HMS Victory: Conservation work "continues at pace" to restore Royal Navy flagship to her former glory

The Royal Navy flagship, known for Admiral Lord Nelson’s famous victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, is undergoing major restoration work. Much of the vessel is covered by scaffolding as highly skilled shipwrights, conservationists and archaeologists conduct The Big Repair - due to be completed in 2035.

Simon Williams, project manager for HMS Victory The Big Repair, said:

The scheme has a long timeframe due to it being a conservation project that goes far beyond the restoration of the vessel. He added that every step is being taken not to lose anymore historical material. The 37-year-old said rot was found after the outer shell of HMS Victory was taken off, with woodboring Deathwatch beetles attacking its timber frame.

Conservationists are aiming for the restoration to protect the ship from the elements though the next 50 years, though Mr Williams believes it can last longer. The Southsea resident told The News: 

“We need to replace a substantial number of frames on the starboard side.“That’s the area most affected by those cycles of wet and sun, which has created the environment for rot and the Deathwatch beetle attack. There’s a lot of work to do there. Portside is much better, but we’ve got to conserve some historically significant frames which date to her seagoing career, which is an exciting challenge we have coming up.”

This article was originally written by The News, Portsmouth