Naval charity 'committed' to building new Royal Marines Museum in Portsmouth

NAVAL charity chiefs have insisted they are committed to building a new Royal Marines Museum in Portsmouth following the sale of the former site.

By Tom Cotterill

Published 25th Nov 2020, 16:20 BST

Updated 25th Nov 2020, 16:28 BST

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Professor Dominic Tweddle, director general of the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), said the sale of the old Eastney barracks was a crucial milestone in the project to build a new attraction.

The campaign has so far been marred by disappointment, with a number of multi-million pound cash bids turned down by lottery chiefs.

Former Royal Marines Museum is sold to luxury hotel group

The Yomper statue pictured outside the now-sold Royal Marines Museum in Eastney.

Picture: Habibur Rahman — The Yomper statue pictured outside the now-sold Royal Marines Museum in Eastney. Picture: Habibur Rahman

The Yomper statue pictured outside the now-sold Royal Marines Museum in Eastney.

Picture: Habibur Rahman — The Yomper statue pictured outside the now-sold Royal Marines Museum in Eastney. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Prof Tweddle admitted the journey hadn’t been an easy one and warned the NMRN still needed to raise more than £4m to build the new £9m facility in Portsmouth.

But seeking to reassure people. he said: ‘I sincerely understand the concerns of people who wonder if there is ever going to be a new Royal Marines Museum again.

‘There is going to be because that is what our trustees have decided. Therefore that is now my job to deliver.

‘It hasn’t been easy moving forward. I absolutely agree with people who say this has taken a long time – it has.

GV of Royal Marines Museum, Southsea on 25 November 2020.

Picture: Habibur Rahman — GV of Royal Marines Museum, Southsea on 25 November 2020. Picture: Habibur Rahman

GV of Royal Marines Museum, Southsea on 25 November 2020.

Picture: Habibur Rahman — GV of Royal Marines Museum, Southsea on 25 November 2020. Picture: Habibur Rahman

‘We’re trying to do something quite complicated and of course Covid has not helped. We’re probably a year behind where we would like to be.

‘These things happen but we haven’t lost sight of the objective – we’re working hard at it.’

He added there was plenty that had ‘been achieved’ in the project to deliver a new museum behind the scenes.

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‘The site has been sold, the collection has been moved into a spanking new collection centre, which is much more accessible than our old stores,’ Prof Tweddle continued.

‘All of that has been achieved behind the scenes and people don’t see that, therefore they’re worried. I accept that but we have just got to say that we will get there – we’ll need all the help that we can get – but we will do it.’

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Portsmouth National Museum of the Royal Navy Facebook Eastney

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