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For centuries Gosport and its people have played a major part in the life of the Royal Navy. The Town, fortified in Charles ll’s rein, had massive Victorian forts added as part of the
defences of Portsmouth Naval Dockyard. One of these, Fort Brockhurst, is now open to the public. For well over one hundred years Clarence Yard, Frater and Priddy's Hard have supplied the ‘Fleet’ with victuals,
stores and armaments. The Royal Naval Hospital (now Royal Hospital Haslar) was built between 1746 and 1762 to treat injuries and alleviate the sufferings
and diseases of our seaman and mariners. HMS Dolphin became the base for RN Submarines in 1905 and the Royal Naval Submarine Museum was opened to the public alongside in 1983. Major elements of the D-day invasion
forces were assembled in and around the town and set forth on that great endeavour from Gosport shores on 6th June 1944. Amongst many other past and present military activities in the town was
Gunboat Building at its height in the mid ‘1800s’, but giving way to the more peaceful and gentlemanly yacht building which Camper and Nicholson are world famous for, especially the ‘J’ class racing yachts of the
1930’s.
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