Nelson, Bath and the battle of Copenhagen

The BRLSI Military History group is delighted to announce that it is teaming up with the Nelson Society for its 2023 commemoration of the Battle of Copenhagen.

The event includes morning lectures by two outstanding Nelson scholars and the option to join Nelson Society members for lunch and a guided walk around Nelson’s Bath.

The Battle of Copenhagen was fought on 2 April 1801, when a British fleet under Admiral Nelson defeated a Danish-Norwegian fleet amid concerns that the Danes were planning to ally with the French against Great Britain.

Order of the day:

10:30 – Welcome & coffee at BRLSI, 16 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HT – coffee and biscuits provided.

11:00 – Nelson and Bath, by Lt. Cdr. Ray Aldis. Ray Aldis, Nelson Society historian, will describe Nelson’s connections with Bath, which commenced when he first visited the city with his father in 1781 to avail himself of the healing springs and continued for many years afterwards.

11:45 – Strategic Effect: Nelson, Copenhagen and the end of the Revolutionary War, by Prof. Andrew Lambert. Andrew Lambert, author of Nelson: Britannia’s God of War, will outline the strategic aims and effects of the British victory at Copenhagen and its impact on the imminent Napoleonic Wars.

13:00 – Lunch at the Bath & County Club (a couple of minutes’ walk from BRLSI).

14:30 (approx.) – Nelson Trail Guided Walk. The walk will follow the UNESCO / Nelson Society City of Bath Nelson Trail’, led by Bath City Guide and Society member Clive Johnstone.

Please email to request a booking form: joe.houlihan@brlsi.org