Explosion! The Museum of Naval Power in Gosport has revealed proposals for a new gallery.

Old Bills Locker will be located in the museum’s former education centre on the 19th camber dock with views across to Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory.

Visitors will be able to see a specially-commissioned film taking them around the brewery, cooperage, granary, bakery and slaughterhouse. They will also be able to see the huge ovens and the area where steam-powered bread-making machines were used, as the gallery highlights how food was prepared and stored in the early eighteenth century and the health issues that were faced; such as scurvy, malnutrition and food parasites.

The gallery is being funded in collaboration with Berkley homes, which is also financing the refurbishment of an unused listed building on the museum site which will be used as an education centre and for the area between the new gallery and the existing museum to be landscaped, allowing access to a Victorian explosives vault.

The museum is planning many other events to mark the 200 Anniversary of Trafalgar.

The gallery will open to the public in July 2005.