Explosion - Museum of Naval Firepower

Sensory Tours at Explosion! the Museum of Naval Firepower.

This September, as part of the National Heritage Open Days events programme, the Museum of Naval Firepower will be hosting two new specially designed behind the scenes tours to increase accessibility for disabled and deaf visitors. These events are part of many special activities planned in and around Gosport, as the towns main focus, for Heritage Open Days, this year is to increase accessibility for the disabled community.

On Saturday the 11th of September at 9am, a unique handling session featuring some of the Museum’s rare small arms exhibits will commence from Museum Reception. The Small Arms collection is kept in a purpose built stronghold within the Museum site and is home to the finest collection of hand weapons and small arms in Hampshire. This session will be accessible for the blind and visually impaired and also wheelchair friendly. Pre booking is essential.

On Sunday the 12th of September, at 12noon, for the first time, a Museum Tour of the Ramparts and C Magazine will include British Sign Language Interpretation. The tour will include information about the early origins of the  Priddy’s Hard site, including the Laboratory working area’s. Former worker, Bill Mansfield, will offer his personal account of what it was like to work at Priddy’s Hard within this area of the site. A BSL Interpreter will be onhand to make this interesting part of the site accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. Pre booking is essential.

These tours are just an example of many taking place over Heritage Open Days weekend at Explosion. For more information, or to make a booking, please telephone 023 9250 5600 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Following on from the success of the Mini Ship show in May, Explosion the Museum of Naval Firepower in Priddy’s Hard, Gosport, has another model exhibition planned. The annual Warship Weekend returns to the Museum on Saturday the 7^th and Sunday the 8^th of August. Model makers from all over the south will converge in the Museum Conference Hall in what is expected to be the biggest display of Model Warships at the Museum yet.

The event this year is supported by the Surface Warship Association amongst others. Visitors will be able to take advantage of this added attraction and race a variety of radio-controlled models throughout the day.

Event Organiser, Marc Farrance, said “We are more excited about this year’s event than ever before. The range of models and related items on show is very impressive. With the addition of the boating pool, we are sure Warship Weekend will be a hit with all the family”.

The model exhibition and boating pool activities are FREE to the public. Usual admission charges to the Museum will apply. For more information on the Museum please telephone 023 9250 5600 or visit www.explosion.org.uk.