Gosport Navy’s Hidden Heritage Unveiled 3rd March

For one special day only, Gosport’s Royal Navy sites at Fort Blockhouse and HMS Sultan are opening their doors to their hidden heritage as part of a fundraising day to save HMS Alliance. On Saturday 3 March behind the scenes tours of Fort Rowner, Fort Grange, the submariner’s Memorial chapel, the Wyllie paintings of Fort Blockhouse, HMS Sultan’s aircraft hangar and Marine Engineering Museum will be available to the general public.

Chris Munns, Director at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum said, “We are really delighted to have the support of HMS Sultan and Fort Blockhouse for this special mini navy open day in aid of Saving HMS Alliance.”

“Visitors can do both sites in one day or pick and choose the tours they want to do” 

HMS Dolphin was the home to the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service for most of the first 100years of the RN submarine service from 1904 – 1999. Now known as Fort Blockhouse, the hidden heritage tour will be led by a retired submariner and will include a visit to the Submarine Memorial Chapel, the 19^th century ramparts and the Harold Wyllie paintings in the Officer’s Mess.

The HMS Sultan site has been home to all three branches of the armed forces.  Visitors can see behind the scenes and hear the history of the Army, RAF and Navy on this fascinating site where submariners are trained today. Fort Rowner and Fort Grange were home to the Army from 1862 until the First World War and then became an airfield used for pilot training. After the war, the RAF developed the airfield further and it was used jointly with the Royal Navy. After the Second World War the Fleet Air Arm took charge until it was closed in 1956. HMS Sultan was then formed for training Royal Navy marine engineers.

The Saving HMS Alliance project which includes the conservation of HMS Alliance, the only surviving full scale British World War 2 era submarine in the UK that is open to the public, began work last autumn. The fundraising campaign has raised £6.1m to date which includes a £3.4m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund that was received last year. A further £400,000 is required to complete the project. 

Tickets are £5 per person and children are free. Tickets must be booked in advance from the Royal Navy Submarine Museum. For more information call 023 92510 354 ext 240 or visit www.submarine-museum.co.uk