The Dockyard Becomes a Heritage Attraction

1984

As the Royal Navy contracted during the late twentieth century, the active working dockyard at Portsmouth shrank, and the decision was made to open parts of the site to the public as a heritage attraction. The Royal Naval Museum, now the National Museum of the Royal Navy, had existed in various forms since 1911, but the heritage area was formally developed from the 1980s onwards. HMS Victory had been open to visitors since 1928, and the recovery of the Mary Rose in 1982 added a further major attraction. HMS Warrior arrived in 1987 after her restoration. Together, these three historic vessels, spanning the sixteenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, provided a unique narrative of naval history. Action Stations, an interactive attraction focusing on modern naval life, was added later. The heritage area also includes the historic dockyard buildings themselves, many of which are of considerable architectural interest. The Block Mills, rope houses, storehouses and dock structures tell the story of industrial innovation alongside naval power. The development of the heritage attraction has been of enormous economic importance to Portsea and the wider city, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and supporting employment in tourism, hospitality and retail. It has also given Portsea a new identity as a cultural destination, complementing its enduring role as a working naval base.