Dan Snow's History Hit The Origins of the Royal Navy
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Dec 15, 2025 Rob Smith, a knowledgeable London tour guide and local historian, dives into the fascinating origins of the Royal Navy. He discusses Henry VIII’s ambitions, leading to the grand naval dockyard at Woolwich and groundbreaking ships like the Henry Grace à Dieu. Discover tales of the skilled workforce behind Tudor shipbuilding, the dramatic rise and fall of naval power, and how infrastructure innovations paved the way for Britain’s maritime supremacy. Rob also shares intriguing anecdotes from Samuel Pepys’ inspections, making history come alive with vivid detail!
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Infrastructure Built The Navy
- Henry VIII created the institutional foundations of the Royal Navy by building dockyards and bureaucracy at Woolwich and Deptford.
- This infrastructure, not just ships, enabled Britain to become a sustained maritime power.
The Giant Ship That Missed Its War
- The Henry Grace à Dieu was a thousand-tonne, heavily gunned flagship built at Woolwich but saw little action because it arrived after the war.
- It became a ceremonial showpiece and survives only in records and cannons now in the Tower of London.
Gunports Changed Naval Combat
- Gunports lowered top‑weight and transformed naval firepower by placing guns near the waterline instead of on upper decks.
- That design shift enabled heavier armament but introduced new stability and maneuverability challenges.
