Portsmouth Old Town

Today I fancied a visit to Portsmouth, in particular the Historic Dockyard and Mary Rose Museum. The new museum is a step up from the old one, and the artefacts from the ship, Henry VIII's flagship, presented to their best. The only disappointment is that the ship itself is somewhat obscured by the drying elements after years of preservation by spraying with a wax compound. It will be another couple of years before it is free of all the preservation gizmos.

I then visited the HMS Warrior, a Victorian battleship built of iron and powered by steam and sail. Although it never fired a shot in anger, it became the forerunner of today's modern navy.

My ticket is valid for a year, so I will be back for a visit to HMS Victory, and other museums on the site.

I finished the day with a walk around Gunwharf Quay and something to eat. Looking across harbour to the Old Town my day was complete by the sight of a Thames Barge coming in to dock