this, the Edwin Fox worked on the route between the Far East and the West Indies until she was again commissioned by the British Government to transport prisoners to the prison colonies in Australia. Preserved in the museum is a list of convicts transported by the Edwin Fox, including their crimes, ranging from fraud to murder.

After a period of time, during which the Edwin Fox was generally used as a trader, she was chartered for use as an immigrant ship, taking emigrants mainly from the UK and Ireland, to New Zealand. By the 1880s steam was making sailing ships obsolete, and freezers made it possible to transport New Zealand lamb further afield, so the Edwin Fox was fitted out as a freezer ship. Following this, this, she was towed to Picton, firstly as a freezing store, and finally as a coal bunker.

When the Edwin Fox had outlived her usefulness, she was left to rot ignominiously at Picton.

In 1965, the preservation society was formed, with the aim of saving the ship and moving it to dry dock for preservation of the hulk and putting it on show as an example of ships of her time.

The Edwin Fox today

A museum has been built to explain and explore this ship’s long and varied history from its building in India in 1853 to the remaining hulk you can see and explore today. There is an informative video in the museum.

The hull of the Edwin Fox is evocative as she lies now in dry dock, well signed and giving a feel of its history. The museum is well laid out, and is informative, but the ship itself is a wonderful piece of history.

The ship and museum are open daily between 9am and 3pm.

Getting to the Edwin Fox

The Edwin Fox is moored at Dunbar Wharf in Picton, which is at the northern end of South Island. Nelson is a 2 hour drive away, and Picton station is 2 minutes walk from the ship. Picton Station has connections to Christchurch, but be warned – it’s a long journey!

History of The Skidbladner

The Gokstad ship was built around the year 890 AD during the busy and seafaring Viking Age. It is thought to have been built during the reign of Harald Fairhar, who is said to have landed in Unst, and after whom the bay of Haroldswick is named.

It was discovered by two farm boys on a farm who dug into a large burial mound called ‘the king’s mound’ when they were bored one autumn. The fascinating ship was excavated and later restored, its parts dismantled, steamed, and bent back to their original shape. This has allowed replicas like The Skidbladner to be constructed.

The ship would have originally been used for a variety of purposes including trade, warfare, and general travel. This would have been facilitated by it being constructed in the clinker fashion, where each plank is slightly tapered, overlapping the plank above and being held in place with iron rivets, which made her light and flexible.

Shetland Amenity Trust aquired the Skidblader in 2006 when it became a fixture at Brookpoint in Haroldswick. The ship is an impressive sight and has proved a popular visitor attraction.

The Skidbladner Today

Today, visitors can board the ship and feel what it was like to have been aboard a Viking vessel, with living history demonstrations in the summer enhancing the experience. While you’re in the area, take a look at the reconstructed Viking longhouse right next to the ship, which offers a fascinating insight into the methods used to create such buildings.

Getting to The Skidbladner

From the centre of Unst, the scenic drive to Haroldswick will take you about 5 minutes via the A968. By foot, it takes around an hour by the same road. The 28 bus will take you to a stop called ‘Village’, from where the site takes 9 or so minutes.

The The Tall Ship’s history

The Glenlee was built and launched at the Bay Yard on the River Clyde in Glasgow in 1896. She was one of a group of 10 steel sailing vessels built to a standard design for the Glasgow shipping firm of Archibald Sterling and Co. Ltd.

The Glenlee first took to the water as an operating cargo ship. She circumnavigated the globe 4 times in her merchanting career and survived passing through the fearsome storms of Cape Horn 15 times.

During the 23 years that she operated as a bulk carrier, the vessel changed ownership several times, and was renamed Islamount in the early 1900s until she was purchased by the Star of Italy shipping company in 1919. She was later bought by the Spanish navy in 1922, renamed Galatea and turned into a sail training vessel (capable of accommodating 300 military personnel) until 1969. She then operated as a shore-based training school until 1981 when she was laid up in Seville Harbour and largely forgotten.

A British naval architect saw her in Seville in 1990 and two years later, the Clyde Maritime Trust succeeded in buying the re-named Galatea at auction for £40,000. She has since undergone extensive conservation by the staff and volunteers of the Clyde Maritime Trust, and has been saved from dereliction and turned into a museum.

The Tall Ship today

Now restored to her former glory, the Glenlee is now listed on the UK Register of Historic Vessels and is identified as one of 50 or so nationally pre-eminent historic ships in the UK. She is also one of only 5 remaining Clyde-built sailing ships still afloat in the world.

In May 2011 the ship was moved alongside Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, where it continues to serve as a museum.

Getting to The Tall Ship

The Tall Ship is moored up at Pointhouse Quay next to The Riverside Transport Museum in Glasgow.

There is a regular bus service from George Square. If coming by train, take the a low-level train or underground to Partick station. The Tall Ship is approximately an 8 minute walk away.

By Car, from the M8 west bound take junction 19 on to the Clydeside expressway (A814), or east bound via the Clyde tunnel and head towards the city centre, then follow the brown tourist signs for The Tall Ship.