The Mary Rose

12/10/2026

How do you navigate a ship when there are no charts, no GPS and it’s the middle of the night?

This remarkable Tudor tide calculator, recovered from the Mary Rose, helped the ship’s pilot estimate when high tide would occur by taking a bearing on the Moon.

That information could be vital when sailing around the south coast of England, where strong tidal changes and narrow waterways made timing the tides a matter of real importance.

Even more fascinating, the calculator’s markings were designed so they could be felt by touch—meaning a navigator could use it in darkness without needing to see it.

A tiny object revealing just how skilled and resourceful Tudor sailors had to be.

Would you have trusted your navigation skills and the Moon to find your way home?

11/10/2026

Do you remember watching the Mary Rose rise from the seabed?

On 11 October 1982, after 437 years beneath the Solent, the Mary Rose finally came home to Portsmouth.

It was an incredible moment — and one watched by an estimated 60 million people around the world.

But raising her was only the beginning of the story.

Here’s something you might not know: the Mary Rose couldn’t simply be left to dry out. Her timbers had spent centuries saturated with water, and drying them too quickly could have caused the wood to shrink, crack and collapse.

So, after the raising, she was kept constantly wet — first being sprayed with seawater, and then with chilled, filtered fresh water. Eventually, the hull underwent 19 years of treatment with PEG, a substance used to help support the fragile structure of the wood.

And even then, the work wasn’t finished. From 2013, the team began the incredibly careful process of drying the hull. More than 100 tonnes of water were removed between 2013 and 2016.

So this October, as we mark another anniversary of that extraordinary day, we’d love to know…

Were you there? Did you watch the raising on television? Or perhaps you remember hearing about it from your parents or grandparents?

10/10/2026

On 11 October 1982, the world watched as the Mary Rose rose from the depths of the Solent and into the history books.

It was a moment decades in the making, bringing Henry VIII’s famous warship and its incredible story back to life.

Today, you can get closer to that story than ever before.

Come and discover the Mary Rose Museum, explore the ship and see the thousands of remarkable artefacts recovered from the seabed — each with a story to tell.

Plan your visit and step back in time.

09/10/2026

Ever wondered what it would be like to dive the Mary Rose?

Dive the Mary Rose 4D takes you beneath the waves and into the incredible story of the Mary Rose, following the divers and archaeologists who discovered, excavated and recovered the ship after 437 years beneath the Solent.

Using archive footage, CGI and multi-sensory effects, including wind, bubbles, movement, sounds and even smells, you’ll experience the wreck as if you were there.

It’s history you can see, hear, feel and almost smell… and it’s included with your Mary Rose Museum ticket.

🎟️ Ready to dive in? https://maryrose.org/dive-4d/

07/10/2026

Want to discover even more about the Mary Rose?

Why not join one of our Guided Tours and explore the ship, her crew and her incredible collection with one of our knowledgeable guides?

From the story of the Mary Rose’s sinking and discovery to the fascinating artefacts that bring Tudor life to life, our guided tours offer a different way to experience the Museum — with plenty of opportunities to learn more and ask questions along the way.

Whether it’s your first visit or you’re returning to discover something new, a guided tour is a great way to make the most of your time with us.

Guided tours are available as an option when visiting the Mary Rose Museum.

Find out more and plan your visit: https://maryrose.org/visit/guided-tours/

05/10/2026

The nights are getting darker… but how did Tudor sailors know what time it was?

Today, we can just check our phones ...

But aboard the Mary Rose, there were no watches or alarm clocks. So how did the crew know when it was time to change watch — especially on those long, dark nights?

Enter the sandglass.

Someone aboard ship kept an eye on the sand, turning the glass when it ran out and ringing the ship's bell to mark the passing of time.

So, essentially:

Watch the sand - turn the glass - ring the bell - change watch!

The Mary Rose's bell survived more than 400 years beneath the Solent and gives us a fascinating glimpse into life aboard a Tudor warship.

The bell was one of the last items to be recovered from the Mary Rose wreck site.The bell is believed to have been cast in Flanders, with the Flemish inscription:
IC BEN GHEGOTEN INT YAER MCCCCCX which translates as 'I was made in the year 1510'.

02/10/2026

Did you spot a familiar face in The Traitors castle last night? 🏰

Ross Kemp has entered The Celebrity Traitors — but before he was navigating the twists and turns of the castle, he was diving into the story of the Mary Rose.

Ross is the narrator of our Dive the Mary Rose 4D experience and, even more impressively, he’s dived on the Mary Rose wreck site himself.

So while we’ll be watching closely to see who Ross can trust in the castle, you can hear his voice bringing the incredible story of the Mary Rose to life beneath the Solent.

Good luck, Ross!

01/10/2026

Have you spotted the lion on the Mary Rose?

This fierce-looking lion is actually part of a bronze demi-cannon, recovered from the aft part of the main deck. Its open mouth formed a “dolphin” — a lifting lug where ropes could be passed through to help move the heavy gun.

Made by John and Robert Owen in 1542, the cannon was on board the Mary Rose when she sank in 1545.

But the lion wasn’t just there to look impressive! Lions were powerful symbols of royalty, strength, courage and valour in Tudor England — and they featured prominently in Henry VIII’s heraldry and his visual language of royal power.

And there’s a lovely connection happening this weekend…

45 lions are coming together at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as part of Portsmouth100 and the Pride of Portsmouth project!

So, from a Tudor lion cast in bronze nearly 500 years ago, to a whole pride of modern lions gathering in the Dockyard… it seems Portsmouth has always had a thing for lions!

30/09/2026

Did you know that in Tudor England, learning to shoot a longbow wasn’t just a useful skill – for boys, it was the law!

In 1541, during the reign of Henry VIII, Parliament required fathers and householders to provide boys aged 7 to 17 with a bow and two arrows and to teach them how to shoot.

Why? Because archery was considered vital to the defence of the realm – and England needed skilled archers!

And now you can have a go yourself…

We are supporting the Our Naval City Festival taking place at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard this Saturday.

Join the Mary Rose Museum for Have a Go Archery and discover what it took to become a Tudor archer.

FREE ENTRY to the festival
Saturday 3 October 2026
10am-3pm outside the Mary Rose Museum

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Come along, take aim and have a go at history! Find out more about the event here - https://portsmouthhq.org/events/our-naval-history

10/08/2026

On This Day, 10th August 1627, the brand-new Swedish ship Vasa sank less than an hour into its maiden voyage.

The Vasa was raised in 1961, and many of the techniques used in her preservation were adopted by the Mary Rose Trust in the preservation of our older, less complete warship.

Discover the story of the Swedish ship Vasa, which unlike the Mary Rose, sank on her maiden voyage in 1628...