The Mary Rose is based in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Built between 1509 and 1511, she was one of the first ships able to fire a broadside, and was a firm favourite of King Henry VIII.
After a long and successful career, she sank accidentally during an engagement with the French fleet in 1545. Her rediscovery and raising were seminal events in the history of nautical archaeology.
To mark the 500th anniversary year of King Henry VIII’s accession to the throne and of his commissioning of the Mary Rose, the Mary Rose Trust, the charity preserving the ship, is launching the Mary Rose 500 public appeal.
The appeal is seeking 500 individuals, schools, businesses and organisations to come on board and symbolically become the ‘new crew’ of the Tudor warship. Click on the logo or link to find out more, or view the appeal video on You Tube!
A New Museum for the Mary Rose
This section of the web site contains news, information and images covering the exciting project to build a new museum that will give the Mary Rose and her artefacts a fitting purpose-built home.
The Mary Rose Museum, located right by the entrance to the Historic Dockyard, will remain open and has new artefacts on display as well as a film showing the continuing conservation of the hull.
Meanwhile at the other end of the dockyard, work has started on the new museum, which will be built around the ship. This means for the next two and half years the Mary Rose ship will be closed to the public.
Latest News
Unseen Tudor Artefacts Encourage New Crew to Secure Mary Rose’s Future - Previously unseen artefacts recovered from Henry VIII’s flagship have been revealed by the Mary Rose Trust to launch its first ever public appeal to help fund an ambitious new £35 million museum project. - read more
Mary Rose Trust awarded Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge.
Read "The Mary Rose - Sailing into history" in the August edition of Coutts Woman.
Mary Rose Trust jubilant as Heritage Lottery Fund gives green light to new museum - visit the New Museum Pages to read more.
Hampshire County Council is contributing £800,000 towards the new Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - visit their website to find out more
Winning Joy for the Mary Rose Trust - Joy Critcher, a volunteer at the Mary Rose Trust is the winner of the inaugural South East regional Marsh Award for Museum Learning.
The Mary Rose has a new Artist in Residence, Sophie MacPherson. Visit our News page to see some of her work on the Mary Rose.
Exclusive Mary Rose collectables - A First Class offer!
To celebrate The Mary Rose 500th Anniversary, we have joined forces with leading philatelic specialists Buckingham Covers to produce a striking and highly collectable limited edition stamp sheet. In addition to the stamp sheet, there is also a choice of two superb Mary Rose covers (collectable envelopes).
Geoff Hunt handing over his much admired Mary Rose picture to Michael Aiken, the Chairman of Trustees,
Mary Rose Trust, and looking on is Vice Admiral Alan Massey CBE ADC Second Sea Lord. Prints are available from the Art Marine website www.artmarine.co.uk/maryrose
The Mary Rose Appeal
The sailors aboard the Mary Rose engraved their personal possessions with their individual marks. Some of these marks will be etched into wooden panels forming the outer cladding of this remarkable new museum.
Here is an opportunity for you, your family and friends, and also schools and businesses to support our project and – Make Your Mark! Visit the Appeal page to find out more.
