| During the Napoleonic Wars, the ships and men of the Royal Navy performed outstanding feats of seamanship, courage and daring as part of the routine of blockading the ports of France and Spain.
This scene shows part of the Offshore Squadron in 1799 patrolling off the North Biscay Coast.
The vessel in the foreground is the 74 gun ‘Goliath’, launched in 1781 as one of the ‘Arrogant’ class of 74’s. 74 gun ships formed the backbone of the fleet in the days of the “wooden walls”, true guardians of Britain’s seas. |
