Moored in Thames, between London and Tower Bridge there is one great warship which now, having finished its task, it has become museum of herself to tell the events of the past.
It is especially recommended if you are in I travel with children because it is not the usual museum that often bores them, it is a fascinating discovery on a real ship that made the history, albeit war, of England.
It is one of the attractions of the London Pass, card that I recommend to buy if you are staying in London for several days because it allows you to visit many monuments and attractions while saving on the cost of admissions. You just need to organize the schedules and itineraries well to try to make the most of it.
Even if you do not have the London Pass, the entrance ticket is 14,5 pounds for adults but it is free for children and I assure you that they will be particularly enthusiastic about the visit. The ship was built in Belfast shipyards and its history begins with the start of the Second World War, it participated in the Normandy landings and continued its activity until 1963. Since 1971 it has become a museum ship and it is now possible to visit it and find out how life was on board.
Its grandeur is striking, especially because it is located in the Thames in the city center, in a densely touristy and busy area.
Inside this ship, scenes of daily life have been reconstructed to recreate the atmosphere during navigation and the activities carried out by the sailors during the long periods of travel. It is all well researched and have been even smells and sounds are reproduced of the various environments. Nothing is missing: there is the kitchen, the food storage with large freezers to contain the meat, the dining rooms, the spaces for recreation, the operating room, the dentist complete with the noise of the drill and the smell of disinfectant, the bathrooms, the dormitory spaces where simple sailors rested on hammocks, the shop where they bought drinks and sweets, the area where rum was distributed, even the punishment cells where unruly sailors were locked up.
The most impressive area is that of below deck machines, you can in fact go down to the room where the engines are located: a labyrinth of pipes, cables and the narrow interior spaces make you a bit claustrophobic. But then you go back up and you can also stand on the command bridge and on the bow where the cannons and machine guns with which they attacked the enemies are still found, historical memory of its activity. A visit that will capture your attention, regardless of whether you are passionate about ships and war.
