His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth

His Majesty’s Naval Base at Portsmouth stands on the eastern shore of Portsmouth Harbour, just north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight. It has served the Royal Navy for centuries, first as a dockyard for building and repairing warships and later as a base for ships and support services. The site includes the oldest surviving drydock in the world and the former Block Mills, where steam-powered tools were first used for mass production. Today it is home to two-thirds of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, including the aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. The base’s history is reflected in its leadership and facilities. The Naval Base Commander oversees operations, while the King’s Harbour Master regulates shipping in an area of about 50 square miles. The harbour control team works from Semaphore Tower, and senior officers have long used HMS Victory as their flagship. The base also supports commercial activities, including ship repair by BAE Systems Maritime Services. Visitors can explore the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, a separate area managed for public access. Here they find the Mary Rose Museum with its raised Tudor wreck, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, the first ocean-going ironclad. The National Museum of the Royal Navy displays Nelson’s Trafalgar Sail and other artefacts. Boat tours show current naval vessels, and Boathouse 4 demonstrates traditional boat-building alongside restoration work.