Wales’ Mary Rose: Timbers from Newport ship head home after months of restoration at Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth

The Mary Rose museum has looked after parts of historic vessel, the Newport Ship, for 18 months - but they are now headed home.

Specialists believe the Newport ship to be a century older than the Mary Rose, dating back to the 15th century. Although all 2,500 pieces of the vessel are now back in Wales, it will take five years for the ship to be reassembled.

David Pearson, head of conservation at the museum, said it was ‘fantastic’ to be part of this project.

He said: ‘It’s great to work with items that are even older than Mary Rose and just as significant.

‘It's also great to be able to work with the Newport team, and other conservation teams and museums, to be able to display objects and ships like this for future generations.’

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During its preservation at the museum, the wood underwent a freeze-drying process to ensure it was stable enough for reassembly.

Mr Pearson and his team restored five batches of timber, each taking 12 weeks to undergo the freeze-drying process - this marked the final stages in a project that has taken 20 years.

The wood had to be washed before arriving at the Mary Rose museum to remove any impurities. It was then put into tanks with a type of wax - polyethylene glycol - which gave the timbers a strong structure.

David said: ‘For the freeze-drying process we freeze it down to -35 degrees. We then pull a vacuum and then a process takes place that converts the solid ice into vapour which takes out any excess moisture within the wood, so drying it.

‘It will need environmental conditions around it kept fairly stable, but otherwise it should last for generations to come really.’

David emphasised the significance of this ship for Newport.

He said: ‘Really, it’s Newport’s ship - and it’s all going home now. At some stage in the next five years hopefully it will be on display and people will be able to see it again.’