Innovative installations, Portsmouth Dockyard 1805.

‘Portsmouth is the principal Navy Port in Great Britain and must undoubtedly for ever remain such on account of the many advantages it possesses over every other’. This assessment was presented to George III by the 4th Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty in 1774, signifying achievements and plans. This ‘Supplement to the Book in His Majestys Possession which containeth a Survey of all His Majestys Dockyards with the Buildings &c therein taken in 1698, 1774’ accompanied a map and detailed models of all six dockyards. Portsmouth had ‘a more spacious and safer Roadstead before the Harbour’ and ‘Capital Ships can pass into and out of the Harbour with less intricacy and danger than any other Port and the Harbour it self is entirely safe and convenient for every Naval purpose’.