• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Royal Oak
    • Our App
    • Contact
    • Free Anglotopia Mobile and Tablet App
    • Advertise
    • History of Anglotopia
    • Newsletter
    • Disclaimer
    • Press Room
  • Blog
    • Podcast
  • Sections
    • Anglophilia
      • Anglophile 101
      • Anglotopia Long Reads
      • Desktop Wallpapers
      • Anglophile Alerts
      • Anglophile Deals
      • Anglophile Gear
      • Anglophile Zen
      • British Food
    • British TV
      • BBC
      • Downton Abbey
      • Doctor Who News
      • British TV Videos
      • Top Gear
    • British History
      • Great Britons
      • Winston Churchill
      • British Literature
      • British Empire
      • British Military
      • English Language
      • Royal History
      • Shakespeare
    • Royal Family
      • The Queen
      • Prince Harry
      • Prince George
      • Royal Couple – Will & Kate
      • Royal Family
      • Royal History
      • Royal Traditions
    • Reviews
      • Brit DVD Reviews
      • Brit Book Reviews
      • Brit Movie Reviews
      • Brit TV Reviews
      • Brit Music Reviews
      • Attraction Reviews
  • Top British Slang
    • British Slang Archives
    • British Slang Dictionary
    • British English: The Top 50 Most Beautiful British Insults
    • British Slang: Your Guide to British Police Slang for the Telly Watcher
    • British Slang: Tea Time – British Words for Tea and Tea Related Culture
    • British Slang: British Railway Terms
    • ltimate List of Funny British Place Names
  • London
  • Regions
    • South East England
      • Berkshire
      • Buckinghamshire
      • East Sussex
      • Hampshire
      • Isle of Wight
      • Kent
      • Oxfordshire
      • Surrey
      • Sussex
      • West Sussex
    • South West England
      • Cornwall
      • Cotswolds
      • Devon
      • Dorset
      • Gloucestershire
      • Somerset
      • Wiltshire
    • Midlands
      • Bedfordshire
      • Derbyshire
      • Herefordshire
      • Hertfordshire
      • Leicestershire
      • Lincolnshire
      • Northamptonshire
      • Rutland
      • Shropshire
      • Staffordshire
      • Warwickshire
    • East Anglia
      • Norfolk
      • Suffolk
      • Cambridgeshire
      • Essex
    • North East England
      • Yorkshire
      • County Durham
      • Northumberland
      • Tyne and Wear
    • North West England
      • Cheshire
      • Cumbria
      • Lake District
      • Lancashire
      • Liverpool
      • Manchester
    • Scotland
      • Edinburgh
      • Glasgow
    • Wales
      • Cardiff
      • Pembrokeshire
    • Northern Ireland
      • Belfast
    • Islands
      • Channel Islands
      • Jersey
      • Isle of Man
      • Isles of Scilly
  • Travel
    • Tours
      • Top UK Tour Operators
      • Top London Tours
      • Top Day Trips from London
      • Anglophile Recommendations
      • UK Lodging Recommendations
    • Travel Guides
    • Attractions
      • Great British Houses
      • Stately Homes
      • Castles
      • Cathedrals
      • Museums
      • Coast
      • Palaces
      • Restaurants
      • Royal
    • Top 10 Britain
    • Days Out
    • Travel Tips
    • Trip Planning
    • British Airways
    • Hotels
    • Self-catering
    • Bed and Breakfasts
    • National Trust
    • Royal Oak
  • British Shop
    • British Imports
    • Magazine Back Issues
    • Anglotopia Gear
    • Winston Churchill
  • British Forum
  • Our Books
    • Adventures in Anglotopia
    • British Slang Dictionary
    • 101 London Travel Tips
    • 101 Budget Britain Travel Tips – 2nd Edition
    • Anglophile Vignettes
    • Great Britons Book: Top 50 Greatest Brits Who Ever Lived
    • Great Events in British History

Anglotopia.net

The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles

  • Platinum Jubilee
  • British News
  • History
    • Prehistoric Britain
    • British Legends
    • Roman Britain
    • Anglo-Saxon
    • Norman Britain
    • Medieval Era
    • Plantagenet Era
    • Tudor Era
    • Elizabethan Era
    • Carolinean Era
    • Interregnum Era
    • Jacobean Era
    • Stuart Era
    • Restoration Era
    • Georgian Era
    • Colonial America
    • Edwardian Era
    • Royals
      • The Monarchs
      • Royal Babies
      • Royal Couple – Will & Kate
      • Royal History
      • Royal Traditions
      • Royal Videos
      • Royal Wedding
      • Royal Wedding Trip Diaries
      • The Queen
      • Harry’s Wedding
      • Prince Harry
      • Duke and Duchess of Sussex
    • Regency Era
    • British Empire
    • Victorian Era
    • Interwar Period
    • Winston Churchill
    • Modern Britain
    • Royal History
    • Through the Library
    • Transport History
    • The Monarchs
    • World War I Era
    • World War II
  • Entertainment
    • British TV
      • Doctor Who
      • BBC
      • Downton Abbey
      • Top Gear
      • Brit TV Reviews
      • Acorn Media
      • Britbox
    • British Movies
    • British Music
  • Columns
    • Long Reads
      • Magazine
      • Dreams of Britain
      • Inspiration
      • Great British Art
      • Inspiration Videos
      • Inspirational Places
    • Eating British in America
    • An American Student Abroad
    • A Brit Back Home
    • A Day In the Life…
    • A Church in Wales
    • Through the Lens
    • Through the Library
    • Anglophile Life
    • Laura’s Britain
    • Lost in the Pond
  • Anglophilia
    • Anglophile 101
    • Anglophile Alerts
    • Anglophile Problems
    • Anglophile Gear
    • English Language
    • Anglophile Zen
    • Pictures of England
  • British Heritage
  • Britishness
    • Art
    • British Architecture
    • British Aristocracy
    • British Weather
    • British Cars
    • British Products
    • Brit Knits
    • Brit Crafts
    • Brit Recipes
    • British Food
    • British Christmas
    • Our Trips
      • Anglotopia’s Grand Adventure – Land’s End to John O’Groats
      • Rural Writers Institute Trip
      • Harry’s Wedding
      • Anglotopia Goes to Oxford
      • England Spring 2017 Trip
      • February 2017
      • Spring 2016 Trip
      • London 2016
      • An English Christmas Trip – 2013
      • Training for Hadrian’s Wall – 2014
      • Jubilee 2012 Trip
      • Royal Wedding Trip Diaries
      • Trip to England – July 2010
      • Trip to England 2009
  • British Forum
    • Anglotopia TV
You are here: Home / British History / Exclusive Preview of the new Mary Rose Museum – Ship Brought back from the Ocean

Exclusive Preview of the new Mary Rose Museum – Ship Brought back from the Ocean

May 30, 2013 By Laura

The Mary Rose is the world’s only surviving sixteenth century warship. This £35 million project reunites the hull of the Mary Rose with many of the 19,000 Tudor artefacts recovered from the seabed providing an unrivalled perspective of life on board the sixteenth century ship. The Mary Rose Museum opens to the public on 31 May 2013. I went for a preview about a month before opening.

Mary Rose Museum (c) Laura Porter
Mary Rose Museum
(c) Laura Porter

What is the Mary Rose?

Built in Portsmouth dockyard and launched in 1511, the Mary Rose was one of the first ships to be able to fire broadside and was a firm favourite of Henry VIII. She was also one of the last ships to have archers shooting longbows.

Contrary to popular belief, she did not sink on her maiden voyage and actually saw 34 year’s service as a king’s warship.

AnthonyRoll-2_Mary_Rose

Battle of The Solent

The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. This 1545 battle played out in Portsmouth harbour when French ships arrived – twice as many as in the Spanish Armada.

No-one knows exactly why the Mary Rose sank but she took part in the battle and sank on 19 July 1545, going down 50 feet to the seabed taking most of the crew with her. King Henry VIII saw the Mary Rose go down as he was watching from Portsmouth’s Southsea Castle. The starboard side stuck in the mud on the seabed and there she stayed for over 400 years.

Henry VIII - seen on a preview day when the museum was not yet complete. (c) Laura Porter
Henry VIII – seen on a preview day when the museum was not yet complete.  (c) Laura Porter

Excavation

In 1971 the Mary Rose was found by scuba divers and so begun the largest underwater excavation and recovery ever undertaken in the world.

Between 1979 and 1982 there were over 28,000 dives involving over 500 volunteer divers.

On 11 October 1982 she was lifted out of the water. The event was televised and watched by 60+ million viewers. And probably all of them gasped as the ship slipped and we all worried she would fall back into the water.

Views across the Mary Rose café terrace of the new museum. (c) Portico Marketing
Views across the Mary Rose café terrace of the new museum.  (c) Portico Marketing

Conservation

When the hull was raised she was sprayed with recycled, fresh water at a temperature of less than 5ºC to stop the wood drying out and to inhibit bacterial activity. In 1985 the ship was turned upright and a series of titanium props were installed to support the internal structure.

Since 1993/4 she has been sprayed in the “hotbox” with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) which is a water soluble polymer. (The hotbox is probably the largest environmentally controlled case in the world.) The sprays were switched off at 7.27am on 29 April 2013 (and I visited on 30 April so was one of the first to see the ship without the sprays!)

The Mary Rose hull seen the day after he sprays were switched off. (c) Laura Porter
The Mary Rose hull seen the day after the sprays were switched off.  (c) Laura Porter

She must now be air dried evenly to remove up to 100 tons of water from the ship’s timbers using fabric ducts in a highly sophisticated pattern. 55% relative humidity and 20ºC is considered favourable and it’s going to take 4 to 5 years.

Even when the drying comes to an end the building’s temperature, light and humidity will be very carefully controlled. The hull will remain on its original recovery cradle and will not be moved from its current position in dry dock.

Upon completion of the air-drying phase of the hull conservation, the hotbox enclosure will be removed allowing visitors to fully appreciate new and dramatic views of the Mary Rose’s original timbers.

The new Mary Rose Museum as seen from the stern of HMS Victory. (c) Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
The new Mary Rose Museum as seen from the stern of HMS Victory.  (c) Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

The Museum

The Mary Rose Museum is a Tudor time capsule with 1700m² of gallery space across three floors. The new Museum has been built around the hull of the ship and has been conceived as a finely crafted, wooden jewellery box. It is clad in timber planks and painted black, and is located next to HMS Victory in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – only 20 yards away from where it was built over 500 years ago.

As there is roughly half of the ship left the missing side of the hull is the museum with displays of what would have been on each deck in context, like a virtual hull. There is a central walkway which appears to be down the middle of the ship with windows available to see the ship in its “hotbox”. After the drying phase this will be changed to sheet glass.

(c) Laura Porter
View in the low-light Mary Rose Museum  (c) Laura Porter

This is a low-light museum to protect the delicate artefacts, and there are atmospheric sounds of water.

There are three floors: Upper Deck (Castle Deck), Main Deck and Lower Deck (Hold), connected by stairs or a large lift/elevator. The lift has a glass side so you can see the Mary Rose while travelling between the floors.

Reconstructed cooking area. (c) Laura Porter
Reconstructed cooking area.  (c) Laura Porter

The Costs

Creating a brand new museum around the hull of the Mary Rose, while conservation continues, has not been a cheap process. £27 million was needed for the design, build and construction, and a further £8 million for the final phase of conservation. Rear-Admiral John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust declared, “The Heritage Lottery Fund are the saviours of this project” as without them the conservation would never have been possible.

There are 8 million Mary Rose £2 coins in circulation. If you find one do consider sending it to the Mary Rose Museum for their ongoing fundraising.

Main deck guns sitting on their original carriages. (c) Mary Rose Trust
Main deck guns sitting on their original carriages.  (c) Mary Rose Trust

Artefacts

So much can be learned from the recovered items. There are 19,000 in total and as many as possible are going on display. For example, it was thought the Gimbal compass wasn’t invented until 100 years later but three were found on the Mary Rose. The earliest fiddles to exist anywhere are on display with other musical instruments, along with the greatest collection of archery equipment in the world.

Everything that is on display behind glass is real and original. There are a few items made of Perspex that are simply used to complete the reconstruction.

Skeleton of Hatch, the ship's dog. (c) Laura Porter
Skeleton of Hatch, the ship’s dog.  (c) Laura Porter

The “aah” factor comes when you see the skeleton of Hatch, the ship’s dog who was there to catch the rats on board. Many will be pleased to know there are cuddly version of Hatch available in the gift shop.

Rosaries. (c) Laura Porter
Rosary beads.  (c) Laura Porter

Rosary beads are on display and evidence of up to 10 paternosters were found in the wreck. The Mary Rose was built and crewed during the time of the dissolution of the monasteries and the banning of Catholicism in the UK by Henry VIII.

“When their world ended, our story began…”

Nearly all of the crew drowned when the Mary Rose went down. The Museum is dedicated to those who lost their lives when the Mary Rose sank on 19 July 1545. There are human remains on display and the Bishop of Portsmouth will bless the Museum before it opens. Historian Dan Snow described the Mary Rose as “this country’s Pompeii”.

The Mary Rose did not carry a list of crew members, just a list of numbers. There were 415 crew and the only names known are Vice Admiral, Sir George Carew and the Master – Roger Grenville.

(c) Laura Porter
(c) Laura Porter

Through incredible facial reconstructions of seven members of the crew, that have been created using forensic science and osteoarchaeology, six themed galleries tell the personal stories and working lives of the crew on board such as the carpenter, cook and an archer.

There are profession possessions, such as carpentry tools, and personal possessions, such as pocket compasses and ‘nit combs’, on display. Some head lice combs found in crew members pockets still had head lice on them!

Gift shop

The ground floor gift shop is large and bright, and some exclusive items have been produced just for the Museum such as a cuddly version of Hatch the ship’s dog.

Cuddly toy version of Hatch, the ship's dog. And cuddly rats. (c) Laura Porter
Cuddly toy version of Hatch, the ship’s dog. And cuddly rats.  (c) Laura Porter

Visitor Information

On 30 May 2013 there will be a day of celebration and ceremonies involving elements of the Royal Navy and well known historians. The day will be based around the journey of the Mary Rose’s ship’s bell into the museum. This symbolic journey will begin at sea, over the wreck site, and end in the Museum.

Travel: The Mary Rose Museum is within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard which is a few minutes’ walk from Portsmouth Harbour train station. Trains from London take under 2 hours.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: This is the leading attraction on the south coast. The site is home to The Mary Rose, HMS Warrior 1860, HMS Victory, National Museum of the Royal Navy, Action Stations and Harbour Tours, providing 800 years of the British naval story.

Opening Times: Open to the public from 31 May 2013.
April to October: 10am-5.30pm. November to March: 10am-5pm.

Recommended Visit Duration: They are still monitoring this but I would say plan for 2 hours as there is so much to see.

Admission: £17 for the Museum and £26 for the entire Dockyard. Discounts are available for booking online in advance and all tickets are valid for one year with unlimited visits. Tickets are issued for half hour time slots for entry but you can stay as long as you like. All tickets are valid for one year.

Official Website: www.historicdockyard.co.uk/maryrose/

The Museum is hoping for 250,000-300,000 visitors for the remainder of this year and then half a million in 2014.

close

Daily British News

Sign-up for free daily emails with the latest news about British culture, heritage, and history!

We promise we’ll never spam!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pocket
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit

Filed Under: British History, Days Out, Family Travel, Featured, Laura's London, Travel, Tudor Era
Places: Coast
Tagged With: Mary Rose, Portsmouth

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Daily British News

Sign-up for free daily emails with the latest news about British culture, heritage, and history!

We promise we’ll never spam!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About Laura

Laura Porter writes aboutlondonlaura.com and fits in further freelance writing while maintaining an afternoon tea addiction to rival the Queen's. Laura is @AboutLondon on Twitter, @AboutLondon Laura on Facebook and aboutlondon on Instagram.

Primary Sidebar

Daily British News

Sign-up for free daily emails with the latest news about British culture, heritage, and history!

We promise we’ll never spam!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Search our Extensive Archive

Get the Free Anglotopia App

Our Fabulous Advertisers

Free British Weekly Newsletter

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up!

Recent Discussions on the Anglotopia Forum

  • British people of Anglotopia, what do you make of the whole anglophile thing ?
  • Let's talk about British Food! What's your favorite?
  • British Music
  • Box of Delights, anyone?
  • Britain in 2022?
  • Why Are You an Anglophile?
  • What's your favorite British slang word or phrase?
  • Homesickness strikes
  • What did British stuff did you get for Christmas?
  • Liking someone's reply

Recent Posts

Game Of Thrones creator shares details of new Jon Snow spinoff starring Kit Harington

Travel Alert: British Airways workers vote to strike in pay dispute in late July

William and Kate view first official joint portrait of themselves at museum

Canterbury suburbs home to some of Britain’s earliest humans, study finds

Remodeled BFI cinema among winners of major architecture prize – Riba Awards

In Pictures: Summer solstice celebrations at Stonehenge

Clement Atlee Returns to the Houses of Parliament… as a cat

Planet Earth cameraman films wildlife documentary shot entirely in a pub garden

Dame Mary Berry to return with new BBC series on the joy of sharing food

Michelle Keegan leads new BBC drama Ten Pound Poms about Post-war Australia

Best Posts on Anglotopia

  • Top 100 British Slang Words and Phrases
  • Top 50 Most Beautiful British Insults
  • Ultimate List of Funny British Place Names
  • Top 16 Best Castles in England
  • Our Love Affair with Shaftesbury Dorset Explained
  • British Stores in the USA
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • Top British Comedies of All Time
  • Top 11 Stately Homes in England
  • The Top 12 Castles in Scotland
  • Top Ten British Chick Flicks
  • Top 10 Anglophile Movies
  • Top 13 Best Castles in Wales
  • Brit Telly 101: Understanding British Police Ranks
  • Brit Slang: British Slang in the Bedroom
  • Finding Downton: Our Journey to Highclere Castle
  • Titanic: 10 Famous People Who Died On The Titanic
  • 33 British Slang Words and Phrases You’ll Want to Start Using Regularly Today Because They’re Awesome
  • Top 10 Classic British Motorcycles
  • Top Ten of the Best British Sweets

British Long Reads

Caroline of Brunswick: The Tabloid Princess of the Regency Era

A Church in Wales Spring 2022 Update

Great British Houses: Rainham Hall National Trust

Duke of Edinburgh: A look at his life – No-nonsense prince was Queen’s ‘strength and stay’ – Obituary – Long-read

Guest Post: Slow Chilterns – Exploring The Chilterns

More From the Print Magazine

Anglotopia’s Top Categories

  • British Slang Archives
  • Royal Family
  • Great Events in British History
  • Great British Houses
  • Great British Icons
  • The Monarchs
  • British Slang
  • A Day In the Life…
  • Long-form British Articles
  • British TV
  • British Culture
  • Our Travels in Britain

Footer

About Us

Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!

Contact Us!

Interested in advertising on the world's largest website dedicated to all things Britain? Or maybe you have a story for us or would like to work together. We want to hear from you!

Reach Us At: E-mail: info@anglotopia.net

Free British Weekly Newsletter

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up!

As Seen On or In:

Link Partners

  • Gold Hill Shaftesbury Live HD Webcam
  • Irishtopia.net
  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

Top Anglotopia Categories

  • British Slang Archives
  • Royal Family
  • Great Events in British History
  • Great British Houses
  • Great British Icons
  • The Monarchs
  • British Slang
  • A Day In the Life…
  • Long-form British Articles
  • British TV
  • British Culture
  • Our Travels in Britain

Copyright © 2022 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.