Hartlepool's Maritime Experience
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Hartlepool's Maritime Experience is a visitor attraction in the North East of England. It opened to the public in 1995. The attraction builds upon the local seafaring history of the town, is often used as the focal point for regional maritime festivals, and is the venue for the local farmers market.
The concept of the attraction is the thematic re-creation of an 18th century seaport, bringing to life the time of Lord Nelson, Napoleon and the Battle of Trafalgar. HMS Trincomalee - a real British naval frigate and Britain's oldest warship afloat - is very much the centre piece. It was built in Bombay, India in 1817.
The surrounding buildings which form the quayside include the Museum of Hartlepool, and a number of realistic period shops and houses.
The PS Wingfield Castle, preserved at the Museum of Hartlepool is a floating exhibit and cafe. There are hundreds of other exhibits in the museum charting the history of the town from prehistoric times right up to the present day. One of the most popular features is the description of the famous Hartlepool monkey legend.
The attraction has been regularly used as a location for TV and film. Most notably in 1998 several scenes were filmed for a Catherine Cookson programme and the trailer for The Ashes tournament in 2005. This cricket commercial features some very well known sportsmen, including Shane Warne, David Gower and Ian Botham.
The site has seen some improvements in 2006 / 2007 including a renewed Fighting Ships which is an audio / visual tour of a warship. There is now a new character which is Jim Henshaw, a young powder monkey.
The public can hire a room at the Maritime Experience for family or business events. The site is a popular choice for weddings and HMS Trincomalee is licenced for ceremonies.
