HMS Drake (shore establishment)

HMS Drake, also known as the Fleet Accommodation Centre, is a stone frigate (shore establishment) of the Royal Navy on Saltash Road in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth, England.

Until the late nineteenth century, sailors whose ships were being repaired or refitted, or who were awaiting allocation to a vessel, were accommodated in floating hulks.

[1] A prominent clock tower, with an attached gatehouse, was designed by Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Smith RE, built in limestone and completed in 1896.

[1] Following the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, three QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss naval guns, recovered from HMS Tamar, were installed on the quarterdeck in front of the wardroom block, and have subsequently been used for royal salutes[6] and other special occasions.

[7][8] In the early 21st century the barracks area remained part of HMNB Devonport,[9] but was re-designated the Fleet Accommodation Centre.

Aerial view of HMS Drake (the wardroom block is on the left)
Clock tower, HMS Drake