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The Norfolk Nelson Museum boasts around 900 items
dedicated to the naval hero from letters, books and ceramics to
paintings, medals and a piece of wood from the Victory.
Officially opened on 18 July 2002 by the Duke of
Edinburgh, the museum trust's patron, it shows what Horatio Nelson's
life was like below the decks through sight, sound and smell.
Interactive displays
A replica of a boat houses an interactive display
where children can climb into hammocks, hear Nelson's commands and
the commotion on board a battleship, see the crew's meagre daily
rations and smell cannon-fire.
A room recreating Nelson's home at Merton Place
in Surrey is dedicated to his life outside of battle.
A wax model of Nelson sits at a desk, and glass
cases feature displays of how he looked and his colourful love life.
Ben Burgess
The museum was the brainchild of the well-known
Nelson enthusiast Ben Burgess, who lived in Norwich.
His father had a keen interest in Nelson, but Ben's
own interest was fired after he attended his hero's school, the
Paston in North Walsham.
Before his death in 2000, Mr Burgess set up the
Ben Burgess Nelson Memorabilia Trust to raise money for a museum
so his family's 600-strong collection would remain in the county.
South Quay
The trustees spent six years looking for a suitable
building before plumping for the one on the South Quay in Great
Yarmouth.
Village sign at Burnham Thorpe |
They decided to house the collection in Great Yarmouth
rather than Nelson's birthplace of Burnham Thorpe or Norwich because
of the admiral's close maritime links with the town.
Nelson would have been familiar with the South
Quay building.
He landed at the port when he returned from the
Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 and the North Sea Fleet operated from
the town during the Napoleonic War.
The museum cost around £750,000 to set up - and
it needs to be funded by donations to remain open. If enough money
can be raised, the museum will be able to host touring exhibitions.
Volunteers are also needed to staff the museum
and run educational projects.
Lessons in history
Portrait of Lord Nelson by Matthew Henry Keymer |
Education will be an important focus. Children
can attend activity days: in the Naval Room they can play battle
games and copy Nelson's signature, while in the Below Decks Experience
they can find how people used to live in Georgian times by opening
up information panels on the cut-out models.
"We'd love to have schools visit - as many as possible,"
said museum curator Faith Carpenter.
"I think schools really liven up a museum. Also
Nelson is an individual and in the National Curriculum, projects
can be done on individual heroes."
A-level and degree students can also use the museum's
library - which includes a manuscript draft of an important biography
written by Admiral Mahan in 1897, bought in New York.
"We've got all the books here, we've got pictures
- it's perfect as a resource," she added.
Top exhibits
The exhibition's showpiece is a large oil painting
by Samuel Drummond which shows the dying Nelson being carried below
the Victory's decks.
It was bought by the Ben Burgess collection in
Ireland.
The curator's favourite item - a Toleware snuff box. |
However, the curator's favourite piece is an 1804
Toleware snuff box which is on display in the Naval Room.
"It has a little lid with a Nelson picture on and
it is so naive - even crude," says Faith Carpenter.
"It's got a long neck and a big circular head and
it's really sweet," she added.
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