Once described as 'The Gibraltar of the West', the Royal Naval Dockyard served as a strategic outpost for the defence of the British realm through two centuries.

Built after the American War of Independence, it provided the nation with an operational base from which to keep an eye on the 13 former colonies. Then, in the First and Second World Wars, it played a crucial role in the safe passage of Allied vessels across the Atlantic.

From Royal Naval Dockyard, up to 600 ships were repaired and re-deployed for combat. Sea patrols escorted people between the UK and North America, while German soldiers passed through on their way to POW camps in Canada.

Work first began on the Victualling Yard in 1827 and construction was completed in 1853. The Yard was built from ashlar - Bermuda limestone, and its position in the centre of the Royal Naval Dockyard made it a secure bastion from attack.

The Victualling Yard provided for the preparation, packaging and storage of food and drink for the Navy, and the re-provisioning and victualling of Royal Naval vessels.

During its construction, food was preserved by salting and sealing it in barrels. A cooper (barrel and cask maker) worked from the cooperage on the northern side of the Yard - the current location of the Frog and Onion pub.

The Royal Naval Dockyard closed as a strategic base in 1951 and the site was then abandoned until 1982, when the West End Development Corporation (Wedco) Act provided $60 million of public and private funding to transform the area into a prime tourist attraction.