New naval museum in Gosport 'on track' for completion by next year as first pictures are released

At Priddy’s Hard in Gosport, construction work is under way for the Coastal Forces Museum – a £1m project being run by the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

Once complete, the museum will tell the story of the navy’s coastal forces division, which played a crucial role in the Second World War.

The division was responsible for some of the more covert Allied operations, from discreet raids on enemy convoys to ferrying around secret agents.

Director of the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust, Simon Haill, said the project is taking ‘great shape’ as first pictures document the progress made.

He said: ‘We’ve been working on-site right the way through the government's lockdown, albeit with the restrictions in place.

‘The building looks tremendous and we’re on track to open for the summer next year.

‘I’m delighted with how things have gone so far.’

The museum is using P Building at Priddy’s Hard, with construction work due for completion by the end of August.

Inside, visitors will get a tour of static displays that document the stories of coastal forces reservists from the Royal Navy archives.

On the mezzanine level, visitors will get a bird’s eye view of two vessels used by coastal forces during the war – MTB 71, which saw a great deal of action in the Second World War – and CMB 331, the last surviving 55ft coastal motor boat.

Once construction of the museum building is complete, the next task will be to transport the two vessels down to Gosport.

Currently, both MTB 71 and CMB 331 are being stored in Yeovilton.

Simon Haill, who was a former captain in the Royal Navy, said: ‘We’re planning to move both of the craft down here in September.

‘You can actually fit them into lorries, so it’s a fairly straightforward process.

‘We are optimistic that Gosport will have a new naval museum next year, and we’re excited to share these fascinating stories with visitors.’

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.