HMS Victory

Heritage, Portsea

HMS Victory is the world's oldest commissioned warship, launched in 1765 and famous as Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. The ship has been in dry dock at Portsmouth since 1922, housed in the oldest surviving dry dock in the world. Visitors can walk the decks where Nelson commanded and where he was fatally wounded during the battle. The ship has been extensively restored and interpreted, with displays showing the conditions experienced by the crew of over 800 men. The spot on the orlop deck where Nelson died is marked and preserved. Victory remains the flagship of the First Sea Lord, making her both a museum ship and an active part of the Royal Navy's ceremonial life. She is the centrepiece of the Historic Dockyard and Portsea's single most famous landmark.