HMS Warrior. Photo by Rennett Stowe
HMS Warrior. Photo by Rennett Stowe

HMS Warrior, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

3 December 2015 / 0 Comments
Attraction Reviews

HMS Warrior is one of the lesser known ships in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which is a massive site containing a number of museums and other attractions. As part of the Dockyard collection, it is possible to purchase either an all attraction ticket, or a single attraction ticket, both of which last for a year.More infoA single adult ticket for HMS Warrior costs £18, and children cost £13; but a ticket covering all of the attractions costs £32 and £23 respectively (there is a discount for buying online as well).

Launched in 1860, HMS Warrior was part-steam and part-sail powered, and the pride of Queen Victoria’s fleet. As the first iron-hulled armoured warship she was the largest, fastest and most powerful ship of her day. Despite this, HMS Warrior never fired a shot in anger, and she started to become obsolete and fell out of service as steam overtook sail power.

Laid out as she would have looked during her service days, visitors to HMS Warrior have good access to most of her (unless they have mobility issues or pushchairs, in which case they have no access). There is printed information available and some guides in contemporarySomeone or something living or occurring at the same time. dress, who will talk about aspects of the ship or life onboard when prompted. There are also guided tours available, which seem informative and interesting, but are not suitable for young children who are easily bored. Unfortunately, the best way to learn about HMS Warrior is through one of these tours, as information is sparse, and more commentary is needed around the ship. When trying to explain something to our children, my husband and I sometimes found ourselves guessing and occasionally barking up completely the wrong tree.

Whilst interesting in her own right, HMS Warrior does not have the fame of some of the other ships on display at the site, and so can often get overlooked. This is good for avoiding crowds, but sadly does make her seem a bit like the poor relation.

For more information about HMS Warrior, click here.

Author Info

Debbie Kilroy

Having read history at the University of Birmingham as an undergraduate, where I won the Kenrick Prize, I worked as a trouble-shooter in the public sector until I took a career break in 2009. Thereafter, I was able to pursue my love of history and turn it into a career, founding Get History in 2014 with the aim of bringing accessible yet high quality history-telling and debate to a wide audience. Since then, I have completed a Masters in Historical Studies at the University of Oxford, from which I received a distinction and the Kellogg College Community Engagement and Impact Award. As well as continuing to write for and expand Get History, I am now a freelance writer and historian. I have worked with Histories of the Unexpected and Inside History, and my article for Parliaments, Estates and Representation won the ICHRPI Emile Lousse essay prize (2019).

More Information
HMS Warrior, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
HMS Warrior, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
6.0
out of 10

Importance

6/10

Information and collections

4/10

Child friendly/fun factor

5/10

Presentation

6/10

Value for money

9/10

Pros

  • +Good value for money when using an all attraction ticket
  • +Interesting and important in its own right
  • +Fewer crowds than at the other attractions in the Dockyard

Cons

  • -Limited access for those with mobility issues
  • -Lack of information
More Information

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