The Newport Medieval Ship project has hit its latest milestone after conservation of the ship timbers finished earlier this month.
The project, led by the council and its partners at the Friends of Newport Ship (FONS), took delivery of the final batch of timbers from specialist conservation contractor, Mary Rose Archaeological Services.
The fifteenth-century ship was discovered in the banks of the River Usk in 2002 during construction work for the Riverfront Theatre.
The ship’s timbers were disassembled and lifted out of a side channel piece by piece, with work finishing in spring 2003.
The next stage of the project will be to begin the complex reassembly of the dried ship timbers, which has been called one of the world’s largest 3D jigsaw puzzles.
The council will also be undertaking a feasibility study into finding a permanent home for the Ship.
Due to the size of the vessel and the complexity of the reassembly process it cannot be housed in the current warehouse or museum and art gallery.
Councillor Jane Mudd, leader of the council and cabinet member for economic growth and strategic investment, said: “I’m delighted that the latest stage of the project to conserve and reassemble the Newport Medieval Ship has been successfully completed.
“The Ship is a significant piece of Newport’s history, saved by the collective power of our residents, the archaeological community, and the project partners.
“Newport has so much to offer, and we want to celebrate our history and culture and ensure that it is preserved so that future generations know our story.”
The Newport Ship Centre is currently closed for the winter, but will reopen to the public from Friday 31st March.
Artefacts from the Ship are also available to view in the Newport Museum and Art Gallery, which will reopen to the public in early March following building works.
