Historic Dockyard Portsmouth
Portsmouth has been a centre for shipbuilding and repair since 1194, when King Richard I ordered the building of the first dock by the harbour, and granted Portsmouth its charter. King John ordered the building of the first defensive Dockyard wall in 1212.
In 1495, Henry VII purchased eight acres of land, establishing a Dockyard further up-harbour, and constructing the world’s first dry dock.
By 1800 the Dockyard is believed to have been the largest industrial site in the world. In 1802 Marc Brunel established within the Dockyard the world’s first factory of mass production, a steam-powered facility producing ships’ blocks.
The historic south-west corner of Portsmouth Naval Base was released under the 1982 Defence Review. The Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust was established in 1985 by the Ministry of Defence and Portsmouth City Council to take responsibility for the long-term preservation of this area.
Below is a list of all the properties and areas in and around the Historic Dockyard currently under the stewardship of the Property Trust. Click on an image to find out more.
If you would like to know more about the history of Portsmouth Dockyard, please CLICK HERE to visit our Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust's website.