Devonport in 1909, courtesy WW1 Archive (http://www.gwpda.org/naval/dkbk0000.htm)
Devonport Dockyard [1] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2002476.stm) [2] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1422130.stm), located in the city of Plymouth in the county of Devon is the largest naval base in Western Europe. It has 15 dry docks, four miles of waterfront, 25 tidal berths, 5 basins and covers 650 acres (2.6 km²). It is the main refitting base for Royal Navy nuclear submarines and also handles work on frigates. It is the base for 7 of the Trafalgar class nuclear powered hunter-killer submarines and many frigates, exploiting its convenient access to the Atlantic Ocean. Work to upgrade it to support the Vanguard class Trident missile nuclear ballistic missile submarines in a custom-built refitting dock has been ongoing. It houses HMS Courageous, a nuclear powered submarine used in the Falklands War and open to the general public[3] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1695215.stm). Facilities in the local area also include a major naval training establishment and the base for the Royal Marines.
Plymouthians and tourists have long been able to visit the Dockyard during 'Navy Days', a 3 day event where visitors can tour the facility, go on active naval ships and watch various displays of Naval prowess.
See Also
- Devonport management Ltd. (http://www.devonport.co.uk/), the owner of the dockyard
- Navy Days. (http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/6184.html), for details of the public open days.
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