Naval heritage centre set for city centre move as part of £21m history development

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DEVONPORT’S unique naval museum could be moved into the heart of Plymouth as part of plans to create a £21million History Centre.

In an exclusive interview with The Herald yesterday, Commodore Graham Little, the Devonport Naval Base Commander, revealed that talks about a move were already under way.

Speaking at a Devonport Naval Heritage Centre open day, he said: “It’s absolutely imperative that Plymouth has a Royal Navy heritage museum.

“The Navy quite rightly has a museum in Portsmouth. We are working very closely with the city to look at how we can establish a similar facility in Plymouth.”

Plymouth City Council is awaiting a decision on its bid for £12.5million of lottery cash to refurbish and extend the City Library and Museum and Art Gallery on North Hill.

If the bid succeeds, work could begin soon to create one of the largest and most impressive historic and cultural collections in the South West.

The city council has already committed £5million to the project and hopes another £3million will come from other foundations.

The History Centre will bring five separate heritage collections under one roof.

Cdre Little said he was working with the council to see whether the Devonport museum could be accommodated in the museum extension.

Devonport Naval Heritage Centre which is reached via Granby Gate in Devonport, is run by volunteers and is only open on special occasions and by appointment.

Cdre Little said: “We want to make it more accessible by moving it closer to the city centre.

“One of the challenges now is that you have to be determined to come here and find it.

“It’s not a natural port of call for people visiting the city.

“It would be very sad to see Plymouth losing the artefacts we have here. This museum is unique.”

Cdre Little, who has been in charge at Devonport for two years, said that when he first arrived “we were on the cusp of starting a re-engagement with the city”.

“I have seen a definite improvement and change in the way the city and the Navy work together. This is all about letting Plymouth reconnect with the Royal Navy.”

Cllr Vivien Pengelly, the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, who visited the open day with Cdre Little, said: “It’s great news.

“The Royal Naval Base and Dockyard have been here for hundreds of years and Plymouth has a great story to tell.

“It would be great to have the naval heritage centre in the heart of the city.”

Bob Cook, a veteran volunteer at the heritage centre, said many of the volunteers would like to see the centre open more often.

After Cdre Little’s interview with The Herald, he said: “I am sure several of the volunteers would be keen to continue with an association even though it might be under a different association.”

Visitors to the open day enjoyed guided tours of the centre’s thousands of artefacts, tracing hundreds of years of naval history in Plymouth.

“It’s great,” said Stoke couple Catherine and Pat Orchard as their children Fern, 8, and Dylan, 5, tested their strength on the ropes in the Age of Sail gallery.