Visiting these ancient, wooden battleships was a real treat for anyone interested in world history. The Mary Rose sank in 1545 and was raised in 1982. Preservation of the Mary Rose has been a complex and important mission. Most of the floors below deck on these old ships had enough headroom for someone about 5' 6" (so tough for some of us taller folks). The crew members were given a daily ration of 5000 calories plus a gallon of beer. Even so, the work was so hard, it was tough to maintain weight. Most of the crew did not swim and there were no life boats. If you fell overboard, you were on your own. Sometimes families would sell their young boys (as young as 8) to work on these ships. The boys were useful at scampering between decks with gunpower and messages. This wasn't as cruel as it sounds. They probably had better lives on ship than starving with their destitute families. The captain and a few key officers had their wives and family on board. Some children were even born on the ships. Crew members who violated rules were flogged. When floggings took place, the ships doctor was always present. He could stop the flogging if the crew member was in danger of dying. Needless to say, life was tough on these ships.

10 - CLICK HERE to see our Mary Rose, Victory and Warrior historic ship tour (during our 2021 Goodwood tour).