HMS Trincomalee

The museum was based around a small dockyard in which HMS Trincomalee was central. The quayside was modelled on the 19th century. The surrounding buildings represented typical buildings of that age and you could step inside a number of them. They were each like a mini-museum, with mannequins set up as though people were actually carrying out work. It was all presented in quite an engaging way. For some reason, there were a set number of 30 minute periods that you could step on board the frigate and I went on the first session. I thought there might be a captain to welcome me on board, but found only the greeter who had briefed me on the site in the Visitors Office. Visitors were allowed to wander around most of the ship and so I carried out a detailed inspection from top to bottom. 

We weren’t allowed onto the top deck; maybe it was too slippery and so I started my meanderings on the deck below, the Gun Deck. The first thing I noticed was that there were buckets everywhere. Obviously some of the top deck needed recaulking. I noted it as an item in my snag list. As you might expect from a frigate, there were canons everywhere. HMS Trincomalee was built in India in 1817 and so missed a moment of glory at Trafalgar. In fact, she never actually saw combat and so the 38 cannons were never fired in anger. The largest ships of the day carried more than 100 cannons. The frigate's main purpose wasn’t battle; they were used mainly to transfer messages and personnel between the fleet. The Trincomalee didn’t gather peacetime dust though; she travelled over 100,000 miles all over the world. I’ve always wondered whether members of the navy had bad backs and bumpy heads, since the headroom was so low on each deck. Despite being very conscious of crouching down, I still managed to bump my head a couple of times during the tour of the ship. 

Having recently visited the replica of the Golden Hinde in London (see the Captain’s Log, London Golden Hinde), the HMS Trincomalee seemed huge in comparison. Even so, it seemed incredible that 240 men could live and work in such a space. I went to the back of the ship to the Captain’s Cabin. This actually seemed quite spacious and had a large central table with chairs. It also contained the Captain’s cot (hammock). The room did seem a little sparse and I wondered if they decorated it a bit more back in the day. Also on the Gun Deck was a big range for cooking. It had a hob and spit, but looked very small to feed 240 men. It was the only source of heat on the ship, which must have been one of the bonuses of choosing catering as a career. 

I stepped down to the Mess Deck. This was where the crew lived and hammocks were strung everywhere. The crew would also eat their meals there using square wooden plates (hence, having a square meal). The Wardroom was a partitioned area at the stern (back) of the ship where the officers ate and slept separately from the crew. It had a table, like the Captains, but the room was much smaller. The officers’ small cabins were positioned around the room. 

The Orlop deck was formed of three platforms just above the Hold.  There were gunpowder rooms at both ends of the ship.  These were small and copper lined (doesn’t spark) to stop the rats gnawing their way in. I managed to scramble down into one; it was very claustrophobic. There was also a Bread Room and Carpenter’s Store on this deck. The ship’s Surgeon also had his surgery here and the Purser had his office. The Purser managed all the resources on the ship such as food, bedding and tobacco and so I’d imagine it was a good idea to keep friendly with him. 

I stepped down to the Hold. This was the main storage area of the ship and could hold provisions for 6 months. Most of the provisions were stored in barrels, including the water. Ballast was also required in the Hold and iron ‘pigs’ were used to do this. Warships were top heavy due to the canons on the Lower Deck and so ballast was used to counteract this. I climbed back up to the Gun Deck and disembarked. It had been an interesting tour of the frigate. 

Mini-Museums

I started a tour of the mini-museums that surrounded the quayside. These were well kitted out. Some of the mannequins were so realistic I thought they might spring into life at any moment. The Chandlers Shop was full to the brim with goods. The seaman were always on the lookout for something to make life easier whilst at sea. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Gunmakers Shop was full of guns. The Admiralty provided guns, but the Officers like to buy their own to cater for their specific requirements. The Gunsmiths also provided powder and flint locks for the large cannons. Some cannon balls were on display outside the shop. The chain shot (two cannon balls connected by a chain) were used to damage rigging, and anything else that got in its way, I’d imagine. A variation of this was the bar shot, which was pretty much like the chain shot except a bar replaced the chain. The grape shot was a number of small cannon balls held in a canvas bag. This acted like a giant shotgun and would cause mass casualties on deck. The canister shot was like the grape shot except the mini cannon balls were held in a metal canister that exploded on impact. I bet the sailors looked forward to battles.    

The Nautical Instrument makers made everything required for navigation, from compasses to dead reckoning boards and maps. The pub looked a bit dodgy, and I thought that the pie that had been served to the customer might have included some veg and gravy. The one customer seemed to be playing dominoes with himself which was a bit weird. At a price of 1d for a glass of mild, you can’t really argue though. The Naval Tailors were where the Officers got kitted out for their adventures. Next door was the Swordsmith where you could buy a sword or get one sharpened. 

Trincomalee Museum

There was a dedicated museum that gave the history of the frigate from its construction in India to its two commissions. The first commission (1847-50) was in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The second commission (1852-57) was in the Pacific Ocean. After its working life, it ended up as a training ship. In 1987 the frigate was carried by barge from Portsmouth to Hartlepool and then restored. 

HMS Invincible

There was another museum area that was dedicated to HMS Invincible. This was discovered as a wreck 4 miles off the coast of Portsmouth in 1979. The ship had sunk in 1758. There were many recovered items on display ranging from a cudgel, square plate, wig curlers, shoes and buckles, writing kits, bricks and fire bucket. It was a fascinating display. 

Hartlepool Museum

As I was mooching around the gift shop looking for a fridge magnet, I noticed a sign for the entrance to the Hartlepool Museum. I stepped inside and was amazed at the varied collection of artefacts. They ranged from Mesolithic to modern day. There was plenty of information provided about the local history of the area. There were many global artefacts too. I particularly liked the examples of Netsuke sculptures. They had ancient Egyptian statues and items from South America. Inevitably, they also had a Merman on display. This was the third one I’d seen within 12 months. I was interested to see a pot piggy bank that was designed as a first world war tank. It looked almost identical to a pot teapot that I’d recently seen in the Churchill War Rooms museum in London.    

It had been a great day out at the Royal Navy Museum. It had been interesting walking around the decks of the ships and the quayside gave a good impression of what it must have been like when it was in active service. I found the  Hartlepool Museum just as enjoyable. I’m not sure why they don’t do more to advertise it more since it would be easy to miss if you aren’t mooching around the gift shop for a fridge magnet.