Conservation work on the Newport Ship is stepping up as the twentieth anniversary of its discovery approaches.
The council and partners at Friends of Newport Ship (FONS) recently took delivery of the latest batch of timbers from specialist conservation contractor, Mary Rose Archaeological Services.
The latest batch contained a large part of the central mast step, as well as a number of long oak stringers that were used to strengthen the ship.
Over ninety per cent of the ship’s timbers have been returned to date. Once the remaining timbers have passed through the conservation stage later this year, we will start working on the next stage of the project which will be the complex reassembly of the ship.
This year marks twenty years since the ship was discovered in the banks of the River Usk during the construction of the Riverfront Theatre. To mark the anniversary, the project team and FONS are planning an exciting programme of activities, including:
- A public talk on the history of the ship by project curator Dr Toby Jones (Thursday 12 May, 7.00pm at Lysaght Institute)
- A medieval melee at the ship centre including reenactors, family activities and tours.
Councillor Debbie Harvey, cabinet member for culture and skills, said: “The twentieth anniversary of the discovery of the Newport Ship is a milestone that deserves to be celebrated.
“Along with our partners the Friends of Newport Ship, the council is leading the hard work to ensure that this important piece of our history is preserved for future generations to enjoy.
“As we continue to carry out preservation work, I’m pleased to announce our programme of events to mark this anniversary. I hope as many people as possible come together and join us in celebrating our remarkable ship.”
A spokesperson for the Friends of Newport Ship said: “Friends of Newport Ship volunteers were delighted to put their collective experience into action, to assist with another load of the conserved ship timbers from the Mary Rose’s freeze-drying facility being returned to the ship centre for storage.
“Working with the team from the council we are looking forward to celebrating the wonders of Newport’s diverse maritime heritage in the twentieth anniversary year of the ship’s discovery.”
