Summary History of the Trust A Personal Recollection Prepared by Peter Goodship Consultant Chief Executive June 2020

1. Introduction

It is often said by historians seeking to justify their existence that "if you don't know where you have come from you cannot possibly know where you are going". The Chairman thought it might be helpful if I were to provide all current trustees with a potted history of the Trust from its inception in 1985 to assist your review of strategy. As part of my then role as Chief Executive’s Staff Officer, I was tasked by Portsmouth City Council to set up the Trust after having led the discussions with various agencies in the wake of the 1982 Defence Review.

Several of you will recognise aspects of the history from your personal involvement and will no doubt have your own gloss on events and be in a position to expand on them. The views I express are my own, distilled from personal recollection and from research of our minute books, an extraordinarily valuable and precious archive.

I have supplemented my own history with a copy of our last published account of our work covering the first twenty years from 1986 to 2006. This adds some colour to the narrative as well as capturing events I have not had the opportunity to cover in this summary. The document pre-dates the Trust’s acquisition of Priddy’s Hard and Explosion Museum from Gosport Borough Council and our revised proposals for the re-use of Boathouse 4.

2. The 1982 John Knott Review of Defence

The Trust was born out of the Defence Review of 1982 which led to the closure of Chatham Dockyard, the privatisation of Devonport Dockyard and the slimming down of Portsmouth from a major ship building and repair facility to a Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation (FMRO). The more modern facilities at Chatham were transferred on a freehold basis to a development agency and the historic estate was transferred on a freehold basis with an endowment to a charitable trust, established jointly by Kent County Council, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of the Environment.

The slimming down of Portsmouth led to the proposed disposal of the south-west corner HM Naval Base comprising a collection of dilapidated war damaged listed buildings and monuments most of which had been disused for some time but some occupied such as the top floor of Boathouse 6, Boathouse 4 and Boathouse 7.

3. By Coincidence

In parallel the Mary Rose had just been lifted from the seabed in the gaze of international publicity and had been temporarily located in No.3 Dock next to HMS Victory with plans to build a new museum at the eastern end of Southsea seafront in sight of where she was sunk. Portsmouth City Council had also agreed with the Maritime Trust to provide a berth and construct a pier for the Warrior which at the time was serving as an oil platform in Milford Haven but was planned to be fully restored in Hartlepool funded by Sir John Smith's Manifold Trust. This combination of factors led the City Council to contemplate the creation of a tourist destination centred on the south-west corner of the Base and the English Tourist Board and Hampshire County Council were persuaded to jointly fund a

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Brief History of the Trust A Personal Recollection

study into how all this could be achieved. The ETB also arranged several study tours, one of which took us to view the various developments undertaken by the Rouse Corporation on the North Eastern seaboard of the USA and many ideas started to germinate from the visits to South Street Seaport New York, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, Mystic Seaport, Inner Harbour Baltimore featuring USS Constellation, Colonial Williamsburg Virginia and Tobacco Dock, Richmond. In the 1980's Rouse were light years ahead in their approach to "making places".

4. The Narrow and the Broad Study

The Study was undertaken by Ventures Consultancy of Beaulieu who produced two reports; the Narrow study and the Broad Study. The Narrow study confined its remit to the development of the south-west corner of HM Naval Base and made two principal recommendations. Firstly, that the existing and proposed ship and museum attractions should jointly establish a charitable trust to co-ordinate the marketing and ticketing of their attractions on a collective basis under the leadership of an independent chair. The second recommendation was that an independent charitable trust be established to hold the property and grant leases to the ship and museum attractions on a concessionary basis but otherwise to exploit commercially the other buildings through development.

The Broad study considered how the numerous military related sites within south Hampshire, the majority of which were built to protect and support the historic Naval Base could be better marketed and ticketed on a collective basis. I recall this was of much greater interest to Hampshire County Council (HCC) than Portsmouth City at the time. But it is important to mention this as HCC had considerable influence in the widening of the Trust's approved purposes as recited in the following paragraph.

5. The Establishment of Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust

Portsmouth City Council, through yours truly, led discussions with the Royal Navy, English Tourist Board and Hampshire County Council on how best to set up PNBPT. By this time the arrangements at Chatham were fairly well advanced and the Ministry of Defence had drafted a Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Trust to be set up there in consultation with Kent County Council and the DoE. The MoD, through the Head of Secretariat Naval Staff, produced similar draft documentation for the Trust to be established at Portsmouth. The MoD also suggested that the newly formed English Heritage (born out of the former Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission of the DoE) should source a Chair and appoint the majority of the trustees.

While MoD contemplated appointing the remaining two trustees, it subsequently decided against it on the grounds that if things went wrong it did not wish to be under any financial obligation in the longer term. As a result, the City Council agreed to step in as the other nominating body but on the strict understanding of only appointing those recommended to it by the Trust. This was an important point of principle which was subsequently compromised by the City Council ten years later when it chose to politicise its appointments.

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The Memorandum and Articles of Association did take some time to be finalised and approved by all parties but of importance to note was the strong desire of the Ministry of Defence, English Heritage and Hampshire County Council that the Memorandum should be widely drawn geographically to allow the Trust to take on additional surplus MoD estate as it became available beyond the boundaries of HM Naval Base. Minister for the Armed Forces at the time, Roger Freeman, was particularly keen to ensure that MoD acted responsibly in the disposal of its historic estate and the Trust was identified as the appropriate vehicle for this.

6. The Selection of Founding Trustees

The Chairman of English Heritage, Lord Montagu, was invited by MoD to appoint the founding Chair and identified Robin Bishop, then Senior Partner of London based Chartered Surveyors Drivers Jonas. In close consultation with Lord Montagu the other four founding trustees were identified - Sir William Whitfield, celebrated London based architect and Surveyor to St Paul's Cathedral, David Thomson, a merchant banker with Lazards (later Director- General of the British Invisible Exports Council), John Roome, the senior partner of London solicitors, Withers and Admiral Philip Higham who had just retired as the Keeper of HMS Belfast. English Heritage appointed Robin, Sir William and John Roome, the City Council the other two.

7. The Portsmouth Naval Heritage Trust (PNHT)

In accordance with the recommendations of the Narrow Study, Admiral Sir John Lea was appointed as the independent chairman of the other trust to be established representing the Mary Rose Trust, the Royal Naval Museum and Warrior (albeit the Warrior did not arrive in Portsmouth until 1986). The Royal Navy operated HMS Victory, which at that time was open to the public with no admission charge and did not form part of the Trust.

8. The Early Years of the PNBPT

The early years of the Trust were very much London based for several reasons but principally because all but one of the trustees were based there, all the principal advisers were based in London, the Trust banked at Coutts in the Strand where I was regularly served afternoon tea by a guy in a frocked coat and for the first three years we were pretty much camped out in MoD Main Building in Whitehall negotiating firstly the level of endowment and secondly the detailed terms of the Head Lease. Until the end of 1991, all Board meetings were held at the offices of Drivers Jonas in Suffolk Street.

9. The Head Lease and the Endowment

The first task was to agree the level of endowment and the terms of the Head Lease, MoD reluctant to dispose of the freehold given that part of the site to be leased was also being used operationally. E.g. Boathouse 4. By this time (1985) the parallel trust at Chatham had accepted the endowment offered by the PSA on behalf of MoD, a sum of £10M albeit for a much larger estate and with £3M of it already committed on a re-roofing project. The endowment had been calculated on the cost of maintaining the buildings on a wind and weathertight basis only with no allowance for the historic nature of the buildings. Kent County Council had accepted on behalf of the Chatham Trust and done it no

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favours as it soon became apparent that the level of endowment was woefully inadequate.

The PSA offered us an endowment on the same basis - a sum of £1.5M which we refused to accept threatening to dissolve ourselves. The Head of Sec(NS) at MoD accepted the argument that we should be funded by MoD to commission our own assessment of what it would cost to put the buildings into a good state of repair for the use to which they would have been put had they not been declared surplus to operational requirements. We selected Watts and Partners to undertake this assessment - enter a very young Mike Ridley! This exercise took a while but eventually Watts and the PSA jointly agreed that £12.5M was required to put the buildings into a good state of repair on this basis, a sum, however, quite beyond the ability of MoD to afford.

Following a couple of meetings with the Minister (now Lord Arran) we accepted an offer of £6M plus £0.5M to build a fence and associated police posts as MoD believed we could do it faster and more cost effectively than the PSA.

We received the money some time before we finalised the terms of the Lease which was not until late 1988. We did well by comparison to Chatham (pro-rata four times better off) and these were bleak years in Chatham's history. The Charity Commission and Government had agreed to the appointment of a Chairman/Chief Executive who gambled on investing nearly half the Trust's endowment on building an exhibition on ship building in the Nelson era (Victory was built there) in the expectation that visitor income would soon deliver a payback. It was a strategy doomed for failure as without iconic attractions such as Victory, Mary Rose and Warrior the attraction of an industrial dockyard is limited. The Trust soon ran out of money, the whole Board forced to resign as the DoE and English Heritage were obliged to bail it out. The post of Chairman/Chief Executive was abolished and It took several years for Chatham to get back on its feet which eventually it did very successfully under the stewardship of its Chief Executive, Bill Ferris.

10. Relationship between PNHT and PNBPT

The two trusts collaborated together recognising that the site was in desperate need of the most basic of facilities; the only ones to exist being toilets in the Victory Arena and a small café on the ground floor of Store 9 run by the Royal Naval Museum's trading company. There was no car parking (the young entrepreneurs of Portsea offering visitors on street parking and protection of their vehicle in return for generous tips!), no ticket office or reception etc. By agreement with PNHT we leased part of what is now Gunwharf Quays and resurfaced it to provide dedicated car parking for visitors, renovated some existing workers toilets in College Road to provide facilities at the southern end of the site and provided two tented structures in the Port Arena to provide queuing under cover for those visiting Victory and the Mary Rose.

The major work we undertook at that time was the design and construction of a security fence and associated police posts, physically to segregate the public area from the operational area. This was done in close consultation with both English Heritage and the RN with everyone willing to make compromise. We produced an elegant solution with the fence line to the east of Main Road

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At this stage we were the only trust with any meaningful financial resources but in 1988 the PNHT successfully persuaded MoD to provide it with some pump priming finance via the introduction of an admission charge for HMS Victory (previously free to the public) enabling PNHT, for a five year period, to retain all but £100K of the income per annum. This enabled PNHT to fund marketing of the attractions which at that stage were ticketed separately.

Both trusts also agreed that the site required proper capital investment and it was agreed that they should jointly seek private sector investment, PNBPT taking the lead. PNHT appointed a project manager (who was also an architect), and we both shared an office in College Road while No.19 was being converted from a dwelling to form PNBPT's office HQ.

11. Sea Containers

In preparation for going out to the market we produced a Conceptual Brief, jointly authored by Sir William Whitfield and Sir Neil Cossons. This was an important document which sought to differentiate between inalienable and alienable assets i.e. those which were immovable such as the historic buildings and HMS Victory and those which could be located anywhere such as Mary Rose and Warrior. It provided guidance for all those who were invited to bid and is as relevant today as it was then. Although today the Mary Rose would almost certainly, like HMS Victory, be regarded as inalienable.

Several consortiums bid for the opportunity to invest and the field narrowed down to two contenders, Allied Lyons and Sea Containers. After contentious debate the more ambitious plans of Sea Containers were accepted by majority vote and thereafter followed several years of expensive negotiations involving a whole team of consultants including Coopers and Lybrand, Kleinwort Benson, two sets of corporate lawyers putting together a set of agreements which involved the investment by Sea Containers in refurbishing and converting Boathouses 4, 6 and 7, developing the storehouses and providing a new museum for Mary Rose.

However, some of the proposals were contentious and at one stage or another during the several years of negotiation one trust or another within the PNHT became strongly opposed. It was like herding cats but eventually we got to a position where all trusts were agreed (some more enthusiastic than others) only for the 1992 financial crash to scupper the whole deal with Sea Containers walking away. This was a major set- back for the whole site and several millions of pounds spent in the process. The only crumb of comfort was the benefit of the detailed planning and ideas for how the area could be transformed. Some of the infrastructure still survives such as the RSJs installed within the ground floor of Building 1/10 to facilitate a visitor entrance direct from Queen Street by dropping the external windows and which would have provided access into the ground floor of Boathouse 6 which would have become the initial orientation centre on entering the Historic Dockyard.

12. Relationships between the Trusts

During this period of prolonged negotiation much damage was inflicted on the relationships between the trusts within PNHT and between PNHT and PNBPT. This was partly

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due to personalities with all three trusts within PNHT headed up by those who had spent their lives having things their own way. I recall an occasion at a meeting of the chairs when the Warrior director (someone whose chairman was forever apologising for his appalling behaviour) produced a sample new souvenir of the Mary Rose for sale in the Warrior shop – a collection of match sticks in a snow scene bottle which you shake – causing the Mary Rose chairman to explode demanding its withdrawal from sale. It became Warrior’s best seller! I recall another occasion when the then Chairman of the RN Museum (a retired senior Admiral known for his short temper) was thumping his fist on the table suddenly letting loose on all gathered around it the collection of sharpened pencils he was holding! They were colourful times and render any current difficulties as relatively benign.

13. Post Sea Containers

The demise of Sea Containers created a vacuum and PNBPT stepped into the breach to fund a basket of infrastructure improvements which included the construction of the Visitor Centre, the refurbishment and conversion of Boathouse 7 to provide a new restaurant, the Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition to tell the story of the civilian dockyard, a play ship for young children, site lavatory and baby changing facilities and a shop, new directional signage and site interpretation throughout the site in the form of panels and an “Acoustiguide” (a commentary via a hand held wand in eight languages) and new site seating. In parallel we dredged a berth for a new pontoon and introduced the Harbour Tour so that visitors could access the modern Royal Navy for the first time by water. All these new facilities were opened in 1994 and made a huge difference to the visitor experience and increased visitor numbers significantly. We won several awards for this work including the UK Best Loo of the Year Award! While much of this was funded through our own resources, I secured several Government tourism and regeneration related grants as well as £500K from the EU and close on £1M from the private sector related to the new facilities within Boathouse 7.

14. The Birth of Flagship Portsmouth

In parallel it was suggested by both the members of PNHT and by the RN that the Property Trust should become a member of the "site services" consortium and we took the initiative to establish the Flagship Portsmouth Trust comprising the former members of the PNHT, the PNBPT with the RN (representing HMS Victory) as observers. Flagship appointed a General Manager and appointed staff to organise marketing, ticketing etc funded through a levy on ticket income. This was a ground -breaking move as for the very first time PNBPT became involved in the marketing etc of the site something which hitherto had been the preserve of the attractions only. Flagship Portsmouth was reasonably successful for a while although success was dependent on personal relationships which changed over time; some General Managers being more independent minded and consensual than others. The GM role was a difficult one and particularly challenging keeping every shareholder happy.

There have been several iterations of Flagship which appointed a wholly owned trading subsidiary to run common services under new chairmanship; someone who in turn appointed a new Managing Director. This was an attempt to take control away from the

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shareholders and to inject some independent commercial leadership. It did not go well. The then Captain of HMS Warrior and myself, as members of the Company's Audit Committee, quickly sensed that the dictatorial and uncompromising manner of the new MD was disguising something more sinister but our representations to the new Chair were at first largely ignored. Eventually we were able to present sufficient evidence to the Chair to trigger an internal review of the Company's financial conduct. This uncovered an almighty financial mess and incompetence on a massive scale; I note that the Company's Board singles out for special mention and thanks our current Finance Director for leading the forensic internal financial review! While the Board considered but decided against a referral to the Police it had proved impossible to reconcile any of the books and the MD in question was proved to be a complete fraud having lied about having held a degree from Oxford University.

While the new Chair accepted responsibility and offered her resignation this was not accepted and following the dismissal of the MD enter a White Knight in the form of Phil Marriott who the new Chair had persuaded to take on the role for a temporary period while the Company and the Trust sorted itself out. There followed further constitutional change and Flagship Portsmouth Trust was succeeded by the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Trust, dropping the trading company. Eventually the Chair stood down and was succeeded by another independent Chair who also appointed additional non- executive directors. This served to increase the tension between the Trust and its shareholders leading in the end to the demise of the Trust and the transfer of the common services function from an consortium of the trusts to the NMRN on the promise by the NMRN that it could run things at considerably less cost than PDHT. The Mary Rose Trust strenuously opposed this move but the majority view prevailed. The concept of a central independent body to run the common services was sound; the challenge for that body and its executive was to deliver effective leadership without its shareholders feeling disenfranchised and the tail wagging the dog. It required the Chair and the MD to have finely tuned diplomatic skills and these, too often, were in short supply!

15. The Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium Scheme

The Trust joined forces with Portsmouth City Council and Gosport Borough Council in putting together a bid to the Millennium Commission for funding an ambitious £80M scheme to establish Portsmouth Harbour as a destination in its own right uniting the communities on both sides of the harbour. We put forward proposals on behalf of all the trusts operating in the Dockyard which included the conversion of Storehouse 9 to house a new Museum of the Dockyard (a partnership with the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust), new galleries for the Royal Naval Museum, a new Mary Rose Museum co- locating the artefacts (in Boathouse 5) with the ship hall, a new landscape and Action Stations involving the refurbishment and conversion of Boathouse 6 to provide a new exciting interactive attraction promoting the modern Royal Navy and its role today to contrast the stories of the past.

The City Council and Gosport Borough put forward proposals for the Explosion Museum at Priddy’s Hard, the Spinnaker Tower, a giant water arc at the entrance of the Harbour, a new millennium promenade on both sides of the harbour with blue street lighting providing a common identity at night. Helpfully I knew the boss of the Commission who

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had previously been CX of English Heritage and decisions were reached on the basis of a single site visit by the CX and her colleagues – decisions pretty much based on what she liked and didn’t like! I still have such vivid memories of the conversations. The CX liked the excitement of Action Stations and the concept of a new landscape and processional walkway to HMS Victory but considered that all the museum stuff in the Dockyard should be funded by the newly formed Heritage Lottery Fund. Notwithstanding she was captivated by the idea of the Explosion Museum and so agreed to fund that - there was absolutely no logic to the decision -making process! The Commission proposed, however, that the museum projects in the Dockyard should form part of the scheme and that the Commission should oversee their delivery but with the HLF contributing the funding.

I recall the meeting the CX of the Commission convened at which the HLF made clear that it was not prepared to play her game and that the HLF would consider each museum application on its merits. This was a major opportunity lost but PNBPT did reasonably well to secure a new landscape including a new processional walkway from Victory Gate to HMS Victory, the creation of the Porter’s Garden, new site orientation and interpretation, and, most important of all, the refurbishment of Boathouse 6 and creation of Action Stations; a project which also included the installation of two pairs of lock gates within the scheduled canal connecting the Mast Pond to the Harbour so that BH6 did not flood at high tide and to keep a minimum amount of water in the Pond at all states of tide.

The Commission wished to deal with a single entity and so a limited company was established; Portsmouth Harbour Renaissance Limited whose members were PCC, GBC, the Trust and the Portsmouth Partnership (a forerunner to Shaping Portsmouth). PCC acted as co-ordinating Project Manager of the whole scheme and all three parties appointed their own professional project managers. The Company was chaired by a non- executive director who was also chairman of the Portsmouth Partnership, Lord Stoneham (the Chair of the Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspaper Group) and in addition to the three executive directors (Roger Ching, Head of Finance and Resources at PCC, the CX of GBC and yours truly) another two non-execs were recruited - Lord Judd of Portsea (former Defence Minister and MP for Portsmouth North) and Hugh Siegle, Managing Director of Whitbread Property and main Board member of Whitbread plc. (later to become Chairman of PNBPT) I recall my first meeting Hugh who recognised my name and whose first words were “Are you the guy who screwed us over on the purchase of our brewery site”! Some things went smoothly others not and Roger will be able to provide you all with a colourful gloss about how events were to unfold!

We cracked on with our basket of projects, the refurbishment of BH6 still being conditional on us raising the matched funding. This was challenging but we got to within £2M and sought a bank loan to make up the difference. I was able to persuade the City Council to guarantee the loan in order to improve its terms there being little risk of it ever being called. I recall agreeing the final terms of the loan guarantee with the Council’s Head of Legal Services having invited him to lunch during which four bottles of wine were consumed; my consumption being less than half a bottle. Roger will be able to explain my strategy!

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16. The Action Stations Concept

I had always been conscious that while visitors could see and hear the modern Navy during a visit to the Historic Dockyard they could not touch it and there was very little explanation of what the Navy did today to contrast with the story of the Navy in years gone by. Equally there was very little on offer for kids other than the play equipment we had installed into Boathouse 7 in 1994. So, the idea was born of making a short James Bond style movie about the modern Royal Navy in action and then enabling the audience to participate in all the activities depicted in the movie. This idea was embraced by the then Director of Public Relations and Recruitment (Navy), an all action Royal Marine and he and I created a promotional video to sell the concept to prospective funders. It was enormous fun planning and delivering the Project in close collaboration with the Royal Navy who played a big part in its realisation making facilities available at no cost including three weeks dedicated film use of a Type 23 frigate in the Bahamas for making the movie.

The Commission was extremely commercial in its approach to funding and actively encouraged “close to the wind” tax mechanisms which we exploited not least in relation to the production of the movie where I had negotiated a deal with BBC Resources to deliver a lot of the production logistics for a fixed sum of £2.1M and getting a pay back on the £4M the BBC ended up spending! I could dine out for months on my experience as a movie producer surrounded by those who had absolutely no concept of the value of money but it is all well documented somewhere. Thankfully, the movie, shot in 70 mm format, was a great success due to our appointment of the independent director, Grahame Moore, and the special effects director Peter Hutchinson of Star Wars fame. The RN loved it and more importantly the young visitors loved it and the Trust was so lucky that the piracy theme of the movie and the Type 23 frigate and Merlin helicopter were all just as relevant more than fifteen years after the movie was first shot. While the total cost of production was over £5M it only cost the Trust £3M thanks to the BBC guaranteed price.

While the remainder of the contents - the activity islands living the movie ( Ship’s bridge simulator, Weapons Island, Merlin helicopter simulator, Operations room, Royal Marines island with climbing wall) were delivered in line with budget, the refurbishment works turned out to be a nightmare. We appointed Sir Richard McCormack as architect and Ove Arup as structural and mechanical engineer; they did not get on well together and were constantly at each other’s throats. Our project managers did their best to bring them together but it turned out to be a recipe for disaster and taught us two big lessons; firstly ensure that all members of your design team will gel well together and secondly if you really want to have tight control of cost do not export the vital project manager role to consultants. While trial pits and bore holes were undertaken, both missed some significant granite obstructions in the ground where the piled foundations of the new auditorium was to be built within the bomb damaged part of the building creating massive delay and the need for significant redesign. The 12-month building contract went on for 24 months with the contractor claiming an additional £5.5M of cost. The contractor undertaking the new landscape works also hit many obstructions in the ground which required direction from English Heritage as to the solution and which also resulted in additional cost and expense.

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Boathouse 6 ended up costing circa £16M and together with the landscaping works the Trust spent circa £20M. While the Commission did award us some extra grant it was insufficient to meet the total cost. While the whole of the Historic Dockyard became a building site for over 12 months the transformation was significant and led to a significant increase in visitor attendance and in the end resulting in the Trust securing on behalf of Action Stations a 15% share in total site income. But it is worth pointing out at this point that there remains unfinished business so far as the Camlin Lonsdale designed landscape is concerned. The processional walkway in front of the storehouses as well as the Starboard arena were to be top dressed with a bonded resin to match that which has been used to surface the Port arena; the same top dressing was to be applied to the new landscaped College Road. And the strange looking edifice next to the flagpole in front of Boathouse 5 is in fact the base of column on top of which we had planned to house the Muster Bell which had previously been sited close by. The bell is in storage awaiting the housing. All these elements had to be omitted towards the end of the contract on cost grounds but would be worth including in a future works programme to complete the Camlin scheme.

17. The Impact of the Renaissance Scheme on the finances of the Trust

The financial impact of the overrun was enormous and placed the Trust in a difficult financial position requiring regular special meetings of the Board with advice from insolvency practitioners to ensure that the Trust was still trading solvently. The City Council loan guarantee was called in and the Trust was obliged to sell Horse Sands Fort, one of the Solent forts it had earlier purchased at auction. The Trust’s Bank business was transferred from the local branch to the “Special Lending Division” a London based gestapo group of very unpleasant Bank officials who imposed special bank charges, demanded endless cash flow forecasts and tried to bully the Trust into depositing additional security by threatening to call in the loan. It was a tough time but we got through it and we refused to bow to the Bank’s pressure and I had immense pleasure in forcing them to repay every penny of additional charges they had levied with interest.

The landscape contractor triggered a first stage adjudication and was awarded zero with a requirement to pay our costs. They threatened arbitration but, in the end, gave up. That left the main Boathouse 6 contractor. We spent nearly £500K in legal fees but managed to reduce the extra claim of £5M by £3M and so was worth all the effort. As Head of Finance at PCC, Roger was keen for us to pay the City back as soon as possible hence our willingness to sell the fort on which we made a big profit having purchased it for £50K and selling it for £350K having done nothing to it. It was the development of our Queen Street Car Park which provided the wherewithal for us to repay the Council and get us back on our feet financially. But the realisation of the Millennium Scheme was another massive milestone in the development of the Historic Dockyard as we know it today. Just like the investment in 1994 it made a huge difference to the quality of the visitor experience and for the very first time made the site a big attraction for families whose children adored Action Stations; it becoming the venue of choice within the City for children’s parties for many years – including my own!

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18. The Queen Street Brewery Site

As mentioned earlier we had leased part of what is now Gunwharf Quays from the MoD for visitor car parking and in 1991, the then Whitbread brewery in Queen Street came on the market. The Trust decided to make an offer, the then Chairman, Robin Bishop, taking the long term view that over time it would become a strategic piece of real estate adjacent to the Dockyard and that in the meantime we could demolish most of the buildings and lay it out as a surface car park.

I dealt with the Regional Estates Manager of Whitbread and made an offer based on the professional advice of Weatherill Green and Smith. This was accepted and Whitbread had booked the receipt in its forecast income for the year end. Just before formal exchange I wished to satisfy myself that the Weatherill valuation remained valid only to be informed a couple of days later by a rather sheepish senior valuer that they thought the market value had reduced by as much as £750K. This went down like a lead balloon with Whitbread but I hid behind the need for us, as a charity, to have a valuation certificate to demonstrate that we were not paying above market value. Whitbread had little choice but to go ahead but Hugh has never forgotten.

These were the days when demolition contractors paid you to demolish and we collected over £100K having eventually secured consent to demolish what were four or five back to back streets of terraced housing. We retained the main office on the corner of Queen Street and Admiralty Road to let out and converted part to provide a facility through which all visitors had to pass through to exit the car park. We established a shop and snack bar and designed and published in six different languages an award-winning Historic Dockyard Guidebook which two out of three visitors purchased as they exited the car park. It contained a 3D plan of the site and route from the car park. The income from the car park and sale of the popular guidebook provided the Trust with a return on capital of approaching 20%. Interestingly the members of the PNHT were opposed to the purchase by the Trust suggesting that it was a mis-use of the endowment which should be spent on the refurbishment of the historic buildings. We argued strongly that it was a form of investment; the income from which would be invested in the buildings. I make the observation as another illustration of the lack of trust between the various constituent parties even in those early days. Unfortunately, we had to give up the guidebook when Flagship was established although we received financial compensation for three years.

The way we eventually went about the redevelopment of the Whitbread site thirteen years later turned out so well for the Trust. Sir Colin and Sir William suggested that we should approach the RIBA and the Royal Fine Arts Commission with a view to funding RIBA to run an architectural competition. We then approached the local planning authority and English heritage inviting both to form part of the judging panel. The proposals we received from David Richmond Associates based on a North London style of development surrounding an acre of garden won the day. Fortuitously it also delivered the highest density and value. While we went to market without insisting the developer adopt the winning scheme Crest Nicholson did so and, in the process, offered the highest price. Everyone was a winner as the scheme already enjoyed the full support of the statutory authorities and thus planning permission became a formality. A detailed negotiation followed which I conducted with Crest during which we also secured the

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transfer of the commercial units to be built on the Queen Street frontage, the ground rents and because of a mess up by Crest’s lawyers, three apartments at half price in return for agreeing a Deed of Rectification.

We repaid the City Council from the circa £5M capital we also received from Crest and maintained our car park (now vastly improved in terms of its quality) and return on original investment. This very successful and award- winning regeneration project represented another important milestone in the Trust’s history.

19. The Repair and Restoration of the Historic Estate

The buildings the Trust inherited in 1985 were all in the most appalling condition, some quite badly bomb damaged with a forest of trees growing in the ruined part of Boathouse 6 as an example. The strategy adopted by the Trust was, firstly, to secure the external envelope of all the buildings. Much of this was achieved through capital projects and some by taking advantage of events not least the great storm of 1987. I recall arriving on site the morning after the storm to a scene of total devastation; the copper roof of Victory Gallery lying partly in the Starboard arena and partly amongst the rigging of HMS Victory; sections of lead and slates from the Storehouses strewn all over the road and an ice cream kiosk upside down by the bow of Victory. Thanks to the efforts of our local contractor, Coleborns, we managed to erect a temporary roof over the Victory Gallery within two days and to lay plastic sheeting on the upper floors of the storehouses to prevent water from cascading through to the ground floors where the RN Museum had their galleries. The RNM could not believe our efficiency as Landlord contrasting starkly with the service, they were used to receiving via the PSA. It is also times like this that developing a friendly relationship with your loss adjuster pays dividends!

We secured hundreds of thousands of pounds from insurers to re-roof the Victory Gallery and Storehouse 11 together with major contributions towards repairs to Stores 9 and 10 and Boathouses 5 and 7. Having effectively re-roofed both 9 and 11 we decided to reinstate the clocktower of Storehouse 10 (lost during the blitz of 1942) replacing the rather ugly rusting corrugated iron lift housing which at the time graced the top of the Storehouse and at the same time re-roofing the building recasting the old lead some of which had already been stripped off during the great storm.

This was the Trust’s first major project since building the security fence and we appointed the City Architect to undertake the design who was excited to have found the original drawings of the clock tower. We went out to tender with the drawings and were about to award the contract when I came across a photograph of Storehouse 10 taken in the 1930’s, the tower looking nothing like the drawings the architect had produced! A major lesson learned that not all historic drawings found in archives represent what was eventually constructed. Back to the drawing board we produced a design which echoed the photographic evidence and sourced a Gillet and Johnson clock from Bristol Grammar School adapting it from the Westminster chime to the “ting tang” chime of the original Dockyard clock. The story of the blitz fire, graphically illustrated by war artist Eurich, and of the restoration of the clock tower is told on a panel we produced which is on display within the attic of the storehouse. The Trust has received many awards for its work over the years and this project led to a prestigious Europa Nostra award among others.

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The 1994 conversion of Boathouse 7 led to a decision to replace the corrugated roof of the boathouse with a new slate roof on the recommendation of Sir William Whitfield; the idea being to replace the roof of Boathouse 5 in similar material having found evidence that they were originally slated. On the other hand, Sir Colin had always supported architect John Winter’s view that corrugated sheet is the most appropriate material for what are industrial buildings. I suspect the argument will continue and there is probably not a right answer; both views having equal validity.

During the 1980’s and 1990’s the buildings in College Road were all refurbished and the external envelopes secured. There are some important principles the Trust has established over the years which I believe are worth a mention. Firstly, the preservation of authenticity; this being fundamental to the conceptual brief prepared by Whitfield and Cossons. Secondly the principle that the design of anything new should reflect the change of use of the site from a working dockyard to a tourist attraction and thus should be honestly modern and contemporary so as not to be confused with the historic.

I often recall in my lectures a quote from Sir William Whitfield in response to my excitement at finding the original drawings of the Porter’s Garden which showed the precise layout of the original flower borders “Peter, I believe we should try to avoid a slavish reconstruction of archaeological exactitude”. And of course, he was right - this is a new garden with a different purpose from the domestic characteristic of the original. William had enormous influence over the design of the Porter’s Garden insisting that the yew hedge should be allowed to grow to a height that created a sense of enclosure rather than to be able to see over it. These small details are important. Both Sir William and Sir Colin were also insistent that the final part of the Millennium walkway from Victory Gate to HMS Victory should not be expressed by the engraved stone chain motif of the rest of the proposed walkway on both sides of the harbour because over time it would deteriorate; instead it should be represented by small brass links embedded in the surface. We had to fight hard to persuade PCC and GBC for us to be different but how right they were both proved to be. The third fundamental principle has been to insist on the best quality of architecture and the Trust should continue to be a patron of the architectural profession. The Trust has selected some of the best architects in the UK for its own projects and Sir William and Sir Colin were instrumental in the choice of Wilkinson Eyre to design the new Mary Rose Museum. It is important that the Trust retains its reputation for engaging the best and running architectural competitions where that is appropriate.

20. Additional Land and Buildings

It is often incorrectly assumed that the Trust was set up only to look after the land and buildings located within the Historic Dockyard. But as previously mentioned both the Ministry of Defence and English Heritage, as well as HCC, were keen for the Trust to act as a specialist regeneration agency for other land and buildings declared surplus to operational requirements particularly in South Hampshire. In the early days of the Trust Robin and I would meet regularly with the Minister for the Armed Forces and be in regular correspondence with his office and that of the Head of Secretariat Naval Staff. One of the first buildings to be offered to us within a year of becoming established was the Vulcan Building at Gunwharf but at the time we could not foresee an obvious use,

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isolated as it was, within the middle of HMS Vernon which was still operational at the time. With the benefit of hindsight, it would have been a strategic transfer and served the Trust well given the subsequent development by Berkley Homes.

The Trust was later approached by the MoD to take on one of the forts on top of Portsdown Hill which we considered carefully but chose not to pursue at the time as the endowment offered was deemed insufficient. Then in 1992 we were approached by MoD to take on Priddy’s Hard including the collection of ordnance. We were seriously interested in this proposition believing as early as then that Portsmouth Harbour should be considered as a single destination despite it being in three separate local authority jurisdictions. We took a short-term lease of the whole estate while we commissioned Watts and Partners to undertake a similar exercise to that undertaken to establish the correct level of endowment on the Portsmouth side. The Head of Secretariat NS was involved in the subsequent detailed negotiations and as I recall we were offered less than half of what we believed was required to put the buildings into a good state of repair. As a result, we turned down the offer.

A couple of years later we purchased the freehold of Horse Sands Fort, the Solent fort furthest to the east of the Solent on the basis that in due course we would seek to refurbish it, an investment for the future. Subsequently we were approached by English Heritage in partnership with the owner of Spitbank Fort, that closest to the shore, with a view to making a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for grant to purchase the fort and open it up to the public, it having already been restored to an extent. English Heritage pledged the matched funding and we made a bid on this basis only to be turned down.

In 2005 the MoD approached us with a view to joining forces with them to deliver Project Prime, a scheme to dispose of the remainder of the Georgian Dockyard. We entered into a partnership agreement with MoD and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) whereby the Trust would have acted as the head leaseholder of a mixed-use development. A massive amount of time and effort was expended on this negotiating new accesses into the area within the vicinity of Marlborough Gate as well as contributing towards a development brief approved by the LPA. Interested parties were invited to submit draft proposals only for the Project to be pulled by MoD at the last moment amongst fears that residential development within the Dockyard could lead to closure of the Naval Base; residents claiming that their peaceful enjoyment was being fettered by Naval operation. Nobody really believed this and if truth be told it was a decision of the 2SL of the day who didn’t like the idea.

21. The Story of Boathouse 4

Boathouse 4 continued in operational use by the Ministry of Defence until 1996 when it was eventually transferred into the care of the Trust. It became a base for work on the few boats which by that time the Trust had accumulated principally for display on the Mast Pond. The Trust quickly turned its attention to the future of the building and here began the great debate whether to demolish or retain. The celebrated critic, Marcus Binney of SAVE Britain’s Heritage wrote an article describing Boathouse 4 as a carbuncle conveying the impression to any visitor walking through Victory Gate that they were entering a Midlands car factory rather than the most prestigious historic Naval base in the world. And there was a widespread view at the time that this 1930’s building grossly

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offended its more gracious Georgian and Victorian neighbours. The Trust at the time did not disagree nor did the local planning authority who developed and published a formal Development Brief proposing its demolition and replacement by a building of equal mass and volume. English Heritage was also happy to see the building removed and turned down attempts to spot list it. Several schemes were suggested, the earliest of which was developed speculatively by architect John Winter who had designed the Visitor Centre and proposed a hotel/conference centre.

However there was an equal number of people opposed to the idea of demolition believing the building to be a very good example of 1930’s austerity architecture and that it was very much part of the history of the Naval Base and should be retained. And over the passage of time Marcus Binney changed his opinion and became one of the leading advocates for its retention. Some of those promoting its retention proposed that it be used to house the new Mary Rose Museum; an idea considered but, in the end, rejected by the MRT. As time passed by the Trust also changed its view Sir Colin joining those advocating its retention and so began discussions with several developers most notably the Trevor Osborne Property Group who had by that time started the development of Oxford Castle, the former prison. We spent much time with Trevor looking at the Oxford project and discussing possibilities; Ed Jones of Dixon Jones by that time being one of our trustees and having designed some new buildings close to the converted prison.

The eventual decision was influenced by our then Curator and Boatkeeper, Brian Patterson, who walked into my office to tell me that he had no more than 12 months to live. By this time our collection of historic craft had grown, and Brian was a legend in his own lifetime and the charismatic leader of a group of dedicated boat volunteers “Patterson’s Pirates”. While no-one is indispensable Brian came pretty close to defying that saying and so the idea was born that we could potentially professionalise the care and maintenance of the Trust’s Boat Collection and enhance it by establishing a traditional boatbuilding college and creating an exhibition telling the story of small craft in the operation of the Royal Navy. A new restaurant overlooking the Harbour seemed a good way of enhancing the catering offer and providing additional revenue.

While it took three attempts to persuade the Heritage Lottery Fund to support the idea the rest is history.

22. Civilian Story of the Dockyard

The Trust has done much over the years to celebrate the industrial history of the Dockyard and the role played by the 25,000 civilians who worked her at its peak in 1945. This has included several publications including the first Portsmouth Historic Dockyard guidebook, the establishment of the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust born out of the former Portsmouth Dockyard Society and the funding of many of that Trust’s activities; the creation of the Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition in 1994, the staging of several Dockyard related temporary exhibitions, commissioning studies into how best to establish a more comprehensive exhibition about the civilian story building on the success of the Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition as well as acquiring vessels which contribute towards the civilian story e.g. Vic 56 and HDL 49.

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We have also contributed much to the future use of the Block Mills about which I have commented more extensively under the heading “Unfinished Business”. How best the Trust can realise its ambitions in this area does require further discussion and debate with stakeholders; something to which I also refer in the “Unfinished Business” section.

23. Commercial Trading, Attraction Management and Events

The Trust’s first excursion into commercial trading was the running of the HMS Vernon car park in the late 1980’s which was then expanded with the purchase of the Whitbread Brewery site and the setting up of a small retail/catering facility through which all visitors were obliged to pass to enter or exit the car park. This was a hugely lucrative venture thanks in the main to the sales of the award-winning guidebook we published in six languages, the unit cost of which was 32p and which we sold for £1.95! We had established a non-charitable trading company to run the shop although income from the guidebook was credited straight to the Trust. At that time the car park itself was managed by Maiden Car Parking on the Trust’s behalf although we soon realised that we could make more money running it ourselves ensuring that all cash was going to where it should! Our trading success encouraged us to run a shop as part of the redevelopment of Boathouse 7 and so in 1994 we opened the Purser’s Store (exactly the same footprint of Nauticalia) and recruited a Commercial Manager, Annabelle Boyes, who at that time was the General Manager of a privately owned Bournemouth department store Beales. At the same time, we recruited Nigel Beale to chair the trading company. Annabelle was a dynamic entrepreneur and the profits of the business were enhanced by opening pop up shops in the surrounding area at Christmas time to get rid of slow-moving stock.

We ran the business until Annabelle moved on when I then invited other retail interests to tender for the opportunity of taking on the operation of the store. While we made decent profits ourselves we were buying from wholesalers rather than in large volumes direct from manufacturers in China and thus could never be in a position to compete with serious retailers. It then came as no surprise when Nauticalia offered terms doubling our own profits and without all the hassle associated with running the business ourselves. This brought our retail trading to an end although we had had a good run at it. We then had another go at it when we opened Action Stations running both a small retail facility and cafe on the mezzanine level close to the auditorium; the theory being that parents and grandparents would dwell over a coffee while their children and grandchildren ran riot among the exhibits on the ground floor. Neither really took off although a one-man business operator took over the running of the cafe for several years ending up as the partner of the general manager at the time. But it was always a struggle and demonstrated that location, location, location is the name of the game and that it should have been positioned at the front of the building with outdoor seating overlooking the Mast Pond.

The Trust does of course retain some trading activity but other than the car park on a very small scale. History tells us that retail and catering is best left to the experts.

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However, in terms of attraction management, the Trust has been very successful both in turning failing businesses around and in running its attractions profitably. The Harbour Tour, introduced by the Trust in 1994, has consistently delivered meaningful income to the Trust as had Action Stations until its transfer to the NMRN; contributing a profit of over £300K in the final year before transfer.

At the time the Trust inherited the Explosion Museum from Gosport Borough Council in 2010, it had lost its accreditation as a museum and was losing the Council nearly £300K a year. As a result of modest investment by the Trust in repairing all the equipment which had fallen down, introducing the infrastructure to facilitate the waterbus to connect it to the Historic Dockyard thus quadrupling the number of visitors overnight and driving the corporate and wedding business, the annual deficit had been cut by two thirds, formal museum accreditation restored before transfer to the NMRN.

The Trust has also staged many very successful commercial exhibitions – Star Trek, the World of 007, BBC FutureWorld, Tutankhamun, Egyptology, Titanic, Anne Frank – all of which have delivered six figure incomes as well as delivering additional income to the other attractions who have benefitted from additional sales.

We have also taken the lead in organising major events in collaboration with others; most notably two very successful International Festivals of the Sea, the now well established Christmas Festival as well as sporting events - a leg of the Tour De France cycle race, Prudential World Yacht Racing series and the now well established Great South Run. In each case the Trust led the commercial negotiations and as well as organising site infrastructure.

24. The Boat Collection

At the outset the Memorandum and Articles were drafted recognising that the term “property” in the context of a dockyard needed a broad definition and much wider than just buildings. Lock gates, caissons, penstocks, figureheads, pontoons, slipways, railway lines, weigh bridges, etc would all require to be preserved under that broad definition of property. It was also understood that small boats were also a fundamental ingredient of the operation of any dockyard and that preservation of vessels should be specifically included within the objects of the trust. The Royal Navy first approached the Trust in the early 1990’s seeking its agreement to take on the former barge of the Commander-in- Chief, Naval Home Command which was to be taken out of service and soon after followed up by requesting it to assume responsibility for Defence Harbour Launch 49, one of the last remaining workhorses of the Dockyard and which ferried civilians and Naval personnel alike from one part of the dockyard to the other. In parallel the Trust itself had restored a Naval cutter and whaler to display on the Mast Pond as part of its interpretation of how the Mast Pond was used historically.

At the time the Royal Navy very much looked to the Trust as the principal custodian of all related to the Dockyard rather than the Royal Naval Museum who were quite insular and content to concentrate their efforts on telling the story of the Nelsonian Navy. As the collection grew and we also expanded our interpretation of the dockyard by acquiring some railway wagons to illustrate the railway network and display on them the kind of things which would have been stored in the great storehouses we recruited a Curator

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and Boatkeeper, Brian Patterson, who was a shipwright by trade and had spent his life working in the Dockyard. He was also a well published and widely respected expert on the history of Portsmouth Dockyard and well qualified to become responsible for all the Trust’s curatorial and boat related activities. As chair of the Portsmouth Dockyard Society, the forerunner of the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, Brian successfully recruited a number of former shipwright colleagues to assist in the repair and maintenance of the Collection.

I was then approached by the boss of National Historic Ships to establish whether we would be prepared to take on MGB 81 and HSL 102 through a purchase to be funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Following detailed negotiations with the then owners of the two vessels, the Trust made a successful application to the Fund with additional grant assistance from the PRISM fund. The Trust does now have, thanks to the LIBOR Fund and the National Lottery, the infrastructure in place to house the Collection and undertake its proper repair and maintenance and it is now recognised by the maritime heritage fraternity as a very responsible custodian of an important collection of historic craft; the challenge for the Trust is ensuring that its reputation is not tarnished by an inability to look after the Collection in the longer term. The Trust has an important responsibility not only in maintaining the Collection but in preserving the heritage skills associated with its repair and maintenance.

25. Sharing of Knowledge and International Relations

It may not be fully appreciated by trustees the extent to which the Trust has assisted others facing the challenge of reusing former military assets declared surplus to operational requirements. We have received delegations from several cities from around Europe and I have accepted invitations to the former Naval Base at Karlskroner, Sweden, Turku and Helsinki, Finland, the former Dutch Naval Base in Den Helder, Rochefort and Toulon in France, Rostock, East Germany and more recently Sebastopol Naval Base in the Ukraine (now annexed to Russia) and the former Naval Dockyard and hospital in Mahon, Mallorca. All have had to meet similar challenges in terms of re-use and our advice has always been well received. A common theme threading through my advice has been to avoid the trap of imagining that establishing a few museums will lead to meaningful visitor income; without an iconic attraction of international significance e.g. HMS Victory, Mary Rose such a strategy is doomed to failure.

In the UK we have also advised the Plymouth Development Corporation on the re-use of King William Yard and those responsible for the care of the historic buildings within the former Royal Naval dockyard at Pembroke. Some of this advice was facilitated through EU sponsored networking programmes; others by direct approaches to us. We have also networked with and hosted visits from other former Royal Naval dockyards further afield including Gibraltar, Antigua and Bermuda.

26. Academic Partnerships

The Trust has developed strong links with the University of Portsmouth principally with the schools of Historical Studies, Architecture and Surveying. Examples include the staging of an Exhibition to celebrate Dockyard 500; principally devoted to the building of the Dreadnought battleships at the turn of the 20th century. The University also became

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involved in assisting us with staging a temporary exhibition relating the story of the Block Mills, the remnants of which are still stored there. And in partnership with the School of Historical Studies we undertook an ambitious oral history project recording the memories of those who worked in the civilian dockyard since the beginning of the 20th century; an archive which is presently held by the Portsmouth City Records Office.

As Emeritus Professor of Architecture, Sir Colin introduced me to the head of the University’s School of Architecture through which we developed several exercises involving final year students following their year in private practice. These have provided us with several inspiring architectural concepts including the future use of the Block Mills and Boathouse 4. I still deliver an annual lecture to those students studying surveying. I had persuaded the previous Vice Chancellor to establish a new Chair of Innovation within the University’s Engineering Faculty as part of a concept for the re-use of the Block Mills ensuring that the pioneering technological history which the building and its purpose represents could continue in the future.

The most recent partnership with the University was the re-use of the Cell Block to provide start up business units for fine arts graduates, a project the Trust funded through the Regional Growth Fund.

I had also interested one of the Pro Vice Chancellors of Southampton University in becoming associated with the Boathouse 4 College in two ways, through marine archaeology and marine science. Unfortunately, my contact left the University, but it is something which will be worth exploring again once the College has become more established.

27. Royal Connections

Various members of the Royal Family have had interest in the activities of the Trust. In the early years Professor Sir William Whitfield was in regular contact with the Prince of Wales about the form and design of any new building to house the Mary Rose Museum. I well remember an impromptu meeting about one of the latest designs on the roof of Storehouse 10 during the Prince of Wales visit to commemorate completion of our reconstruction of the Clock Tower and re-roofing of the building. We all huddled together around a set of plans dismissing the design concept and agreeing that it was back to the drawing board! We also welcomed to MGB 81 and HSL 102 and the assembled veterans the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Pegasus Bridge during the 70th Commemorations of D-Day.

The Princess Royal has also taken an interest in our work and I recall, a few years ago, showing HRH around the Block Mills and our plans for its re-use when it looked likely that it would at last be transferred into our care. A keen sailor HRH was subsequently delighted to perform a formal opening of Boathouse 4.

Perhaps our greatest connection has been with Prince Edward, Duke of Wessex who in the late 1990’s was running his own film company in partnership with a US production company. Lorraine Carpenter and I held several meetings with Prince Edward at his offices in Tottenham Court Road and I drove him to meetings with a part of Naval Intelligence which was then based at HMS Dryad to brainstorm credible storylines for the Action Stations movie. We did not use his storyline in the end but there is a very amusing

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story which I cannot commit to print; a story made the more ironic when we invited his brother, the Duke of York, to formally open Action Stations in 2001. We also assisted Prince Edward, through Brian Patterson, with the making of a documentary about the history of the Dockyard during which HRH interviewed Brian at length about his memories of working in the Yard.

28. The Concept of the Single Trust

This has been a recurring theme for decades and in one sense the invitation by the PNHT to the Property Trust to join Flagship Portsmouth was the first recognition that the structure which had been set up was not working as well as it should. It could be argued however that the reason for failure was nothing to do with the relationship between PNHT and the Property Trust but more about the failure of the members of the PNHT to coalesce in the manner originally envisaged. There have always been two schools of thought on this; on the one hand that the drive and energy of each of the independent ship and museum attractions would achieve more collectively than if they were united in one enterprise; on the other that economies of scale by merging together would save cost and lead to much greater consistency and efficiency.

There have been several reports published which have advocated structural reform: McKinsey initially and then Locum. And following a visit from the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee under the chairmanship of Gerald Kaufman, the Select Committee also advocated that much more should be done to bring the ship and museum attractions together to maximise the full potential of the Historic Dockyard as a tourist destination.

There is little doubt that the establishment of the National Museum of the Royal Navy was seen as an initial step to achieve this as was the subsequent take-over of the Warrior Preservation Trust. So, is the single trust an inevitable product of further evolution? This is difficult to answer at this stage; on the one hand the expansionist policies adopted by the NMRN during recent years may have created some doubt in the minds of those advocating such change, on the other COVID 19 and its financial impact will have arguably brought the prospect much closer to reality.

I have consistently argued that notwithstanding the benefits of the ship and museum attractions merging together to create one museum related organisation the original Ventures Consultancy recommendation that there should be a totally independent body to hold the property remains valid. And I have already made my views known as to one option were the Trust to conclude that it needed to find a suitable partner to strengthen its position as a regeneration agency specialising in the re-use of former MoD estate.

29. Unfinished Business

Despite all the success I thought I should conclude with a section devoted to unfinished business. I do not mean by this unfinished projects such as the regeneration of Priddy’s Hard which is progressing well despite the impact of COVID-19 but by reference to those things we have set out to achieve but have failed to achieve. I hope that this might assist in determining future strategy.

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A) Securing the Release and Future Preservation of protected scheduled and listed buildings and structures within the remaining part of the former Georgian and Victorian Dockyard.

This is without a doubt the Trust’s most important and most expensive failure although it has twice - firstly in the early 2000’s through Project PRIME and most recently in 2018 - become so very close to rescuing the unused and rapidly decaying scheduled monuments and listed buildings which together represent such an important part of our Naval Heritage. Many of these protected buildings and structures have remained empty for many years and as unoccupied buildings their condition has deteriorated significantly, close to the point of no return in some cases.

It has not been through any lack of effort on the part of the Trust that we have failed and on the last occasion with a new lease fully drafted and agreed and the level of endowment - £13.5M also agreed we became as close as we had ever come to securing this for future generations to enjoy. Unfortunately, the traditionalists within the Royal Navy, who have been desperate to hang on to the buildings at all costs have unconsciously (but sadly sometimes consciously) allowed them, all too often, to fall into disrepair through both indecision and neglect. There have been periods of enlightenment such as Project PRIME and I so memorably recall the current First Sea Lord, who I met regularly to discuss this subject when he was serving as Naval Base Commander, Portsmouth, referencing some ideas for their re-use operationally but saying to me “Peter - if nothing has happened within the next six months I want you to burst into my office and say Radakin - put up or shut up!”

By that time unfortunately he had moved on before serving his full term and his temporary acting successor (who subsequently became permanent successor) held fundamentally different views proposing re-uses operationally which had no chance of ever becoming financially viable.

It would not help the cause to rehearse in detail the reasons for the MoD pulling the rug at the last minute twice, the Trust having invested hundreds of thousands of pounds on each occasion, but merely to say that the rescue of these buildings must be at the very top of the Trust’s agenda. They include the 1802 Block Mills, one of the first factories of mass production anywhere in the world, is uncompromisingly, the most important historic building within the Naval Base, which, together with the associated scheduled docks and culverts are of such international significance. Sir Neil Cossons, former Director of the National Maritime and Science Museums and latterly Chairman of English Heritage forced Government ministers to invest in repairs to the building which provided it with some arrest from dilapidation. But it remains severely at risk and this important legacy of our nation’s industrial heritage could be lost to the Nation if not transferred to the Trust soon. The subject should be at the very top of the agenda of any reconvened MoD Heritage Committee.

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I have long since held the view that where it is clear that there is a commercial solution to the future preservation of a surplus historic building then it should be left to the private sector to pursue but all too often this is not the case and while the private sector sometimes offers much it struggles to deliver and, sadly, there are so many examples of this within the hinterland of Portsmouth Harbour. And the longer the MoD holds on to buildings without occupying them and investing in their proper maintenance the less likely it is that the private sector will have the ability to preserve them through re-use. A classic example is the Old Naval Academy, any use of which ceased more than ten years ago. The cost of refurbishing the building at that time was circa £3M; now the cost will lie somewhere between £10M and £20M quite beyond the ability of the private sector alone to secure its future use as the end value would not justify such investment.

The Trust has demonstrated over several years its ability to bring together several different funding partners, including the private sector, to find solutions to such problems. Experience also demonstrates that it often takes time and patience; something that the Trust can afford taking the long- term view but something the private sector and its need for a quick financial return finds challenging.

B) A Strategic Partnership between the Trust, Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Following on from the previous paragraph I had initiated discussions with the Head of the London and South-East Region of Historic England and the Director of Operations and Head of the Southern Region of the National Lottery about the concept of a strategic partnership whereby all three organisations collectively assessed the priorities for intervention within South-East Hampshire and the Isle of Wight; one criteria but not exclusively so buildings and or structures which were at greatest risk by reference to Historic England’s published “At Risk” Register. This would include buildings currently in MoD ownership, many of which are on the “At Risk” register for all the reasons I have outlined.

The idea would be to identify cases where the Trust had the ability to intervene and working in partnership with both Historic England and the National Lottery help to provide the means by which new sustainable uses could be found to secure the ongoing preservation of the buildings and/or structures.

COVID-19 has frustrated further discussion of this concept as all three organisations concentrate on the immediate impact of the virus but these discussions should be pursued as soon as possible to explore the potential of such a strategic alliance.

C) Portsmouth Harbour, Spithead and IOW Bid for World Heritage Status

Following an initiative taken by the local amenity groups in Portsmouth and the surrounding area the Trust led a bid to secure World Heritage status for Portsmouth Harbour, Spithead and the Isle of Wight. Having secured the support of all but one

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of the six local authorities involved together with English Heritage and the Tourist Board, the Trust hosted a conference of over 100 potential stakeholders in Action Stations to promote the bid which, among other things, would have established Portsmouth Harbour and Spithead as a destination in its own right. Despite assurances that these days UNESCO respects the concept of history being a continuum and thus would accept change to accommodate the changing needs of the modern Royal Navy, these were not accepted by DIO or the City Council politically, and thus the bid failed.

It is most unlikely, given the enormous shift of importance throughout the world towards the environment and climate change that a bid of this nature would ever succeed. But that should not prevent the Trust from continuing to pursue the narrower goal of establishing Portsmouth Harbour as a destination in its own right - a harbour which deserves to be recognised as every bit as iconic as Sydney Harbour and have international recognition; not just because of the important role it has played in the history of the Royal Navy but for the centuries it has played before then in the defence of the Nation since Roman times - Emperor Vespasian leaving the Harbour from Portchester to take part in the siege of Jerusalem - the Roman fort having the most intact walls of any Roman fort in Western Europe.

Portsmouth Harbour has the potential to change fundamentally the public perception of Portsmouth as a city and Gosport as a Borough something recognised by those in political control of both Councils at the time of the Millennium; it is sad that subsequent administrations failed to capitalise on the £80M investment made at that time in an attempt to unite both sides of the Harbour.

The Trust did introduce the Portsmouth Harbour waterbus service following its acquisition of the Explosion Museum and has done its utmost to promote the harbour but without wholesale political will on the part of all the local authorities involved realising such an objective will remain challenging. Local Government reform represents the very best chance of success and a game changer in the way this area is perceived as a visitor destination. In the meantime, the Trust should do all it can to encourage all stakeholders to capitalise on its natural geography and illustrious history.

D) Establishing a Dockyard Museum/Exhibition

We came close to achieving this at the time of the Millennium as mentioned earlier and we have proposals prepared by one of the top Museum consultancies in the world, Lord Cultural Enterprises. Many of Lord’s concepts are as relevant today as they were then; albeit delivery will be different given the revolution in new technology.

The Trust needs to determine several issues relating to this unrealised ambition not least whether there remains a public appetite for such an exhibition. Secondly who should take the lead - the Trust itself, the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical

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Trust which we set up for the purpose or the NMRN; or the NMRN which has expressed interest albeit not at the top of its very wide agenda. Thirdly where should it be located; Storehouse 9, the Block Mills if ever available or integrated within the NMRN galleries. Fourthly and, importantly, how will it be funded.

In the context of World Heritage status, English Heritage published for the DCMS an assessment of all former Royal Dockyards throughout the world to determine which should be nominated for World Heritage status. In the UK, Chatham Dockyard was quite rightly nominated as the dockyard best equipped to represent the story of Royal dockyards given its excellent state of preservation and the fact that Portsmouth and Plymouth had been badly damaged during WW2 as well as being subject to insensitive post war development e.g. The Ropery in Portsmouth having been compartmentalised vertically destroying its original configuration.

However this assessment ignored the wider significance of Portsmouth Harbour as well as the need to tell the local dockyard story hence the efforts the Trust has made to represent it for the benefit of the visiting public as well as the local population of the City many of whose families will have had such strong connections with “the Yard”.

E) The Future Use of Storehouse 9

While the upper floors of Storehouse 10 have yet to be refurbished, they have been earmarked for future use by the NMRN as the Museum expands its galleries over time. Storehouse 9 remains the only building of those leased at the outset in the 1980’s which awaits a new beneficial use. It is perhaps fortunate that it has not yet been converted as it enables the Trust to consider uses appropriate for the 2020’s and beyond. Decisions on this should not be rushed but careful thought given in close consultation with fellow stakeholders as the needs of the Historic Dockyard evolve over time.

Page 24 of 24 20 YEAR1986-2006 REVIEW A review of the Trust’s achievements from 1986 to 2006 including

financial highlights and future

development plans Contents Page

Foreword by Sir Neil Cossons 1

The Trust’s Aims 2

Trust Membership 3

Introduction 4

20 Major Building Projects over 20 Years 6

Current Tenancies 16

Planned Maintenance 18

Attractions Management 20

Interpretation & Education 22

Volunteers 24

Events & Temporary Exhibitions 25

The Estate 26

The Future 28

How the Trust is Financed 30

Partnership & Co-operation 32 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Foreword

The Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth expresses as no other a long and continuing chapter in the country’s history: the exercise of sea power in defence of the realm and support of the national interest. In this respect it is an extraordinarily important place. And its location, adjacent to the operational naval base, provides, uniquely, an invaluable insight into the role of today’s Navy in the context of its distinguished past.

Since Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust was established in 1986 to act as landlord and guardian of the historic estate the Dockyard has become one of the leading tourist destinations in Britain. At the outset English Heritage was keen to ensure that the Trust’s Board comprised experts in the preservation and re-use of historic buildings and all its appointments over the years have been made Sir Neil Cossons - Chairman of English Heritage with this in mind.

The Trust’s record of achievement set out in this Review is not only a result of the professional and effective approach taken by members of the Board, both past and present, in discharging their responsibilities, but also of the £50 million investment the Trust has made over the last twenty years.

There are many opportunities still to be seized in the years to come, not least the potential release of further parts of the estate as the Ministry of Defence continues to rationalize its operations. This could result in more land and buildings of outstanding historic and architectural value requiring new, appropriate, and sustainable uses.

The Trust has already demonstrated its ability to find innovative solutions for some of the nation’s most precious industrial structures and to do so with sensitivity and flair.

I wish the Trust every success in the years to come.

Sir Neil Cossons Chairman of English Heritage

1 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Photograph by - cjbphotography.co.uk - by Photograph

The Trust’s Aims

The following is a list of the Trust’s aims in relation to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, although its remit also extends to sites elsewhere.

• To restore and find appropriate uses for buildings and structures of outstanding architectural and historic interest related to HM Naval Base in the Portsmouth and south-east Hampshire area

• To extend the estate as surplus Ministry of Defence land and buildings become available

• To create an enduring maritime heritage centre of the highest class in the Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth, so that it may be enjoyed by the public for generations to come

• To protect the ethos of the Historic Dockyard and of any other related historic estate so that new development, or further commercial activity, is sensitive to its unique atmosphere

• To set and maintain the highest standards in education, interpretation and collections

• To enhance public awareness of the role of the civilian workforce in supporting the Royal Navy by promoting the establishment of a Museum of the Dockyard

• To ensure that visitors have a comprehensive and enjoyable experience of the Historic Dockyard

2 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Trust Membership

The Trust’s Board of Directors comprises nine Trustees who provide specialist knowledge and experience of architecture, chartered surveying, attractions management, commercial property development and finance.

Robin Bishop Rear Admiral Neil Rankin CB CBE Robin has been a Trustee since the formation of the Trust in 1985 Neil became a Trustee in 1997 following a 33-year Royal Naval and served as its inaugural Chairman from then until 1992. During career during which he was the first Fleet Air Arm pilot to fly the the first two of these years he successfully negotiated the Trust’s Harrier aircraft. He commanded several warships including the head lease with the Secretary of State for Defence. A former aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, and retired as the last Flag Officer senior partner at Drivers Jonas Chartered Surveyors, he advises Portsmouth (1993-1996), having also held tri-service command in the Trust on all aspects of property management, development the Falkland Islands as a Rear Admiral. He now chairs the Royal and commercial letting. He is a member of the Royal Institution of Yacht Britannia Trust, and the Scottish Seabird Centre, and is also Chartered Surveyors, the Royal Town Planning Institute, the a Councillor for East Lothian representing North Berwick (West). Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors and the Worshipful Neil is chairman of the Trust’s Audit Committee and also serves Company of Carpenters. on the Action Stations Management Board. Roger Ching Tim Roberton As one of Portsmouth City Council’s two nominated Tim joined the Trust in 1993 and became Chairman in 1997, representatives on the Trust’s board, Roger provides a valuable serving for 10 years until December 2006. He was a partner and link with the local authority which is one of the Trust’s biggest later a consultant to Richard Ellis Chartered Surveyors in London, supporters, both financially and in terms of planning advice and where he specialised in offering professional advice to a number expertise. He joined the Trust in September 2004. His current of major City clients. He is past Master of the Worshipful position at PCC is Strategic Director for Corporate Resources and Company of Chartered Surveyors, past member of Council of the Services with responsibility for finance, ICT, human resources, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, past member of the property services and revenues and benefits. He is also the client Trustee Board of the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service, past for the Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower project and the Chairman of Chairman of the Bigwood Education Trust and current member of the Portsmouth Harbour Renaissance Board. the court of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers. Tim chairs the Trust’s Action Stations Management Board. Terry Hall Terry’s career history covers eight years with the Inland Revenue Hugh Siegle and a further 15 as tax manager for a firm of chartered Hugh was appointed to the Trust in 2002 and succeeded Tim accountants. She currently serves as a Portsmouth City Councillor Roberton as Chairman in January 2007. Former Managing Director and as Executive Member for Culture and Leisure. Her particular of Whitbread Property, Hugh provides estates management and interest in the arts led to trusteeships of both the Kings Theatre leisure industry expertise to the Trust. He is a director of Business and the New Theatre Royal. Terry has also been a member of the in Sport & Leisure, where he is Chairman of their Property & Portsmouth Society and the Friends of Portsmouth Museums and Planning Working Group, and a non-executive director of Records Service for many years. She joined the Trust in 2006 as Portsmouth Harbour Renaissance Company. Hugh’s past roles one of Portsmouth City Council’s two nominated representatives. include non-executive Chairman of DTZ Leisure, one of the UK’s leading property consultancies, Chairman of the British Beer and Edward Jones Pub Association Property Committee, member of the Specialist Valuation Committee of the Royal Institution of Chartered As one of English Heritage’s two nominated Trustees, Edward has Surveyors, committee member of the Leisure Property Forum, provided architectural advice and expertise to the board since he and member of the Regeneration sub-committee of the British joined the Trust in 2004. He is a partner at Dixon Jones, the Council of Offices. London-based practice responsible for many prestigious city- centre projects such as the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden and the extension to the National Sir Colin Stansfield Smith CBE Portrait Gallery. He also designed a new science building for the Winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Royal Gold University of Portsmouth in 1992-1996. Medal in 1991 for his contribution to architecture, Sir Colin has brought a wealth of expertise to the Trust since 1993, when he Philip Marriott was appointed as one of English Heritage’s nominated trustees. As County Architect of Hampshire County Council (1973-1992) A graduate of Harvard Business School and a Chartered Engineer, he produced buildings of exceptional quality, many of them Philip’s background is in the oil industry where he spent 34 years schools, and many of which won national awards. Colin was as an international executive for Exxon Mobil. Assignments appointed Professor of Architectural Design at the University of included heading up the UK’s biggest petrol retailing business, Portsmouth in 1990. Esso, and managing Fawley Refinery. Following his appointment to the position of Managing Director of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Ltd from 2004 to 2005, Philip joined the Trust in 2005 and is now also Acting Chairman of PHDL. He previously served as a Governor of Totton 6th Form College. Left to right: Neil Rankin, Robin Bishop, Hugh Siegle, Terry Hall, Tim Roberton, Philip Marriott, Roger Ching, Edward Jones, Colin Stansfield Smith

3 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Introduction

Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust is a charitable property company specialising in the conservation and re-use of historic buildings associated with the Naval Base. It was set up in 1986 by the Ministry of Defence and Portsmouth City Council, its initial purpose being to take responsibility for the long-term preservation of the historic south-west corner of Portsmouth Naval Base which had been released under the 1982 Defence Review. This area is now known as Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The Trust received a government endowment of £6m in 1986, although it was widely acknowledged at the time that this was £6.5m short of the sum required to put the buildings into a reasonable state of repair, and that the Trust would also have to find funds to convert the buildings for public use.

During its first 10 years the Trust was encouraged by MOD to consider taking responsibility for a variety of other buildings including the Haslar Gunboat Sheds and Priddy’s Hard on the Gosport side of Portsmouth Harbour, the Vulcan Building at Gunwharf, two of the Palmerston forts, and the Block Mills in the Naval Base. While it remains interested in all propositions where it believes it can fulfill a useful regenerative role, capital constraints mean that its principal focus has been to refurbish as much of its existing historic estate as possible before taking on new ventures.

HRH The Duke of York with Peter Goodship at the opening of At an early stage it invested part of its endowment in the Action Stations in 2001 nearby 4-acre site of a former brewery which it demolished to provide car parking for the Historic Dockyard. This also benefited the local community of Portsea whose streets had been seriously congested by visitors seeking parking spaces. The investment provided the Trust with a reasonable return at a level comparable with other equity and gilt investments, as well as capital growth.

The Trust also invested heavily in creating the infrastructure to support development of the site as a tourist destination, for example, construction of a visitor reception centre and the procurement of a restaurant, lavatories and a landing jetty to provide access to the Historic Dockyard from the harbour.

The result has been a transformation of the Historic Dockyard into one of the UK’s leading tourist destinations attracting approximately three-quarters of a million paying and non- paying visitors annually. This could not have been achieved without the full support of all the ship and museum trusts operating in the Dockyard, the Royal Navy, English Heritage and Portsmouth City Council.

Over the years the Trust has become the owner of three visitor attractions, although this has come about through the process of building refurbishment and infrastructure improvements rather than any desire of the Trust to diversify in this way.

The Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition was introduced in 1994 as part of the refurbishment of Boathouse 7 and interprets the original use of the Historic Dockyard buildings, as well as displaying artefacts belonging to Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, whose members maintain the exhibition.

Harbour Tours are provided by Wightline Cruises under contract to the Trust and run from the Trust’s landing jetty, which is also used to disembark tourists who are staying on the Isle of Wight and to berth some of the Trust’s own boats.

Action Stations was developed in response to public demand for an attraction about the modern Royal Navy and it formed the main element of the redevelopment of Boathouse 6, which in turn was part of the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium scheme.

This innovative visitor experience to some extent broke the mould of existing Dockyard attractions. It is fully interactive, includes a 25-minute large format film about the modern Navy and is somewhere for younger visitors to let off steam, climb on things, run around and generally take on all sorts of exciting challenges. It has also benefited schools and colleges by opening up the Historic Dockyard educational provision for Key Stage 3 Science and Technology, Citizenship, and NVQ Leisure and Tourism. In 2005 further grant from the Millennium Commission’s Rediscover Fund allowed the Trust to create InterAction, a new science and technology gallery in Action Stations which has broadened its appeal to both families and school groups.

4 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

The refurbishment and re-use of Boathouse No 6 and the design and installation of the attraction itself were generously part-funded by the Millennium Commission, with the Trust supplying matched funding to meet the capital cost of over £16m. Part of this was secured through a bank loan which meant that the Trust had to cut expenditure severely over the next few years. It remains indebted to Portsmouth City Council for so generously guaranteeing its loans and enabling it to survive financially through a difficult period.

However, in October 2005 the Trust sold the Historic Dockyard car park site to Crest Nicholson for residential development and construction of a new visitors’ car park. The capital receipt from the sale enabled the Trust to reduce its debts and to increase expenditure on its rolling planned maintenance programme.

Over the past 20 years the Trust has been turning its initial vision into reality. Many fine Georgian dockyard buildings which it inherited in poor condition have now been repaired, with total expenditure running at nearly £50m. As well as featuring as part of the tourist attraction, many of these buildings now pay their way as restaurants, shops, offices, lecture rooms and a cinema.

Our next and largest ever building project will be the conversion and re-use of Boathouse No 4, which occupies a prime waterfront location at the entrance to the Historic Dockyard. It is recognised that tourism alone is unlikely to sustain the site in the long term and this building has the potential to generate an all-important diversification of economy and to unlock evening opening of the Dockyard.

At the same time discussions are underway on rehousing the Mary Rose Museum in a brand new building at No 3 Dock and the possibility of an increase in the Royal Naval Museum presence in Storehouse 10.

Exciting times lie ahead, not without difficulties to be sure, but the Trust has always thrived on a heady mixture of challenge, speculation and sheer hard entrepreneurial work and we are confident we have the experience, not to mention the battle scars, to ensure future success.

All the Trust’s members are professional working Trustees mainly drawn from the property industry and skilled in architectural design, development and care of historic buildings. The Trust owes a considerable debt of gratitude to those who, as previous Chairmen, have been responsible for its achievements: Robin Bishop (1985-1992), David Thomson (1992-1998) and Tim Roberton (1998-2006). Robin and Tim continue to serve as Trustees and the Trust still benefits from their combined extensive property experience. Particular thanks are due to Robin for his invaluable advice on leasehold matters and to Tim for successfully steering the Trust through a financially difficult period.

We hope you enjoy reading this Review.

Hugh Siegle Peter Goodship Chairman Chief Executive

Left to right: Peter Goodship and Hugh Siegle

5 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 20 Major Building Projects Over 20 Years

The Trust has always sought to achieve the highest possible standards in its building projects, whether new-build, repair and restoration, conversion or reconstruction, and this pursuit of excellence has been recognised through several prestigious awards.

Our close relationship with English Heritage has been crucial in meeting these standards and we are indebted to them for their help and encouragement over the years.

The total cost of the 20 projects listed here exceeds £90m, of which the Trust has directly funded £30m.

Old Pay Office refurbishment (1986)

Capital Cost: £50,000 Architect: Robert J Potter & Partners Surveyor: Watts & Partners Contractor: PMC Ltd

In consultation with English Heritage, a lean-to added to the Old Pay Office in the early 20th century was removed to reveal the architectural quality of the original building constructed circa 1795.

As well as extensive repairs to the roof and external brickwork, internal partitions were removed to reveal the brick vaulted compartments supported by unusual Egyptian-style cast iron columns, believed to be the first example of such construction in the south of England.

Repairs were also carried out to the strong room where Charles Dickens’s father, John, worked as a pay clerk during the early 19th century.

Security Fence and Police Posts – new build (1987)

Capital Cost: £500,000 Architect: Portsmouth City Council Department of Architecture & Civic Design Contractor: PMC Ltd

In consultation with the Ministry of Defence, the Trust achieved security for the operational Naval Base through erection of a sympathetically designed steel fence and gates surrounding the Historic Dockyard. The Trust also designed and constructed small buildings to accommodate the MOD police, now superseded by the MOD Guard Service, who patrol the fence at strategic locations.

It is unfortunate, that for security reasons another fence has been erected within the last few years by the MOD in front of the Grade 1 Listed Storehouses, which spoils the open view along Main Road to HMS Victory. It is hoped that a better solution can soon be found which will lead to its removal.

Victory Gallery reroofing (1988)

Capital Cost: £40,000 Surveyor: Watts & Partners Contractor: PMC Ltd

Following damage inflicted by the October 1987 hurricane, when the entire roof of the Victory Gallery was destroyed, this building was completely reroofed in copper.

6 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Acquisition of site for Historic Dockyard Car Park (1990/91)

Capital Cost: £2.6m Surveyor: Watts & Partners (works); Weatherall Green & Smith (acquisition) Contractors: Demolition UK Ltd T Coleborn & Son

Adequate car parking had always been recognised as essential to any development of the Historic Dockyard and the Trust had previously leased space from the MOD at HMS Vernon on a temporary basis to fulfil this need. However, in spring 1990 it managed to secure the 4.5- acre site of the former Whitbread brewery. The value of the salvage material more than met the cost of demolishing the brewery. The new car and coach park, along with lavatories and a baby-care room, opened to coincide with the start of the 1991 visitor season. Over the next few years the Trust added a gift shop, a rest-room for coach drivers, a visitors’ snack bar and interpretation panels.

The Great Storehouses

When the Trust inherited these Grade 1 Listed buildings in the mid-1980s they were in a very poor state of repair. Plastic sheets had been laid on the attic floors in a vain attempt to protect the lower floors from water leaking through the roofs, and the hurricanes of 1987 and 1989 had worsened the situation by ripping the lead away from the roofs of Nos 10 and 11. No 10 had also suffered World War 2 bomb damage which had destroyed the roof to the northern wing as well as the clock tower. In its place was a rather crude corrugated iron temporary repair. The priority for the Trust was to secure the external fabric of all three Storehouses as quickly as possible.

No 11 Storehouse refurbishment and conversion (1988-1992)

Capital Cost: £320,000 (refurbishment) £111,000 (conversion) Architect: Portsmouth City Council Department of Architecture & Civic Design (conversion) Surveyor: Watts & Partners (refurbishment) Contractors: Waltham Contracts Ltd (refurbishment) T Coleborn & Son (conversion)

Complete external refurbishment, including a new lead and slate roof and dormer windows, was carried out with the help of a grant from English Heritage.

A year later in 1992 the first floor was converted to house the Royal Naval Museum’s library, retaining an understanding of the original purpose of the building whilst creating a modern functional use for it.

7 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

No 10 Storehouse restoration and reconstruction of the Clock Tower (1991/1992)

Capital Cost: £750,000 Architect: Portsmouth City Council Department of Architecture & Civic Design Surveyor: Watts & Partners Contractor: John Lay & Co (Portsmouth) Ltd

This was one of the Trust’s most ambitious restoration projects and involved considerable research into the precise design of the clock tower which was destroyed during the World War 2 blitz on Portsmouth in 1941. There was initial excitement when the project architect discovered in the Public Records Office drawings of the construction of the original tower, which he used in the new design. However, photographs taken of the tower in the 1930s subsequently came to light, clearly showing that the original design was never built. Back at his drawing board, the project architect produced a new design based on the photographic evidence which achieved a faithful replica of the original.

The next challenge was to find a clock mechanism of a similar type to the original and the Trust was fortunate in acquiring one from Bristol Grammar School, which was lovingly restored by its original manufacturers, Gillett & Johnson of Croydon.

The original lead roof was stripped off, melted down, recast and replaced, but in narrower bay widths which improved the structural stability and life of the new roof.

Finally, the weathervane from the top of the clock tower was kindly returned by Flag Officer Portsmouth from his Dockyard residence, Spithead House (now renamed Mountbatten House), where it had been used as a garden ornament since its recovery from the rubble on that fateful night in 1941.

The project was formally inaugurated by HRH The Prince of Wales in August 1992 and later received two awards: Europa Nostra for Restoration 1993 and the Portsmouth Society’s Best Restoration of the Year 1993.

Porters Lodge refurbishment (1993/94)

Capital Cost: £200,000 Architect: John Winter & Associates Surveyor: Watts & Partners Contractor: T Coleborn & Son

The original graceful façade of the oldest surviving building in the Dockyard (1708) was restored by the removal of an unsightly single story ground floor extension as part of a complete internal and external refurbishment. The works included reroofing and replacement of the chimney stacks.

Originally the residence of the Dockyard Porter, the building is now occupied by Adams Poole Architects and the Naval Christian Fellowship.

The Porters Lodge received a commendation in the Portsmouth Society’s Best Restoration Awards 1994.

8 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Cell Block refurbishment (1993/1994)

Capital Cost: £100,000 Surveyor: Watts & Partners Contractor: T Coleborn & Son

The Cell Block (1882) occupies a prominent position at the entrance to the Historic Dockyard and houses an interesting cast iron water-closet and urinal. Several ideas have been considered for its future use, such as an exhibition of Dockyard law and order and a skill centre for building and fine art conservation, but a decision has yet to be made.

The 1993/94 works included complete external refurbishment and replacement of parapet and chimney stacks.

No 7 Boathouse restoration & conversion (1993/1994)

Capital Cost: £2.6m Architect: Portsmouth City Council Design Services Project Management: Symonds Contractor: Heaton Waring Ltd

This project brought together five separate design teams to achieve a conversion of the building to multi-use including a 400-seat restaurant, children’s adventure play facilities, an education area, the Dockyard Apprentice exhibition, and a gift shop.

All partitions were restricted in height to preserve the sense of openness and to give visitors a better understanding of the building’s original purpose. This was further enhanced by the paint stains on the wooden floor which were left as testimony to many years of boat repair work. The Trust replaced the corrugated iron roof with grey slate, similar to its original roof material.

No 7 Boathouse received two awards: the Portsmouth Society’s Best Restoration of the Year 1995, and Portsmouth City Council Planning Committee’s Good Planning and Conservation Award 1995.

9 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Visitor Reception Centre – new build (1993/1994)

Capital Cost: £640,000 Architect: John Winter & Associates Contractor: Heaton Waring Ltd

This contemporary building was thoughtfully designed to echo some of the more striking features of the industrial buildings in the Dockyard.

It provides a comfortable space for visitors to discover what is on offer, gather information and purchase tickets. The rear section now houses a Costa Coffee shop where visitors can relax and enjoy attractive views of HMS Warrior and the harbour.

The building received a commendation under the Portsmouth Society’s Best New Building Awards 1995.

Landing Stage – new build (1994)

Capital Cost: £350,000 Marine Engineer: Portsmouth City Council Engineering Services Contractor: Dean & Dyball (dredging) and Vosper Thornycroft (brow)

Completed in less than four months, this project provided a landing stage for harbour boat tours and enabled visitors to be disembarked in the Historic Dockyard direct from the Isle of Wight.

The landing stage is also used regularly for VIP trips around the Harbour and occasionally for burials at sea.

No 11 Storehouse refurbishment & conversion (1997-1998)

Capital Cost: £4.9m Architect: Hedley Greentree Partnership Project Management: Boxall Sayer Contractor: Kier

In partnership with the Royal Naval Museum, the Trust undertook further refurbishment and conversion works to No 11 Storehouse to provide additional gallery space on the ground floor which enabled the Victory Gallery to concentrate on telling the story of the Nelsonian Navy. The upper floors were converted to provide new offices for museum staff.

The Trust contributed financially towards the structural repairs and worked with the Museum and its project architects and surveyors to ensure a sympathetic approach to the conversion. The result is a fine example of how modern office needs can be tastefully accommodated in an historic building.

10 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Boathouse 6 – repair, refurbishment & re-use (1998-2001)

Capital Cost: £16.4m Architect: MacCormac Jamieson Prichard Contractor: HBG Special Projects Ltd

This is the Trust’s largest project to date and the one which has had the greatest effect on its organisational structure and activities.

At a total cost of £16.4m, the project was one element in the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium Scheme which was 50% funded by grant from the Millennium Commission. The Trust secured the remaining finance from matched funding, sponsorship and bank loan.

The brief was to repair and refurbish a Victorian former Naval boathouse, constructed in 1845 and now a Grade 2* Listed Building (formerly Scheduled Monument), to house on its ground and first floors Action Stations, a new visitor attraction about the modern Royal Navy, and on its second floor the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Maritime Heritage Studies.

Boathouse 6 is unique in having an internal cast iron framework which English Heritage wished to remain on display to the public. It had also sustained bomb-damage during World War 2 so that the rear part of the building was missing at first and second floor levels. The design approach was to insert the cinema into the bomb damage void as a free-standing structure supported from ground level by steel columns. The Institute of Maritime Heritage Studies was to be entirely self-contained with its own separate entrance via a new circular glass stair and lift tower on the side of the building, giving direct access from ground to second floor level.

Sustainability, energy efficiency and accessibility were important factors in the design brief, all of which were highlighted by the Civic Trust when it granted Boathouse 6 an Award in 2003. The project also won the Portsmouth Society Best Restoration award in 2002 and was commended by English Heritage as being one of the best examples of the sensitive handling of modern architectural interventions in historic buildings.

The Boathouse 6 project turned a run-down, derelict and decaying building into a beautiful example of Victorian industrial architecture. It improved the views of residents and office workers who occupy nearby buildings within the Naval Base and it has safeguarded the future of one of the earliest examples of a metal-framed brick structure. Facing the Historic Dockyard’s main visitor route, with the Mast Pond in between and with the previously restored Georgian Boathouses 5 and 7 on either side, Boathouse 6 now presents a strong focal point and an inviting destination for visitors. Its north elevation also helps to generate a pleasing sense of enclosure to the Second Sea Lord’s grass tennis courts.

11 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Millennium Promenade (2000)

Capital Cost: £2.2m Landscape Architect: Camlin Lonsdale Landscape Architects Contractor: Tilbury Douglas (now Interserve)

The northern-most section of the Millennium Promenade on the eastern side of Portsmouth Harbour provided a new processional route from Victory Gate to HMS Victory. Extensive ground works in front of the Great Storehouses created a flat walkway and terraced seating to replace sloping tarmac surfaces which visitors had found difficult to navigate. Existing pavements were replaced with new York stone paving but care was also taken to incorporate original materials where possible so that visitors could gain some understanding of how surfaces had evolved over the centuries.

The original tracks designed for horse-drawn vehicles were revealed just inside Victory Gate and evidence of the later railway network was exposed alongside Storehouse 10.

New walkways were also built on each side of the Mast Pond to provide safe pedestrian access from Main Road to Boathouse 6.

The design clearly defined a series of legible public spaces including the square just inside Victory Gate, the area between Storehouse 9 and Boathouses 4 and 7, and the Victory starboard arena, to which an enhanced entrance was created by the provision of four large stone plinths.

Architectural Lighting (2000)

Capital Cost: £500,000 Designer: Sutton Vane Associates Contractor: Southern Electricity Board

The sensitive and imaginative approach of this scheme has transformed the appearance of the Historic Dockyard at night. HMS Victory’s original flood-lighting was replaced by feature lighting picking out her masts and rigging which now appear as a delicate cobweb against the night sky. The facades of the three Great Storehouses were lit to highlight the historic brickwork and feature lighting was also installed in the Mast Pond, on the front of Boathouse 6, and at ground level in the Porter’s Garden alongside the Dockyard wall.

The scheme was designed to operate in conjunction with new street lighting and is controlled by an integrated management system.

12 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Lock Gates – new build (2000)

Capital Cost: £350,000 Designer: Posford Duvivier (now Royal Haskoning) Contractor: Tilbury Douglas (now Interserve)

The original lock gates controlling the level of water in the Mast Pond had been removed in the early 20th century. Since then not only had the Mast Pond been tidal, but at spring tides the ground floor of Boathouse 6 had been prone to flooding.

In order to prevent this and to maintain a reasonably high level of water at all times new hydraulically controlled lock gates, manufactured in Holland, were installed at the seaward end of the Mast Pond tunnel which runs beneath Main Road and Boathouse 4 to the harbour.

The Porter’s Garden (2000)

Capital Cost: £120,000 Landscape architect: Camlin Lonsdale Landscape Architects Contractor: Tilbury Douglas (now Interserve)

Under the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium scheme, the Trust was able to create this garden as part of the landscape design works for the Historic Dockyard. It occupies the site of the original garden belonging to the Porter’s Lodge (1708) and extends to the other side of College Road alongside No 5 Boathouse.

The Trust is grateful to Hampshire Gardens Trust, which provided invaluable support during the planning stage and also helped establish the Friends of the Porter’s Garden, the voluntary organisation whose members care for the garden and raise funds to support it.

13 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Tourist Information Centre – refurbishment and extension (2002)

Capital Cost: £269,000 Architect: Richard Partington Architects Contractor: Eclipse Construction Ltd

Works to the TIC, formerly the Naval recruiting office, were largely funded by Portsmouth City Council and included the removal of a mid-20th Century annexe and its replacement by a zinc-clad modern glazed extension. This provided a light and airy space for tourists seeking information and accommodation.

The building was also externally refurbished and further extended by enclosing a space between the original building and the Dockyard wall to the north.

The project received a Commendation in the Restoration category of the Portsmouth Society’s Best Design Awards 2003.

InterAction Science & Technology Gallery – new installation (2004-2006)

Capital Cost: £1.2m Designer: Mike Cox Associates Installation: Aivaf (major exhibits); D J Willrich (A/V equipment)

In September 2004 Action Stations was awarded £900,000 from the ReDiscover fund - a joint venture between the Millennium Commission, the Wellcome Trust and the Wolfson Foundation – for a new gallery based on the science and technology behind the modern Royal Navy.

The fund was set up to support institutions which promote public understanding of science and to help them refresh their exhibitions and keep abreast of advancing technology.

The InterAction science and technology gallery features physical and multi-media interactives, and models centred on the themes of Environment, People, Propulsion, Navigation, Sensors, Communications and Structures. A total of 35 exhibits help explain the science and technology behind naval and marine engineering industries.

Delivery of the gallery was achieved on time and within budget in early February 2006.

14 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Redevelopment of Historic Dockyard Car Park – new build (2005 onwards)

Capital Cost: £60m Architect: David Richmond & Partners Developer: Crest Nicholson Landscape Architect: Whitelaw Turkington Contractor: Ardmore

The successful redevelopment of the Historic Dockyard Car Park in Queen Street represents a major milestone in the history of the Trust. Since acquisition of the site in 1991 income from car parking had provided a reasonable return on capital investment but the Trust had always intended to redevelop the site when market conditions were favourable.

In 2004 the Trust sponsored an architectural competition in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects which was won by David Richmond & Partners, who put forward a scheme for a large residential development. When the site was marketed the Trust received proposals from several residential developers and selected Crest Nicholson, which had already adopted David Richmond’s scheme.

Close consultation with the local community achieved residents’ support for the development and the result is a high quality scheme which will contribute significantly to the regeneration of Portsea, one of Portsmouth’s most socially deprived areas.

Admiralty Quarter, the £60m development presently under construction, comprises a total of 566 apartments of which 131 will be in shared ownership. A new 293-space car park is being built at ground level for visitors to the Historic Dockyard and the Trust also retains ownership of several retail units to be constructed on Queen Street.

The capital receipts arising from the development will be reinvested in the preservation of the historic estate, as will income from the ground and retail unit rents.

Photograph by - cjbphotography.co.uk

15 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Current Tenancies

The Historic Dockyard

BLOCK MILLS

No.1 BASIN

15 No.1 DOCK 14

13

HMS VICTORY MARY ROSE 12 SHIP HALL ROYAL NAVAL MUSEUM

11

10

8

9

6 HARBOUR TOURS

3 2

VICTORY GATE VISITOR 1 RECEPTION THE HMS WARRIOR 1860 CENTRE HARD

16 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

MAP REF BUILDING TENANT USE

1 Former RN Recruiting Office Portsmouth City Council Tourist Information Centre and associated offices 2 Visitor Reception Centre Flagship Portsmouth Trust (Part) and Costa Coffee Visitor ticketing, information and cafe 3 Porter’s Lodge Adam Poole Architects (1st & 2nd floor) Offices Naval Christian Fellowship (part ground floor) Offices 4 Building 1/10 Mary Rose Trust Offices 5 Building 1/11 Mary Rose Trust Conservation Laboratory 6 Boathouse 5 Mary Rose Trust Mary Rose Museum 7 Boathouse 6 Action Stations (ground & 1st floors) Exhibition Minghella Events Ltd (part 1st floor) Café Steven Metcalf (part 1st floor) No6 Cinema 8 Boathouse 7 Red Eventful Cuisine Restaurant Nauticalia Gift Shop Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust Exhibition 9 Boathouse 4 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Ltd (Part) Offices 10 Storehouse 9 Artists’ Harbour (part ground floor) Art gallery and shop Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust (part 1st floor) Storage 11 Storehouse 10 Royal Naval Museum (ground floor) Museum galleries and gift shop Ministry of Defence/HMS Victory (part 2nd floor) Exhibition 12 Storehouse 11 Royal Naval Museum Museum galleries and offices 13 Victory Gallery Royal Naval Museum Museum gallery 14 No 3 Dry Dock Mary Rose Trust Display of ship hull 15 Buildings 1/92, 1/93 & 1/94 Mary Rose Trust Workshops 16 Admiralty Quarter retail units Subway Café on Queen Street DOCKYARD APPRENTICE EXHIBITION ACTION STATIONS

7

4 5

ADMIRALTY ROAD

QUEEN STREET 16

PORTER’S MARY ROSE GARDEN ADMIRALTY QUARTER MUSEUM with HISTORIC DOCKYARD to City Centre CAR PARK & M275 beneath

17 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Repair & Maintenance

Planned Maintenance

In addition to the major projects described in this report, the Trust has undertaken a continuous programme of planned maintenance. Much of this work has been executed by the Trust’s own small maintenance team, the members of which have become increasingly skilled in the care of historic buildings. The Trust has also built good relationships with local contractors who have similarly increased their expertise in this area.

Following the appointment of a Building Surveyor in 2006, the Trust has reviewed its planned maintenance programme for the next 10 years. This will result in an increase in the pace of repairs and maintenance following a five-year period during which the Trust was only able to afford essential work as a result of its financial position following the major refurbishment of Boathouse 6 in 1999-2001.

The programme, approved by the Trust in spring 2007, forecasts expenditure of around £5m over the next 10 years. This will keep the buildings and other assets in good repair, ensuring lettable premises that satisfy tenant aspirations and preserve their current value.

In parallel, the Trust has reviewed its methods of procurement and has decided to strengthen its existing small workforce by the appointment of additional skilled craftsmen. It has also piloted some research projects in partnership with the University of Portsmouth, building on links already established with the School of Architecture.

The Trust is keen to develop further partnerships with those at the forefront of research and building restoration techniques so that it can promote the Historic Dockyard as a laboratory and centre of excellence for building conservation.

18 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Recycling

One of the oldest Dockyard traditions which the Trust seeks to perpetuate is the extensive recycling of redundant materials and many examples can be seen throughout the site. In the 18th century timber from broken up warships was used in building construction; in the 20th century redundant railway lines were ingeniously re-used to create safety fencing around dry docks, and redundant cannon are often seen as bollards marking the entrances to prestigious buildings and residences. We have been keen to keep up this fine tradition, particularly at a time when it is preferable to recycle and re-use what we have instead of creating more waste and using valuable resources in the manufacture of new products.

The Trust has used redundant granite curbstones from the old Dockyard roadways to form new paths, and large granite slabs removed as part of the refurbishment of Boathouse 6 have been turned into beautifully sculpted seats in the Porter’s Garden. Salvaged timber from Boathouse 6 has been used in hardwood repairs to other buildings and to repair and restore the Trust’s collection of small wooden boats. Where possible we have re- used salvaged material to interpret historical surfaces in the Dockyard as can be seen just inside Victory Gate and along the walkway beside the Great Storehouses.

19 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Attractions Management

The Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition

In 1994 the opportunity arose for the Trust to realize its aim of promoting public awareness of the role of the civilian Dockyard workforce in supporting the Royal Navy.

Mounted in partnership with the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, the Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition in Boathouse 7 enabled visitors to clock in and learn the skills practised by generations of craftsmen.

Members of the Historical Trust’s Support Group maintain the exhibition and over the years have added many examples of apprentices’ test pieces made in the Dockyard.

Harbour Tours

The construction of a landing stage in the Historic Dockyard enabled the Trust to introduce boat tours of Portsmouth Harbour so that visitors could appreciate the full extent of the operational Naval Base, to see at close quarters the modern warships berthed alongside, and to understand how the harbour developed from Roman times to the present day.

The use of large, comfortable boats with full undercover facilities has made the harbour tour one of the most popular attractions in the Historic Dockyard.

20 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

W Action Stations ith the full support of the Royal Navy and generous financial help from the Millennium Commission, the Trust opened Action Stations in 2001 to bring visitors a taste of today’s Royal Navy.

Based on a Type 23 frigate, Action Stations puts the visitor inside a modern warship – in the operations room, on the bridge, in the gun turret, in the cockpit of a naval helicopter and on the training ground of the Royal Marines.

A 25-minute James Bond-style film, Command Approved (PG) sets the scene and shows HMS Monarch, a fictional Type 23, in combat with gold bullion pirates in the south seas.

The film was produced in collaboration with BBC Resources and was shot on location on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas and at Pinewood Studios. It shows the capability and skills of the ship’s crew in recovering hostages taken from a merchant vessel by a ruthless warlord (trained at Sandhurst of course!), and how the combination of the Monarch’s arsenal of weapons, its helicopter, a squad of Royal Marines and a very determined Captain effect a daring eleventh-hour rescue.

Having seen Command Approved , visitors then have the opportunity to practise the skills they have seen in the film on the interactive displays in the exhibition. For those not wishing to take the controls themselves a hydraulic simulator offers a ride in either the cockpit of a Sea Harrier, the pirates’ helicopter or the Marines’ Rigid Raider fast assault boat.

In 2005 the Trust added InterAction, which explains in a fun and hands-on way the science and technology pioneered by the defence industry, much of which has application to our everyday lives.

The 275-seat auditorium in which Command Approved is shown also houses audio-visual equipment and 35mm projection. This has enabled the auditorium to become established as a venue for a large range of corporate events from award ceremonies to trade launches.

The No6 Cinema, an evening art house venue, was established in 2006 in Action Stations and shows both popular general release films as well as an eclectic mix of productions not usually available outside London. Audiences were small to begin with but are gradually increasing as awareness of the venue grows.

21 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Interpretation & Education

The Property Trust has always acknowledged the vital importance of interpreting the Historic Dockyard as a whole and in particular the role of the civilian workforce in building, equipping and repairing the Royal Navy’s ships over the centuries.

In 1990 the Trust published interpretation and collection polices which have led to a programme of exhibitions, publications and historically themed visitor trails.

As part of the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium scheme, the old and battered site interpretation panels were removed in favour of a more uncluttered approach to interpretation using guidebooks, leaflets and guided tours.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Guidebook (1992)

The Trust published the first Portsmouth Historic Dockyard guidebook in 1992 and it won a Commendation in the Interpret Britain Awards that year for its successful condensing of 500 years of Dockyard history into 32 pages.

Having sold over half a million copies in six languages and three reprints, it was replaced in 1997 by a generic guidebook published by Flagship Portsmouth Trust.

Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition (1994)

Mounted in partnership with the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, this exhibition in Boathouse 7 interprets the life of a civilian Dockyard worker at the beginning of the 20th century and the skills practised by generations of craftsmen.

Educational Visits

With the introduction of Action Stations as a major new addition to its attractions in 2001, the Historic Dockyard was finally able to break into the Science, Technology and Citizenship areas of National Curriculum provision across Key Stages 2 and 3, where previously it had concentrated on History at Key Stage 2. In addition, Action Stations offered programmes for NVQ Leisure and Tourism and quickly attained a reputation for its unique team-building programmes.

The local community was consulted at all stages of the project and supported the provision of a Single Regeneration Budget grant. As a result Action Stations now regularly holds community days for local residents when they can visit free of charge, and free visits for schools in the Heart of Portsmouth, which is one of the city’s designated areas of deprivation.

In 2004 Action Stations was awarded further funding of £900,000 under the Rediscover awards programme and was able to build InterAction, a major new interactive science and technology gallery which opened to the public in February 2006. As well as increasing school group visits, InterAction has increased the attraction’s appeal to the family market.

22 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006

Dockyard Tours

Conducted walking tours of the Historic Dockyard and operational Naval Base have always been popular with visitors and have been offered regularly as part of the annual Heritage Open Days. The Trust collaborates with Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust in interpreting the site in this way and the Trust’s Historian and Boat Keeper, Brian Patterson, has provided training to staff of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Ltd and the local Portsmouth Blue Badge guides for tours of the Dockyard and the Block Mills.

Publications

Brian Patterson spent his entire working life in the Dockyard, except for his period of national service from 1958 to 1960. From his first job as Yard Boy at age 14 he rose to the position of Shipwright Liner prior to his retirement in 1993. He has served at the Property Trust for almost 14 years and will celebrate his 70th birthday in 2007.

As a founder member of the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust and currently its Honorary Curator, he has produced many entertaining and thought-provoking publications on Dockyard history published by the Historical Trust, including A Dictionary of Dockyard Language (1984), Giv’ er a Cheer Boys: The Great Docks of Portsmouth Dockyard 1830-1914 (first published in 1989 and now in its third reprint), Brunel’s Block Mills (1989) and Ships in and out of Portsmouth Dockyard (1998). Additional titles published by Acme Printing appeared in 1988: The Royal Dockyard at Portsmouth 1929 , and in 1998: Dreadnoughts in Camera .

In 2005 he completed The Royal Navy at Portsmouth Since 1900 , published by Maritime Books, and in the same year produced jointly with Stephen Courtney of the Royal Naval Museum Home of the Fleet , a photographic history of Portsmouth Royal Dockyard, published by Sutton Publishing.

In this 20-Year Review of the Trust’s work it is fitting that we pay tribute to all that Brian has achieved over many years, to his enormous contribution to the work of the Trust and to the outstanding way in which he has brought history to life for so many people, not only through his written work, but also through lectures, Dockyard tours, his work with the Trust’s historic boat collection, and not least his endless supply of witty and amusing anecdotes about life ‘up the ‘Yard’.

Brian Patterson

23 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Volunteers

The Trust owes an enormous debt of gratitude to all those who have given and continue to give their time freely in helping to achieve its ambitions. The value to the Trust of the professional time and skill of its volunteers cannot be overestimated.

The restoration and maintenance of the small boat collection has been achieved entirely by volunteers under the direction of Brian Patterson, the Trust’s Historian and Boat Keeper. Of the 14 vessels, all of which have been donated, the pride of the collection is the barge of the former Commander- in-Chief, Naval Home Command, which is still used from time to time on ceremonial occasions by the Royal Navy. Affectionately known as the Green Parrot, the barge along with D49, a harbour defence launch, took a prominent part in the 2005 Review of the Fleet.

The spring of 2007 heralded the arrival of the Osborne, a 31ft steam launch built in 1891 for the Royal Yacht. Having previously been on display at Sandringham Royal Estate, Osborne was made available to the Trust on permanent loan by her owners, English Heritage. She is currently on temporary display in Boathouse 4 and will eventually become a permanent exhibit there when the building is refurbished.

Since the opening of the Dockyard Apprentice exhibition in Boathouse 7 in 1994 volunteers from the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust Support Group have maintained the exhibits and built new displays using material from their vast collection of Dockyard artefacts. Many of the members of the Support Group are former Dockyard workers and bring a wealth of experience, skills and memories to this task.

A further group of volunteers, the Friends of the Porter’s Garden, was formed in 2001 with the help and guidance of Hampshire Gardens Trust which had been responsible for setting up similar groups throughout the county.

Working with landscape architect Camlin Lonsdale’s basic layout, the Friends designed and implemented the garden’s 18th century planting scheme, taking great pains to obtain only authentic species of the kinds that would have been used in the original Porter’s Garden of 1708. They have also involved the local community and schools in development and in 2005 held a competition for local schoolchildren to design the knot garden which lies to the rear of Boathouse 5.

Wildlife was quickly attracted to the Porter’s garden and in summer it is a haven for birds, bees and butterflies. Blackbirds have nested and successfully raised families in the spectacular cardoons (Cardunculus Cynara) for several years running, and 2006 saw the installation of a bird-bath to attract more feathered visitors. The garden also plays its part in sustainability by re-using rainwater collected in water butts, composting grass cuttings, and fertilising annually with horse-manure from local stables. It has become an oasis of calm within the hard industrial landscape and is much loved and used both by visitors and those who work in the Historic Dockyard and the operational Naval Base.

Awards made to the Porter’s Garden include the Portsmouth & Southsea in Bloom Most Attractive Historic Garden 2002 and Best Historic Garden 2003. In 2005 it received a grant of £11,000 from the Onyx Environmental Trust for the provision of the granite seating. During 2007 the Friends hope to apply for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to enable the garden to be expanded into the area around the Boathouse 6 stair tower.

24 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Events & Temporary Exhibitions

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard has developed a reputation for hosting major events and travelling exhibitions, some in partnership with others, such as the Royal Navy and Portsmouth City Council. They have spanned a wide range of interests and have attracted hundreds of thousands of people who might not ordinarily visit the Dockyard. Many have been of international significance; others have served to strengthen links between the Historic Dockyard and the local community.

In the sporting world we have hosted a rare UK leg of the Tour de France cycle race, the Prudential International Skiff Races, the 2006 Volvo Ocean Race and the Great South Run, which has become a regular annual event.

In partnership with the Royal Navy and its commercial sponsors we have hosted the International Festival of the Sea on three occasions, an event which has attracted both exhibitors and visitors from all over the world. IFOS has become the foremost maritime event of its kind in the UK and over the four days of each festival it has been visited by more than 170,000 people.

The annual Festival of Christmas, based on the success of the European model, is now in its sixth year and firmly established in the local calendar of events on the first weekend in December. Attracting over 25,000 visitors from all over the south of England, the Victorian themed festival has gone from strength to strength and demonstrates the ability of the Historic Dockyard to appeal to a wide audience.

Temporary exhibitions have ranged from the popular, such as The World of 007 , Star Trek and BBC Futureworld , to the more cerebral, such as the Treasures of Tutankhamun, Titanic and the Anne Frank Story . All these have attracted large numbers of visitors, a significant proportion of whom have then visited the permanent ship and museum attractions.

The Historic Dockyard has also hosted many TV and radio programmes, ranging from Top of the Pops to the Antiques Roadshow and Any Questions , and has been hired as a location for films and TV Dramas, such as Oscar and Lucinda, Master and Commander and the Ruth Rendell Mysteries .

The Trust was directly responsible for many of these exhibitions and events but has worked increasingly in partnership with the ship and museum attractions through Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Ltd, which is responsible for Historic Dockyard ticketing, marketing and visitor services.

25 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 The Estate

When the Trust first took its lease of the Historic Dockyard land and buildings from the Ministry of Defence in 1986, it was placed under an obligation to charge market rents for tenancies of the historic buildings wherever possible, and to ensure that their future use was economically viable.

In some cases, such as Boathouse 7, it has been possible to secure tenants who pay a fair rent for their premises, such as commercial organisations, retailers and caterers.

However, the Trust remains conscious that much of its property is let to charitable tenants with their own particular obligations towards their ships and museums. In these cases we have operated a concessionary rent policy. Admiralty Quarter

Since 1986 the Trust’s estate has grown with the freehold acquisition of the former Whitbread Brewery site in Queen Street (4.5 acres) and the freehold purchase of Horse Sand Fort, one of the four Solent sea- forts known as Palmerson’s Follies, built in the late 19th century.

Horse Sand Fort The brewery site is now being developed as referred to elsewhere in this report and Horse Sand Fort was sold on the open market to a developer specialising in residential re-use of historic estate.

Completion of the Queen Street site will provide the Trust with a continuing stream of income from the new visitors’ car park, ground rents of the residential units and market rents from four commercial units along Queen Street and all the resulting income will be reinvested in the historic estate.

As mentioned elsewhere, the Trust’s mandate extends beyond the boundaries of the existing Historic Dockyard to include the preservation of any buildings, structures, vessels, docks and berths historically associated the HM Naval Base, Portsmouth. In this connection the Trust recently worked in partnership with MOD Defence Estates and other The Block Mills and No 6 Dock stakeholders on Project PRIME (Portsmouth Regeneration and Investment in the Maritime

26 Photograph by - cjbphotography.co.uk

Estate), which would have released a substantial part of the remaining Georgian Dockyard for residential development, with the Trust acting as the intermediary landlord responsible for the ongoing repair and maintenance of the released estate. However, in 2006 the MOD withdrew from the project on security grounds.

Despite this the Trust hopes to lease areas adjacent to the Historic Dockyard when they become surplus to operational requirements. These might include Dry Docks 1, 4, 5 and 6, No 1 Basin and the Block Mills, as envisaged by the MOD in 1986. At the time of writing the MOD is reviewing the future of all three UK Naval bases and during the lifetime of the Trust’s current lease it is likely that future reviews will result in opportunities for the preservation of additional historic estate.

The Trust remains keen to participate in the preservation and development of other sites of historic interest, irrespective of ownership, and is happy to work in partnership with other agencies to achieve this. However, it will not accept responsibilities without the means to meet its commitments.

During the last 20 years the Trust has developed considerable expertise in the preservation and re-use of redundant historic estate and its advice has been sought from those concerned with the preservation of similar sites elsewhere, notably Devonport Naval Base and King William Yard at Plymouth, Chatham Maritime and Historic Royal Palaces, as well as further afield in Karlskroner, Sweden; Den Helder, Holland; Turku, Finland; Rochefort, France; Rostock, Germany; the former Naval Dockyard in Bermuda, and the magnificent Venice Arsenale in Italy.

27 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 The Future

M uch has been achieved during the last two decades in developing the Historic Dockyard to world class standards. Having already doubled its original number of visitors it has become the largest tourist attraction on the south coast of England and one of the largest in the UK, with approximately 700,000 visitors per annum. This figure includes paying and non-paying visitors.

However, the full potential of the site has yet to be realised, both as a world centre of maritime heritage and as a centre of economic activity capable of sustaining itself and making a valuable contribution to the economy of the city of Portsmouth and the region.

In addition to tourism and museum use, and in order to generate sufficient income to sustain Boathouse 4 the site for all time, the Trust has long since believed that it is vital to achieve a more balanced economy which will lead to sensitive and viable new uses of the vacant historic buildings, while allowing the museum and tourist use to expand and develop fully.

In 1995 the Trust published A Strategy for the Future Development of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with the support of all those involved in the future of the site and which formed the basis of a successful bid for funds from the Millennium Commission. It was further reviewed by all stakeholders in 2002 and again in 2005.

The proposals mark the beginning of another exciting 10 years of activity for all the Trusts operating in the Historic Dockyard. The major museum-related project is a plan to co- locate the Mary Rose artefacts, currently on display in the Mary Rose Museum in Boathouse 5, with the hull of the Mary Rose in a new building to be constructed over and around No 3 Dock adjacent to HMS Victory. This will allow the Mary Rose to be presented in a coherent way and possibly attract a new audience to the Dockyard.

The Trust continues to be actively involved in assisting the Mary Rose Trust to deliver this project, providing design advice and prospective matched funding for repair of the dock and the surface treatment of the area between the new building and HMS Victory.

28 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 The Future

The major project for the Trust however is the refurbishment and conversion of Boathouse 4 which presents a unique opportunity to establish a new cultural focus for Portsmouth as a complement to the commercial success of Gunwharf Quays.

The building’s waterside site presents an opportunity to reconnect the public territory of the Dockyard with the sea and provide a new landmark of substance and meaning. There are good precedents in other waterside developments that have acted as catalysts in urban regeneration. For example, the Opera House in Sydney, the Concert Hall in Lucerne and Harbour Docks in Hamburg. A successful invigoration of the Historic Dockyard could reinforce the Portsmouth waterfront as one of the most exciting destinations on the south coast.

The future reorganisation of activities within other dockyard buildings, including Boathouse 7 and Storehouse 9, is considered in relation to this and will need to complement the final mix of uses within the new waterside building at Boathouse 4.

The Trust and its architectural advisers have taken a decision to retain the basic structure of the building (steel frame, roof structure, concrete floor and substructure including the canal and dock), creating a large flexible ground floor atrium space and providing upper floor galleries wrapping around the central space, which will be used predominantly for bistro- style and formal dining.

The flexible ground floor space will be used to generate activity attracting local people and visitors alike, complementing in particular activities already provided within the Historic Dockyard and at Gunwharf Quays. The venue will enable the Historic Dockyard to host major travelling exhibitions, conferences and markets as well as offering the potential to provide a venue for musical and artistic performance.

Artist’s impression of Boathouse 4 refurbishment

29 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 How The Trust is Financed

The Trust does not receive any revenue support from central or local government. It received an initial endowment in 1986 of £6m, which the Ministry of Defence acknowledged at the time was £6.5m short of the sum required to put the buildings into a reasonable state of repair. No additional allowance was provided to cover the Trust’s running costs or to fund improvements to the buildings (lifts, fire escapes, heating, communications cabling, etc) so that they could be brought into public use.

During the Trust’s first 10 years the greatest proportion of its income was generated by dividends and interest on its capital endowment and from capital grants towards specific projects. By the end of 1994 it had invested £8m in developing Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Since then the pattern of income has changed considerably with investment income being replaced by property rents and trading as more and more of the estate was refurbished, converted and brought into beneficial use. Similarly, service charges paid by tenants now contribute over half the cost of routine maintenance and repairs.

By the end of 2006 the Trust had invested nearly £50m, mostly from capital grant income, in developing and maintaining the estate.

The financial information shown on page 31 covers the entire period from the establishment of the Trust in November 1985 to 31 March 2007.

30 Income

Seedcorn Endowment : 11% £6,000,000

Borrowings : 3% £1,380,000 Investments : 8% £4,250,000

Grants : 40% Property Development : 11% £21,130,000 £5,852,000

Trading - Inc Car Park and AS : 16% £8,450,000 Property Rents : 10% £5,340,000

Expenditure

Consultancy and Specialist Advice : 4% Freehold Acquisition and Improvements : 9% £2,020,000 £4,270,000

Establishment and Administration : 14% £7,200,000

Interpretation, Exhibitions and Education: 7% £3,730,000 Building Preservation, Development, Repairs & Maint: 66% £32,934,631

31 Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust 20 Year Review 1986-2006 Partnership & Co-Operation

The Trust enjoys the support and encouragement of many organisations with which it has worked during the last two decades and is also grateful to those who have sponsored our activities.

In particular, we are careful never to lose sight of our responsibility to the Ministry of Defence for the safekeeping of one of the most important collections of scheduled monuments in the world. Similarly we are conscious always of our obligations to the Royal Navy for the protection of naval security which has become increasingly important in the light of events in 2001. RN co-operation and support has been invaluable and its philosophical approach has often resulted in pleasing solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.

The Trust’s close relationship with English Heritage has enabled it to make the very best use of slender financial resources. In addition to grants in excess of £1m towards the cost of refurbishing historic buildings, the Trust has received wise counsel on repairs and restoration, particularly in relation to the refurbishment of Boathouse 6, and support for its plans for development, including the Queen Street site.

We have been fortunate in enjoying a similar close relationship with Portsmouth City Council which, like English Heritage, appoints some of our Trustees. The City Council’s widespread support for the development of the Historic Dockyard has been demonstrated by financial contributions and financial guarantees for several major projects.

The Trust also formed a very effective and successful partnership with Portsmouth City Council and Gosport Borough Council through membership of the Portsmouth Harbour Renaissance Board to deliver the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium scheme, which resulted in £85m investment in the local area.

In 1993 Flagship Portsmouth Trust was formed to undertake visitor management and marketing for the Historic Dockyard. The Property Trust Chairman and Chief Executive serve as members of the boards of Flagship Portsmouth and its operating subsidiary, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Limited, as do the Chairmen and Chief Executives of the other Historic Dockyard attractions.

Staff of all the trusts work closely together in presenting the Historic Dockyard and its various attractions as a single destination and this co-operation has led to the site becoming one of the leading maritime attractions in the UK.

The Trust continues to enjoy a close working relationship with the University of Portsmouth, whose academic and practical skills have led to the development of several joint initiatives.

The Trust also values its links with the local community at all levels. The Portsmouth Society has been a keen supporter of the Trust’s work and has given several awards for building projects. The Trust has also built close links with the local neighbourhood of Portsea and the Chief Executive serves as a director of the Portsea Area Board and as a trustee of the newly-built John Pounds Community Centre.

The Trust owes much to the support and encouragement of the Millennium Commission, now the Big Lottery. The Commission not only contributed a total of £20m towards the cost of the various projects undertaken by the trust in the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium Scheme, but also responded sympathetically to the financial needs of the Trust and made a further significant financial investment to enhance Action Stations.

32 HRH The Prince of Wales with (left to right) David Thomson, Peter Goodship, Terry Wren (project architect) and Sir William Whitfield (Trustee 1985 to 2005) on the occasion of the inauguration of the new clock tower at Storehouse 10 T: 023 9282 0921 F: 023 9286 2437 www.pnbpropertytrust.org 19 College Road, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ

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