Step inside a former dockyard fire station in Devonport and you can travel back to a time when Britain’s warships were built from timber, powered by the wind and armed with rows of cannon.
The Age of Sail Gallery at Devonport Naval Heritage Centre tells the story of the city’s part in the great age of wooden sailing ships.
Housed in the dockyard’s former fire station, built in 1851, the gallery contains an impressive collection of historic artefacts, ship models and displays illustrating life at sea and the work of the men who built and maintained the fleet.
Among its attractions is a reconstruction of part of a warship’s gun deck, offering visitors a glimpse of the cramped conditions endured by sailors who lived and fought aboard.
For centuries, Devonport was central to Britain’s naval strength. The establishment of the Royal Dockyard in the late 17th century transformed the area, bringing shipbuilders, craftsmen and thousands of workers whose livelihoods depended on the fleet.
The gallery also contains artefacts recovered from HMS Coronation, a 90 gun warship which sank during a violent storm off Rame Head in 1691. The objects offer an insight into the equipment and everyday life aboard a ship of that era, and a direct connection to the dangers sailors faced more than three centuries ago.
Another important part of the exhibition explores the navy’s role in suppressing the transatlantic slave trade. Following Britain’s abolition of the trade in 1807, vessels including those of the West Africa Squadron were deployed to intercept slave ships and disrupt the trade.
Throughout the gallery, detailed models and original objects show how ships were constructed, armed and operated long before steam engines and steel hulls transformed naval warfare.
The gallery is just one part of the centre, which also has exhibitions covering the transition from sail to steam, the two World Wars, naval uniforms and the submarine service.
Run by volunteers, the centre preserves an extraordinary collection, much of it closely connected to the generations of local people who worked in the dockyard or served at sea.
Located at Vivid Approach, off Granby Way in Devonport, the heritage centre offers free admission, with donations welcomed to support its work.
The centre is normally open to the public from March to October, on Wednesdays and the second Saturday of each month, between 10am and 3pm, with last admission at 2.15pm.
Its final regular opening day of 2026 is Wednesday 28 October, before closing to general visitors for the winter. Prearranged group visits may still be possible during the closed season.
For anyone interested in Plymouth’s naval past, the Age of Sail Gallery is a fascinating reminder of the era when wooden warships dominated the world’s oceans and Devonport helped sustain the fleet.
Photographs © Wayne Perry / Plymouth Post