HMS Defiance at Wilcote

Not to be confused with the HMS Defiant which is a silly 1960s flick starring Alex Guiness and Dirk Bogarde about your garden variety mutiny. 

The HMS Defiance was a training establishment comprising three ships when this scene was painted. The title on the painting locates the scene at Wilcote which if you are a sleuth like me you will know is actually a very landlocked county in Oxfordshire and not near to any body of water. So either there was an epic biblical flood or someone has been employing their artistic license rather creatively. More likely this scene was painted around the inlets in Devonport, Plymouth. This is a lovely painting for all you naval enthusiasts out there!