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Podium finish for HMS Victory

HMS Victory

HMS Victory can justifiably feel proud after being proclaimed the second best historical tourist attraction in the United Kingdom. The competition, run over the last six months by the UKTV History Channel asked both viewers of the programme and visitors to the sites to vote for their favourites. Voting was either by written voting slips, telephone or via the channel's web site.

There were hundreds of nominations from all over the UK, from major attractions such as Windsor Castle, to the smaller less known spots such as Twyford Waterworks. The competition was narrowed down to a top ten and those attractions were announced in a special edition of the programme, hosted by Alan Titchmarsh on 17 September.

HMS Victory was beaten into second place by Stonehenge, in Wiltshire. The ancient religious site attracts some 800,000 visitors a year and is around 5000 years old so Victory, with visitor numbers slightly less than half of that and being only 250 years old can be proud of her achievement.

Lt Cdr John Scivier, the ship's Commanding Officer said:

I knew that we were in with a good chance of making the top ten after the film company came down and filmed a piece for the programme about a month ago, but with such strong competition from the likes of the Tower of London and Windsor Castle, I did not expect us to come second. Not having any inside information on the results, it was quite exciting watching the programme and waiting to see where we came.

I am absolutely thrilled at the result, one that justly ratifies HMS Victory's position in the hearts of the UK population. Congratulations must go to Stonehenge on a worthy win. You don't get much more historical than a 5000 year old site and the sites visitor numbers testify to its popularity.

Part of the credit for our success must go down to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard though. HMS Victory is an integral part of the site and the cohesion and cooperation between the attractions and their management is instrumental in the high profile visibility and popularity of the ship.