Her Royal Highness Princess Anne visited Newport’s Medieval Ship where she was given a tour before going to the city's Transporter Bridge fuelled by her love for engineering.
The visit took place on Friday, February 9, where the royal became the first to sign a visitor book at Newport's Medieval Ship.
The Princess was joined by HM Lord-Lieutenant of Gwent Brigadier Robert Aitken CBE, the council’s chief executive and senior officers, and Councillor Jane Mudd, leader of the council and cabinet member for economic growth and strategic investment.
Councillor Jane Mudd, said this of the visit: “It was an honour to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, to Newport to showcase the great work at both the Newport Ship and the Transporter Bridge.
“Both are key parts in the story of Newport. They show our heritage as a trading port, and an industrial city. They evoke memories of the past, and deserve to be celebrated by generations to come.
“They are our past, our identity, and thanks to the dedication and hard work of our officers, and the support of funders, volunteers and visitors, they have a bright future ahead."
Princess Anne received a warm welcome at both sites from staff and volunteers becoming the first person to sign the centre's brand-new visitor book at the Newport Ship centre.
Ben Joyce, managing director at VolkerLaser, said: “It was privilege for our business and our site team to have the opportunity to talk to Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, about the works that VolkerLaser is undertaking on the historic landmark that is the Newport Transporter Bridge.
“It is a technically challenging project, where we are demonstrating our business' specialist skills in managing the engineering improvements with sensitivity to this historic structure.
“The Princess Royal showed great interest in all aspects of the works we were doing with our client and design partners.”
The Princess met with volunteers and members of the Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge and staff and students from Coleg Gwent.
The Newport Transporter Bridge is one of only six transporter bridges that are operational around the globe and has been a major feature of the Newport skyline since 1906. While the bridge is closed for restoration work, a new visitor centre is currently being built on the western side of the bridge to bring the history to life.
The Newport Medieval Ship was operational in the 15th century and the aim of the centre is to restore it to its former glory and put it on display after it has been rebuilt.
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