After a £5m renovation, the Mary Rose Museum has been reopened with King Henry VIII’s flagship on display in all its glory.
Half a millennium ago, Henry VIII’s flagship sank on the south coast of England. In 1983, the ship, dramatically raised from The Solent the year before, was put on display at the Mary Rose Museum, but it was littered with support structures which perhaps hampered the authentic feel.
But now, after years of intensive preservation work, visitors can ‘breathe the same air as the Mary Rose’ at the newly reopened museum at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Visitors can now enjoy panoramic views through floor-to-ceiling glazing from all nine galleries on the lower and main decks as the museum relaunches the attraction.
And, for the first time in since she was raised, they will be able to occupy the same space as the ship entering the Upper Deck through an air lock for a unique opportunity to step into history and experience the splendour of this amazing Tudor time capsule.
With nine amazing galleries open to the public, the Mary Rose Museum boasts a grand total of 19, 000 artefacts, all of which are free to explore.
The entire project has cost a staggering £39 million, and the large investment certainly shows. On the 471st anniversary of the ship’s sinking, the deck can now be seen without a glass pane in the way. The Weston Ship Hall can be accessed by an airlock, and the spectacular Upper Deck is only separated from the ship by a glass balcony.
The time capsule offers a unique opportunity to learn the story of the ship, and of naval warfare at the time, as well as being visually and historically stunning.
The reopening of the ship is not the only attraction available in the Portsmouth Historic dockyard. As well as the Mary Rose, you can see HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, and HMS M.33.
Tickets to the attraction cost £18. This is a year-round ticket that allows access to the whole ship and all the artefacts.
Words: Khusrau Islam
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