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A 3D visualisation of the scaffolded stern of HMS Victory.
Press Release HMS Victory 21st Century Museum Story Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

HMS Victory invites visitors inside bold new phase of £42m conservation project

New scaffolding will open up views of Nelson’s legendary flagship not seen for 260 years.

HMS Victory covered in Victory Live scaffolding.
Article Conservation Napoleonic Museum behind the scenes

Icon article: Inside ‘The Big Repair’: An Archaeological Block-Lift of a Hull Fragment from HMS Victory

In December 2025, after months of material testing and research, members of HMS Victory: The Big Repair’s Conservation Team undertook an…

A box full of nautical items open on a table.
Blog HMS Victory 21st Century Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

Chatterboxes – Connection and Conversations with HMS Victory

It has been scientifically proven that engaging with museums and galleries (as well as culture as a whole) can be a real boost to health and…

A mother and two children sit outside HMS Victory, a wooden ship.
Article Literature Napoleonic Culture, Sport and Leisure

Jane Austen and the Royal Navy

Jane Austen, born on 16 December 1775 in the Hampshire village of Steventon, is celebrated for her novels about the upper and middle classes of early…

Vice Admiral Lord Nelson's cot onboard HMS Victory.
Blog HMS Victory Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

Nelson’s Sleeping Quarters Emptied for Next Stage of Repairs

HMS Victory: The Big Repair is more than just conserving the ship for future generations, but discovering 260 years' worth of stories as we peel back…

Cat Dixon holding up a terrarium for Deathwatch Beetles.
Blog HMS Victory Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

Tiny vandals: London Zoo's deathwatch beetle colony reveals what’s eating HMS Victory

A colony of deathwatch beetles can now be found at ZSL’s London Zoo, offering scientists and visitors a rare chance to learn more about the pests…

Two shipwrights woodworking in their workshop.
Article HMS Victory Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

HMS Victory: Conservation work "continues at pace" to restore Royal Navy flagship to her former glory

Painstaking engineering to conserve HMS Victory for future generations is “continuing at pace”.

A person in a white protective suit unrolls a large cloth sail unveiling the words 'Victory'
Blog Conservation Napoleonic Museum behind the scenes

Caring for HMS Victory's fore-topsail

Featured today in the Daily Telegraph and other news outlets the National Museum of the Royal Navy, alongside RB Textile Conservation, have been hard…

Table of people cheering
Article Navy at Home Napoleonic War and Peace

Pickle Night on HMS Warrior

On 6 November 2024, we hosted our much-anticipated Pickle Night aboard the decks of HMS Warrior, transforming this iconic ship into a vibrant…

An oil painting depicting several Napoleonic-era warships engaged in battle
Blog Battles Napoleonic War and Peace Trafalgar Day

Trafalgar Day 2024: The Battle of Trafalgar

Join the National Museum of the Royal Navy as we launch a digital series for Trafalgar Day - covering the life of Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson,…

A panoramic photograph of a large naval battle painting
Blog Battles Napoleonic War and Peace Trafalgar Day

Trafalgar Day: HMS Victory after Trafalgar and W.L. Wyllie

Join the National Museum of the Royal Navy as we launch a digital series for Trafalgar Day - covering the life of Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson,…

A gallery space featuring a 3/4 angle painting of Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson
Blog Battles Napoleonic War and Peace Trafalgar Day

Trafalgar Day: Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson

Join the National Museum of the Royal Navy as we launch a digital series for Trafalgar Day - covering the life of Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson,…

HRH The Princess Royal visiting HMS Victory in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Press Release HMS Victory Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

HRH The Princess Royal Pays a Royal Visit to Portsmouth’s HMS Victory to see conservation in action

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal paid a special visit to the Historic Ships workshop and HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, part of…

A conservator laser scanning images for the 3D model of HMS Victory.
Blog HMS Victory Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

How can AI be used to conserve HMS Victory?

The conservation of an international icon like HMS Victory requires all-hands on deck, making use of both the tried-and-true historic techniques, and…

A deathwatch beetle on a human finger tip.
Blog HMS Victory 21st Century Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

A close-up on HMS Victory’s smallest inhabitants: The deathwatch beetle

One of the biggest jobs in the conservation of HMS Victory concerns its smallest inhabitant. The conservation team at the National Museum of the…

Work being done on the scaffold around HMS Victory
Press Release HMS Victory Museum Story Napoleonic Ships and Aircraft

Archaeology meets AI in ground-breaking collaboration between The National Museum of the Royal Navy and the University of Southampton

The National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard has recently completed phase one of a world-first collaboration with the…