Mary Rose Tour April 26

Published 14:41 on 4 May 2026

The preserved remains of the Mary Rose

and the original bell, one of the few objects to stay on the Mary Rose throughout her career.

Ten members of the Haslar Yacht Club and two members of the Hornet Services Sailing Club had a very enjoyable guided tour from Trevor Jones at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on Monday 20^th April.

As we all know the museum is dedicated to the preserved remains of the Mary Rose, a Tudor warship that served under King Henry VIII. Trevor explained the history of the Mary Rose from her construction in 1510, her sinking in 1545 during the Battle of the Solent, her discovery by Victorian fishermen in the 1830's and her rediscovery and resurrection in the 1970's and 1980's.

We learned about the naval ambitions of Henry VIII and the strategic importance of the Mary Rose within the Tudor fleet.  Trevor explained how the Mary Rose capsized and sank rapidly, leading to the tragic loss of most of its crew.

The museum's layout allows visitors to view the preserved hull of the ship alongside thousands of artefacts recovered from the seabed. Trevor provided fascinating insights into these objects, which include weapons, tools, clothing, and personal belongings. These items give a rare glimpse into daily life aboard a Tudor warship, from the roles of sailors and officers to their diet, health, and routines.  There was even a skeleton of the ships dog, now named Hatch, thought to be used to catch rats.

The remains of crew members have been carefully studied, allowing historians to reconstruct details about their age, health, and even their occupations. In some cases they have reconstructed their faces.

We learnt about the complex process used to preserve the ship after its recovery in 1982, including decades of careful treatment to prevent decay. The museum itself is designed to replicate the conditions needed to protect the hull, highlighting the importance of ongoing preservation work.

The Mary Rose is a time capsule of Tudor England. It not only tells the story of a single ship but also provides insights into 16th-century society, naval technology, and exploration.

There is so much to see and learn but one or two less well-known facts mentioned by Trevor are:

• the Victorians tried to use iron bombs to dislodge the Mary Rose.  Fortunately, they failed.
• when she was raised in 1982 the recovery team had to cut off the prow of the ship because it would not fit on the cradle.  However, when they built the museum they provided enough space for the prow to be added in the future.
• one artefact from the exhibition has been into space.   A walnut wooden parrel ball from the rigging system was flown into space on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2011 spending 17 days orbiting the earth.

Our thanks go to the events secretary Jem Nicholls and our tour leader John Masters for a very enjoyable trip.

Anne S-D

Last updated 15:00 on 4 May 2026