Last survivor of Jutland
A real 1914 cruiser still afloat, not a model or a replica.
In 1916 this light cruiser fought at Jutland, the biggest naval clash of the First World War, and she is now the last ship from that battle still afloat anywhere. A hundred and ten years on, Caroline sits in Alexandra Dock in Belfast's Titanic Quarter, a fifteen-minute walk from the Titanic museum that pulls in every visitor and leaves this ship almost empty. That is exactly what makes her a pleasure: no crowds, no booking months ahead, and a real warship rather than a replica. The visit is a 45-minute guided tour that takes you from the bridge down to the engine rooms by way of the mess decks, the captain's quarters and the Jutland displays. The guides are naval-history enthusiasts who tell the story with real relish, and children of about six and up get more out of the iron ladders and narrow passages than out of any panel. Those same ladders are the main obstacle: pushchairs cannot get into the captain's quarters or the engine room, and the gradient of the entrance ramp shifts with the tide and can be properly steep, so carry the little ones or leave the buggy in the drill hall at the start of the tour and collect it at the end. Three lifts on board and a free loan wheelchair mean most decks are reachable for anyone who cannot manage stairs. The ship opens Friday to Sunday only, with eight tours a day from 10am to 3.15pm, dropping to four a day from November to May. During Northern Ireland school holidays, including summer, it opens Wednesday to Sunday on a free-flow basis with no guide, which suits families who want to wander at their own pace. An adult ticket is about £10.50 and stays valid for a full year; a family ticket for two adults and three children is about £33, one of the cheapest tickets in the quarter. Book on the official site before you go: tours are capped and the operator warns that times change. The verdict: if you are visiting Titanic Belfast anyway, add an hour to ninety minutes here and walk between the two along the waterside Maritime Mile. If you are in Belfast for a single day and it happens to fall between Monday and Thursday outside the school holidays, the ship is shut and a look from the quayside will have to do; the grey hull and tall funnels are handsome enough, but the point of the visit is what lies below deck. Parking on site is free, and the G2 Glider bus reaches it from City Hall in the centre in around a quarter of an hour.
A real 1914 cruiser still afloat, not a model or a replica.
A 45-minute tour that takes you from the wheelhouse down into the machinery.
Steps from Titanic Belfast, with a fraction of the visitors and less than half the price.
Alexandra Dock, Queens Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast BT3 9DT
Yes, if you have a spare hour and your day falls between Friday and Sunday. The museum tells the story with screens and effects; here you touch a real ship. If your day falls between Monday and Thursday outside school holidays the ship is closed, and it is not worth reshuffling your plans for.
From about six upwards they love it. A pushchair will not get into the captain's quarters or the engine room, though you can leave it in the drill hall at the start of the tour, and the entrance ramp shifts with the tide and can be steep, so a baby carrier is the better choice. Under-fives go free.