The Mary Rose Museum

The pride of Henry VIII's war fleet, named after the king's favorite sister and the Tudor emblem, the Mary Rose set her course from Portsmouth Harbor on her maiden voyage after extensive modifications had been completed in 1545, when French ships in the Channel fired upon the Mary Rose. After the ship listed to one side, the guns broke loose and the ship sank within a minute. Seven hundred soldiers went down with the ship, only 40 survived.

Construction began on the oak and elm keel of the 600-ton 4-masted ship in 1510 with later modifications in 1536. The Mary Rose became the first great gun ship in the king's fleet, with 90 cannons onboard. Attempts were made to raise the ship in the 16th century that proved unsuccessful. No further attempts were made until two brothers pioneered diving equipment in 1836. The brother recovered guns, skulls, and other items. But it wasn't until 1965 when the wreck was relocated and interest built to recover the great ship.

Formed in 1979 with the purpose excavating the ship, the Mary Rose Trust was successful in 1982. In an amazing feet of underwater archaeology, the main part of the ship was raised by the use of steel cradles and inflated airbags. With the acquisition of recovered materials and artifacts from that period in history, it is now possible to understand more about Tudor military and domestic life.

No. 3 Dry Dock at Her Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth, England is now home to the hull of the great ship and 13,000 objects in the museum. Her carvel hull sits on the keel, with the port side eroded. Visitors can see the whole interior of the ship, revealing construction secrets of the great ship. Entering the new gallery that runs across the stern of the Mary Rose, visitors can look along the length of the ship towards the bow.

Through the limestone pillars topped with golden globes at the Naval Base, the former wooden boathouse is now the Mary Rose Museum. Standing guard at the entrance to the building is a life-size statue of Henry VIII. The museum highlights the underwater excavation process, which includes a model of the lifting frame and cradle used to raise the wreck. Tudor artifacts in display cases include the wheels, tillers, and wedges from the ship's iron guns. Personal items include possessions from the ship's crew including rosary beads, laterns, and candleholders along with pewter plates, flasks and gold coins.

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