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Welcome to the official website for Nelson’s flagship - HMS Victory. Best known for her role in the Battle of Trafalgar, the Victory currently has a dual role as the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command and as a living museum to the Georgian navy.
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The Historic Dockyard opens at 10am everyday throughout the year, except when closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. From April to October the last tickets to the attractions are sold at 4.30pm and the Dockyard gates are closed at 6.00pm. From November to March the last tickets to the attractions are sold at 4.00pm and the Dockyard gates are closed at 5.30pm. Our Visiting pages will give you more details about Victory’s opening hours.
So, step aboard and explore the wooden world of the Georgian Navy…
HMS Victory Appoints New Curator
Time travelling historian Andrew Baines has sailed back through time from working on HMS Warrior 1860 to being newly appointed by the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) as the curator for HMS Victory. Andrew will lead on the conservation, restoration and interpretation of the world’s greatest surviving warship, which stands as a proud memorial to Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, Britain's greatest naval hero.
Working as part of the Curatorial Team at the NMRN, Andrew will be the principal advisor on matters relating to the history, structure, general appearance and public presentation of HMS Victory.
Visitors to HMS Victory are to have the opportunity to see how the great sailing warships of the 18th century were built and maintained at battle readiness.
The first major task already underway is to dismantle the ship’s three masts, bowsprit and rigging. The last time HMS Victory was seen without her top masts was back in 1944, so this really is a once in a life time opportunity to see HMS Victory under-going such extreme maintenance.
HMS VICTORY shown in approximately 1944 with all topmasts removed.
The Commanding Officer of HMS Victory Lt Cdr DJ ‘Oscar’ Whild RN said: “The removal of the masts during the summer months is an exciting time in the ship’s maintenance programme, this will give the visitors a great opportunity to see the ship in a very different light. We aim to keep the ship open to the public during this process and although there will inevitably be some disruption, we will do our best to minimise any inconvenience to visitors.”
The Royal Navy's most important anniversary was marked by a ceremony onboard HMS Victory on Thursday 21 October 2010 at 9 am. The ceremony was attended, for the first time, by Cdr M Paton RN (Rtd) and Mrs E Foster, both direct descendants of Master's Mate Thomas Goble, who was onboard the ship at the Battle of Trafalgar. Thomas was promoted to Nelson's Public Secretary to the Fleet during the action, a post he held for just four hours before Nelson's death. This year is the 205th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar which took place on 21 October 1805. Admiral Nelson's triumph is seen as one of the most decisive naval battles under sail in British history. The anniversary also marks the death of the Royal Navy's most revered leader who was fatally wounded during the action which decisively defeated a Franco-Spanish fleet.
