Site
Dockyard, Portsmouth
Current Use
Action Stations Commando Experience (ground and first floors); offices (second floor) and cinema (auditorium)
Public Access
Access to attraction with Portsmouth Historic Dockyard ticket, and to No.6 with cinema ticket
Construction Date
1845
Listing
Listed Grade II*, within Conservation Area 22
Boathouse 6, erected between 1845 and 1848, served as a hub for boat building, repair, and storage for the Royal Navy. The building was constructed with an innovative internal metal frame with massive iron girders and beams to support boat storage on its upper floors.
On completion in 1848, the building was visited by Queen Victoria.
During the Second World War, the building suffered damage to its eastern end. Temporary repairs sustained the building until its restoration at the turn of the millennium.
In 1999 Boathouse 6 was repaired and repurposed. The restoration added an external stair tower, auditorium and other modern amenities, as well as replacing the roof. Architects McCormac Jamieson Prichard were careful, however, to retain the building’s historical integrity. The refurbishment earned significant recognition, including a Civic Trust Award in 2003.
Today, Boathouse 6 is home to the No.6 Cinema. It also, as part of the Dockyard’s ticketed offer, houses the Action Stations: Commando Experience, an adventure zone inspired by Royal Marine Commando training techniques. Visitors can engage in thrilling challenges, reflecting the dockyard’s naval heritage.