devonport naval base tours

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Naval Base Tours - Devonport

• a Ship visit & Naval Base tour
• Submarine visit and Naval Base tour
• or for organized groups only an Historic Naval Base Heritage tour complete with Plymouth Naval Base Museum visit.

Navy Days 2009

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Devonport Naval Heritage Centre

The Devonport Naval Heritage Site and Visitor Centre records the development of The Dockyard and Plymouth's pivotal role in supporting the Royal Navy through major conflicts since 1300, including two World Wars. Through its collections, interactive experiences and pictorial interpretation the drama of the close relationship of Devonport, the Royal Navy, The Dockyard and the people of Plymouth can be explored.

Visit the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre website for more information and opening hours.

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Devonport Naval Heritage Centre

 The centre houses an extensive collection of naval artifacts, documents, and memorabilia that chronicle the history of the Royal Navy from its early days to modern times. This includes uniforms, weapons, medals, and personal items that belonged to naval personnel. For a more engaging experience, the centre features interactive exhibits where visitors can learn about life aboard a naval vessel, the evolution of naval technology, and significant naval battles. These displays often include multimedia elements such as videos, touch screens, and audio guides.

One of the highlights of the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre is the opportunity to tour HMS Courageous, a decommissioned nuclear submarine. This guided tour provides an in-depth look at the workings of a submarine, including its control room, living quarters, and torpedo bays.

The centre boasts a remarkable collection of ship models and dioramas that depict various ships and naval scenes. These meticulously crafted models offer a detailed look at the design and structure of historic vessels.

Visitors can explore parts of the historic Devonport Dockyard, one of the oldest naval dockyards in the world. The dockyard tours showcase the industrial and architectural heritage of the site, including its dry docks, workshops, and historic buildings.

The centre regularly hosts temporary exhibitions and special events that focus on specific aspects of naval history or commemorate significant anniversaries. These events often include lectures, re-enactments, and hands-on activities for children.

For those interested in conducting more in-depth research, the centre offers access to its archives and library, which contain a wealth of information on naval history, shipbuilding, and maritime warfare.

To round off the visit, the gift shop offers a range of souvenirs, books, and maritime-themed gifts, while the café provides a place to relax and enjoy refreshments.

Overall, the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre provides a comprehensive and engaging experience for history enthusiasts, naval buffs, and families alike.

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Guided tour of Devonport Naval Base & Heritage Centre

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Guided tour of Devonport Naval Base & Heritage Centre

We are delighted to announce that the Naval Base and Naval Heritage Centre with the support of Babcock are offering a tour of the base.

Venue: Market Hall

Description

“Keen to understand what happens in the Naval Base?

We are delighted to announce that the Naval Base and Naval Heritage Centre with the support of Babcock are offering a chance for 40 people to tour the base and see for themselves what goes on.

On Saturday 14th September, join us for a one off guided tour of the Devonport Naval Base, plus a visit to the Naval Heritage Centre and refreshments.

Photo ID is mandatory to take part in the tour – please have your photo ID with you on the day of the tour to be checked during registration.

Meet at the Devonport Market Hall at 9.30 am to be checked in and we will then walk/drive to Oceansgate for the start of the tour at 10.00 am.

The tour will last for 2 hours, finishing at 12pm.

This is a very special opportunity, don’t miss it!

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Naval Dockyards Society

Exploring the civil branches of navies & their material culture.

Horsley swing bridge at Royal William Victualling Yard 2014. Image by Ann Coats.

Since 2002, when the NDS organised a tour of Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth Citadel and Royal William Yard, the Society has engaged with Devonport heritage societies in protecting the surviving heritage of the dockyard. The Former Devonport Market House in South Yard was removed from the Devonport Dockyard estate in 2005, when the land around it (the South Yard Enclave) was sold to English Partnerships (Plymouth City Council, 2007, The Devonport Area Action Plan 2006–2021, p. 14 . Plymouth: Department of Development) This area has been developed as new housing.

In 2008, alerted by a letter from the Association of Friends of Plymouth Naval Base Museum to Peter Dawson (Chatham Dockyard Historical Society) about threats to the Museum, Dr Coats was kindly escorted around South Yard in the same year by Hon. Sec. Mary Wills and Guide Tom Wood. The Museum had existed in concept since the early nineteenth century, having as an artefact the flag under which Nelson fell at the Battle of Trafalgar. Mary’s father, Naval Stores employee Stanley Greenwood, was influential in persuading Admiral Dick Wildish (later an NDS member), Norman Chaff and Fred Stott to set up its modern manifestation (2-sided leaflet. n.d., Devonport Dockyard Museums). After the Museum opened in the Fire Station in 1969 it moved in the 1970s to the St Lo church, then to its current home, the Ground Floor of Building S029, formerly the Police Station, with the previous Clerk of the Cheque’s Office above.

Devonport East Ropery 2009. Image by Ann Coats.

The MoD was seeking in 2008 to lease much of South Yard to private contractors. The Friends of Plymouth Naval Base Museum were concerned about the future of their Museum and artefacts, exhibited in the Ropery and the Tarred Yarn Stores. They also ran regular group visits and tours. NDS proposed to Plymouth City Council that they move to the West Ropery, with room for their collection and a nearby entrance at Mutton Cove. (Coats, A., Dec 2008, Visit to Plymouth Naval Base Museum 17 September 2008. Dockyards, 13(2), pp. 12-15. Portsmouth: Naval Dockyards Society)

Princess Yachts’ 2010 Application (Plymouth Planning Application Reference: 10/00640/FUL HM Naval Base South Yard Devonport Plymouth PL1 4SG) was the first step in the MoD disposing of this estate. The super yacht facility was at first welcomed for bringing employment and shipbuilding back to South Yard. This is the most historic part of Devonport Yard, whose core was a revolutionary design by Edmund Dummer in the 1690s: a stepped stone dry dock opening onto a wet dock, with storehouses around it, to minimise time taken in getting men and supplies to ships needing repair. However, it became apparent from the plans that not only would the scale of Princess Yachts’ facilities impinge on historic listed buildings and future access become uncertain, but the company was including use of the Ropery in its plans, even though the building was not included in the application. NDS objected on the grounds of impaired views and lost access to historic buildings, queried the status of the Ropery and called upon the councillors to raise these issues and reverse the three development phases. Nevertheless, on 21 July 2010 the Planning Committee recommended acceptance conditionally subject to S106 Obligation.

NDS intervention attracted considerable media interest in Devon. Secretary Dr Ann Coats was interviewed live on BBC Radio Devon on 22 July 2008 about the Society’s views on the proposed development and how she thought it would affect the local area. She stressed how beneficial the jobs would be to the local economy, but how little Devonport heritage is promoted in Plymouth and how the plan would seriously limit South Yard’s potential for future heritage tourism access and interpretation. It would remove historic buildings from local community access and the museum would lose its building. (Coats, A., December 2010, 2010 Planning Issues, Dockyards , 15(2), pp. 5-8) Our views were noted by Superyacht Business and our opposition to the proposals was reported in the local press .

In 2011 the MoD announced that the freehold of Devonport North Yard had been sold to Babcock, including six listed buildings, among them the Grade I listed Quadrangle, and reported a new Listing, Building 13 (Receipt and Issue Magazine) at Grade II (Defence Infrastructure Organisation, 2011, MOD Heritage Report 2009–11 , p. 15; Table 6. MOD Disposals North Yard, p. 28.). In 2014 a City Deal sought to acquire land at South Yard in Devonport Naval Base. ( Maritime Development Land Deal Signed , 20 January 2014, Marine News . New York).

Currently here is no conservation plan for South Yard and no specified conservation programme for the listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments within Devonport Dockyard. The Plymouth Naval Base Museum, the Fire Service Museum and the Lighthouse Museum will all close. The National Museum of the Royal Navy is conducting an audit of the PNBM collection and historic fire engines are being valued for sale. South Saw Mills, South Smithery and Turncock’s House are on the Historic England At Risk Register, while the South Yard Dockyard Wall (1763–71) is also on Plymouth City Council’s Buildings at Risk Register.

On 17 March 2015 the NDS responded to Marine Industries Production Campus Planning Applications 14/02269/OUT and 14/02268/LBC, criticising several proposals:

1. Removal of a capstan (Cowans Sheldon, 1939) from the north of No. 1 Dock, to erect a security fence. Although other examples remain in South Yard, this will remove an element of the interpretation of this historic dock. 2. Removal of the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre from the Museum and Fire Station. This will remove a key interpretational institution from South Yard, harming its evidential, historical and communal value. 3. Interruption of the vista of the North Smithery and Dock No. 4 from Fore Street Gate by a proposed new 4 storey car park. 4. Further visual intrusion from the new security fence, interrupting site vistas and reducing South Yard’s aesthetic value.

Ongoing plans to release South Yard from MoD ownership will cumulatively and irreversibly risk its evidential, historical, aesthetic and communal value. The NDS called for Plymouth City Council to establish a Conservation Management Plan for Devonport Dockyard to provide overall care of the historic estate.

26 March 2015 Decision Devonport Dockyard, South Yard, (Areas 1 and 5), Devonport, Plymouth Application No: 14/02269/OUT Outline planning permission has now been granted. Head of Development Management Strategic Planning and Infrastructure

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• What’s On
• Collections

HMS Courageous

• Learning & Research
• About Us / Support
• Getting Here

**Please note: the decommisioned submarine ‘Courageous’ is closed to the general public until further notice**

HMS Courageous (1971-1992) (Decomissioned Nuclear Submarine)

Visit a 285ft (87m) long, 4300 ton, Churchill class, decomissioned nuclear submarine, the only exhibit of its kind in the UK.

**Please note: the decommisioned submarine ‘Courageous’ is closed to the general public until further notice** Please be aware that when booking with HMS Courageous we are unable to take bookings with visitors less than 4 people. If your group has less than 4 members we may be able to add you to a larger tour group – please contact us for more information. We cannot guarantee the booking of smaller groups.

HMS Courageous provides a fascinating glimpse into the operational world of the ‘Silent Service’. Please view our short introductory video:

A short video containing essential Health and Safety information must be viewed prior to your arranged visit here:

Supporting information can be found on the Courageous Association website at:  http://www.hmscourageous.co.uk/html/the_boat.html

The Control Room

Senior Rates Mess

Fore-ends Lower Level

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Guided tour of Devonport Naval Base & Heritage Centre

We are delighted to announce that the Naval Base and Naval Heritage Centre with the support of Babcock are offering a tour of the base.

Venue: Market Hall

Description

“Keen to understand what happens in the Naval Base?

We are delighted to announce that the Naval Base and Naval Heritage Centre with the support of Babcock are offering a chance for 40 people to tour the base and see for themselves what goes on.

On Saturday 14th September, join us for a one off guided tour of the Devonport Naval Base, plus a visit to the Naval Heritage Centre and refreshments.

Photo ID is mandatory to take part in the tour – please have your photo ID with you on the day of the tour to be checked during registration.

Meet at the Devonport Market Hall at 9.30 am to be checked in and we will then walk/drive to Oceansgate for the start of the tour at 10.00 am.

The tour will last for 2 hours, finishing at 12pm.

This is a very special opportunity, don’t miss it!

realideas.org

Join Real Ideas and benefit from our full list of services.