HMS Warrior 1860

The ironclad that changed naval warfare forever

HMS Warrior, launched in 1860, was the Royal Navy's first iron-hulled, armoured warship and a vessel that rendered every other warship in the world obsolete the moment she entered service. Built in response to the French ironclad La Gloire, Warrior was designed to outclass her in every respect. At 127 metres long, she was the largest warship in the world. Her hull was constructed of iron, protected by a belt of wrought-iron armour 4.5 inches thick backed by 18 inches of teak, and she could make over 14 knots under steam.

Warrior's armament comprised 40 guns, a mixture of breech-loading and muzzle-loading weapons. She was crewed by approximately 700 men. The combination of iron construction, armour protection, steam propulsion and heavy armament marked a revolutionary break from the wooden sailing warships that had dominated naval warfare for centuries.

Despite her transformative design, Warrior's front-line career was remarkably brief. Within a decade, newer and more advanced ironclads had superseded her. She was reduced to reserve in 1875, then served as a depot ship, a workshop and eventually as an oil fuel jetty hulk at Pembroke Dock in Wales, where she spent over half a century.

In 1979, the ship was towed to Hartlepool for a comprehensive eight-year restoration by the Warrior Preservation Trust. Every detail was researched and restored, from the ornate stern galleries to the engine room machinery. She arrived at Portsmouth in 1987 and has been moored at the Historic Dockyard since. Visitors can explore the full length of the ship, from the captain's quarters to the engine room, gaining a vivid impression of Victorian naval life at the dawn of the steam and iron age.