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History of Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience
Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience, a superb re-creation of an 18th century seaport is a fantastic place to visit for families, groups and schools – in fact everybody. It brings to life the time of Nelson, Napoleon and the Battle of Trafalgar.
Travel back in the mari-time machine to experience how it was aboard a real British naval frigate, two centuries ago. Explore the historic quayside, featuring ‘Pressganged’, ‘Fighting Ships’, realistic period shops and houses and much more.
Talk to the guides – all in authentic period dress, marvel at Britain’s oldest warship afloat HMS Trincomalee, find out about all the events and discover the fascinating maritime Museum of Hartlepool.
The Historic Quayside
A naval seaport was a hive of activity. Businesses prospered and flourished supplying the huge demand from the Royal Navy and merchant ships. Everything from candles to canvases, swords to sailcloth.
The quayside recaptures the atmosphere of such a seaport, boasting an interesting range of period shops and buildings in authentic architectural styles. You’ll discover a Chandler, Gunsmith, Swordsmith, Naval Tailor, Architect, Printer and even the impressive Admiral’s House. Don’t miss the displays at the rear of each building for more insights into 18th century life.
The entire quayside is there for you to enjoy. For added authenticity your visit is enhanced by the quayside guides, who are always in full period costume. Displays of musketry, cannon firing and sword fighting are regular events.
HMS Trincomalee is a Royal Navy Leda-class sailing frigate built shortly following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. She was ordered on 30 October 1812 and was finally launched on 12 October 1817. After serving as a hulk, she was restored to her original appearance, and now serves as a museum ship.
The Trincomalee is one of two surviving frigates of this era (her sister HMS Unicorn is now a museum ship in Dundee). She was built in Bombay, India in 1817 by the Wadia’s in teak, due to oak shortages in Britain as a result of shipbuilding drives for the Napoleonic Wars. The ship was named Trincomalee after an action in 1782 between the Royal and French navies off the Ceylon (Sri Lanka) port of that name.
Trincomalee finished her Royal Navy service as a training ship, but was ‘reduced to reserve’ in 1895 and sold for scrap 2 years later. However she was then purchased by George Wheatley Cobb, restored, and renamed Foudroyant in honour of HMS Foudroyant, his earlier ship that had been wrecked in 1897. She was used in conjunction with HMS Implacable as an accommodation ship, a training ship, and a holiday ship based in Falmouth and remained in service until 1991 when she was again restored and renamed back to Trincomalee. Until his death in 1929, the Falmouth-based painter Henry Scott Tuke used the ship and its trainees as subject matter.
The Trincomalee holds the distinction of being the oldest British warship still afloat as HMS Victory, although 52 years her senior, is in dry dock.
Now listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, Core Collection, following her recent restoration the Trincomalee has become the centrepiece of the historic dockyard museum in Hartlepool, United Kingdom, known as ‘Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience’, which also includes PS Wingfield Castle.
Read more: Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience, official website
Read more: HMS Trincomalee, official website
The above article is courtesy of Wikipedia: Read More
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