Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower

Explosion — the Museum of Naval Firepower — occupies Priddy's Hard, a former Royal Navy armaments depot on the western shore of Gosport harbour. The site stored and maintained naval ordnance for over 200 years, and the history of that work — from black powder in the age of sail to guided missiles — is told through a large collection of weapons, fuses, shells, torpedoes, and mines.

The museum is particularly strong on the human stories: the workers (many of them women) who filled shells by hand during both World Wars, the engineers who maintained the weapons, and the sailors who used them. The setting itself is historically remarkable — the Georgian magazine buildings, the Camber, the powder-proof walls — and gives the exhibits a physical authority. The outdoor area has a collection of full-size naval guns and missiles.

Address: Priddy's Hard Heritage Area, Gosport PO12 4LE. Check seasonal opening hours before visiting.

things to do museum
A story
Priddy's Hard — the site on which Explosion now stands — was the Royal Navy's main gunpowder magazine from 1777 until the 1980s. Workers here filled shells, maintained torpedoes, and stored magazines of propellant within touching distance of the harbour. The 18th-century Camber dock and the powder-proof walls built to contain accidental detonations are still intact, giving the museum a texture that no modern building could replicate.