February

Secret Places

Portsmouth, Great Britain.

The place:

The world's oldest dry dock in the southern English city of Portsmouth is home to a prominent treasure made of oak – "HMS Victory". The ocean liner with a displacement of 3500 tonnes, which in its heyday was heavily armed with 104 cannons and carried a crew of 850, was entered in the Royal Navy's list of warships and auxiliary ships in October 1760. As the oldest ship in commission with the British navy, the triple-decker today serves the Royal Navy's chief of operations, the First Sea Lord, as a setting for official receptions and functions. "HMS Victory" achieved worldwide fame in 1805 in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which it served as the flagship for vice-admiral Horatio Nelson.Nelson won the battle, but was fatally wounded. The "Victory" has been undergoing extensive restoration since 2011.


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Insider's tip:

"A real gem, this dock site. In the restoration phase, the ship's appearance is changing week by week. And it's always a thrill, as every plank and every yard has a hundred stories to tell! I imagine how the crew lived and worked here on board. A spectacular place where history remains very much alive as it is being written."


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