The Battling Cannoniere
On a dark night in November 1805, the 40 gun frigate Cannoniere slipped her moorings in the French port of Cherbourg and headed out to...
The Eddystone Lighthouses
Plymouth is one of the Royal Navy’s most important naval bases. It has a spacious natural harbour that is well protected from the...
The Loss of the Anson
The Anson was one of a class of small, two decked ships of the line with 64 guns that were rushed into service during the War of American...
Nippers and Powder Monkeys
Warships during the age of sail carried a surprisingly large number of children. It was perfectly normal for the five to six hundred...
The Man who named Australia
Construction work on a new high-speed railway line at London’s Euston station has included the excavation of a former cemetery. One of...
The Sovereign of the Seas
In 17th century Europe, the Power of Kings was at its zenith and conspicuous display was all the rage. Louis XIV of France built the...
Mutiny on the Hermione
Mutinies occur much more frequently than most navies care to admit. They have been a part of life on board warships for centuries. The...
Admiral Duncan
One of the ironies of Lord Nelson’s famous “England Expects” signal before the Battle of Trafalgar, is the number of its recipients who...
Anchors
The first ships, which emerged in the Bronze Age, had little need for anchors. They evolved from trading boats that operated on great...
“To Glory We Steer” - The Battle of Quiberon Bay
By 1759, it was clear that France was losing the Seven Years War. From the jungles of India to the forests of North America, French...
