Story of the ship
From an explanation of why the Mary Rose was built, through to the latest theories about why she sank, we've brought together a wealth of resources that tell the story of this wonderful ship. You’ll find plenty of fascinating facts and images too.
Faced with the ever-present threat of the French navy and a strong Scottish fleet, Henry VIII started building his naval firepower as soon as he was king. The Mary Rose took pride of place in his new fleet.
Gun ports too close to the water, enemy gunfire or simple human error? No one knows for sure why the Mary Rose sank, but there are a number of theories. See which one you think most likely.
The world witnessed the raising of the Mary Rose in October 1982. But how did the salvage team extract a ship buried deep in the seabed, and bring it up in one piece?
From the only contemporary illustration of the Mary Rose to underwater images of the wreck on the seabed, you’ll find images galore in our online gallery.
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