Visit 1805 Live the heritage area of the Festival in the Historic Dockyard and Anchor Lane.

This year the UK celebrates 200 years of Maritime history since the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Nelson. Visitors to the heritage area of the Festival, will be taken on a journey through time to the streets of Georgian England. Through promenade theatre, a cast of professional actors, street performers and musicians and around 300 amateur performers, schools and community choirs will take part in an extraordinary historical production. Colourful parades will feature giant puppets and bizarre characters telling the story of Nelson’s meteoric rise to fame.

A lively Georgian Street Market in Anchor Lane has been a popular attraction in previous years, and this area will expand in 2005, involving hundreds of performers in a recreation of the atmosphere of England during Nelson’s last days. Nelson himself will be the centre of attention in an accurate re-construction of events in the Dockyard both on the morning of September 14th 1805 and later following the news of victory at Trafalgar.

Alongside Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, the dockside will be heaving with activity as the fleet is readied for war. Amidst crates and gear, new recruits will be press-ganged, sailors will take leave of their sweethearts, while others play fiddles or sing, men will be rigging tall ships, while ‘Bum boat’ women transport goods to the ships. The scene and events will accurately demonstrate how highly organised and efficient a fighting machine the Navy was in 1805. Activities will demonstrate ship building and maintenance such as block making, sail making, rigging, rope making; victualling; navigation; cannon and small arms; shipboard organisation and the role of women on board ships.

Visitors to the street market and dockside will experience for themselves the swings of mood through anticipation, celebration, grief at the loss of Nelson, reflection and pride. The street will also provide an opportunity to show that the victory at Trafalgar wasn’t purely on the inspirational genius of Nelson but was as a result of the courage and co-ordination of all the men from cabin boy to admiral.