Britain’s historic dock is yard to beat

ARE you all at sea keeping kids entertained for the summer? Tirethem out with an action-packed day at the docks.

Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard is home to the most storied ships of the Royal Navy — including Lord Nelson's HMS Victory.

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Getting there is easy. Our party of six caught the train from Salisbury to PortsmouthHarbour, while London Waterloo is around 90 minutes away.

The site is vast and hosts 11 attractions, including the stunning new Mary Rose exhibit, which opened last week. There are restaurants and shops plus one of the largest antiques centres on the south coast.

Keeping three teenage girls off their smartphones is usually all but impossible but the tech was forgotten as soon as we stepped aboard HMS Warrior, Britain's first iron-hulled warship and the pride of Queen Victoria's fleet.

The excellent Battle of Jutland exhibition also held their attention. This interactive exhibit showcases the largest collection of Jutland artefacts ever assembled, telling the full story of a battle that changed the course of World War One.

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It is not all heavy metal, clanking gunships and the machines of war.

Boathouse Six is a Grade II-listed, 19th-century shed that has been sensitively restored as a cinema. Inside is the new Ninja Force Assault Course, which the girls were seriously excited about. Based on ITV's Ninja Warrior UK, it offers a race against the clock to test your agility, fitness and strength.

Negotiate quad steps, island hops, pole walks and hanging tube nets — not always entirely nautical but terrific fun just the same.

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Equally good was the 20-minute game of Laser Quest. The Eighties favourite has been given a 21st-century overhaul, set over two floors representing the bridge of a hijacked container ship and a pirate stronghold.

There are funky lighting effects, billowing smoke and a heart-pounding atmosphere as Greens battle Reds.

Then it was off to see another star attraction — HMS Victory. Walking the decks of the world's oldest commissioned warship gives you a real sense of the men who sailed with Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Now there is access to never-before-seen areas of the ship, including the poop deck and Nelson's Great Cabin. Also worth a visit, on the starboard side of HMS Victory, is HMS M33, the sole remaining British warship from the doomed Gallipoli campaign of 1915.

Sadly, by then we had to raise the anchor and set sail for home. But if you can't see everything in one day, don't worry. An all-attraction ticket lets you come back as many times as you like for a whole year.

GO: PORTSMOUTH

GETTING THERE: The dockyard is a few minutes' walk from Portsmouth Harbour station.

GETTING IN: Save up to 20 per cent booking in advance online for an all-attractions ticket, valid for a year from purchase. Family entry (including two adults and up to three children) is from £78. See .