Nelson-class cruiser
| HMS Nelson anchored in Hobart, 1884 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nelson | 
| Operators | Royal Navy | 
| Preceded by | HMS Shannon | 
| Succeeded by | Imperieuse class | 
| Built | 1874–1881 | 
| In service | 1878–1910 | 
| In commission | 1878–1904 | 
| Completed | 2 | 
| Scrapped | 2 | 
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Armoured cruiser | 
| Displacement | 7,473–7,630 long tons (7,593–7,752 t) | 
| Length | 280 ft (85 m) (p/p) | 
| Beam | 60 ft (18 m) | 
| Draught | 25 ft 9 in (7.8 m) | 
| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 compound-expansion steam engines | 
| Sail plan | Barque-rigged | 
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) | 
| Complement | 560 | 
| Armament | 
 | 
| Armour | Belt: 6–9 in (152–229 mm) | 
The Nelson-class cruisers were a pair of armoured cruisers built in the 1870s for the Royal Navy.