NOSTALGIA: The history of Newport's Medieval Ship

The ship was first discovered in 2002 when work was undertaken to build the Riverfront Arts Centre.

Advanced techniques have determined that the ship was built in about 1450 in the Basque region of Spain.

Almost entirely made of oak, though some parts are made of beech, the ship would have been enormous for the time and had three masts.

It was built using the lapstrake or ‘clinker' method popularised by the Vikings.

This means that planks overlap and are fastened to each other, as opposed to the carvel method which sees the planks line up next to each other to form a smooth hull.

The clinker method was eventually overtaken by the carvel technique as ships built using the carvel style had a greater capacity.

Measuring up to around 30 metres in length, the ship was able to transport around 200 tonnes of cargo.

The ship likely operated along the Lisbon to Bristol trade route and would have had men-at-arms on the ship to protect it from raiders.

Some material from the men-at-arms, such as a helmet decoration, were found. 

Check out our selection of images from the history of the Newport Ship below. 

The discovery of the ship in 2002 (Image: NQ) Crowds gathered as the ship's remains were uncovered (Image: NQ) Cllr Charles Ferris was among those who campaigned to save the stern (Image: NQ) A French coin from 1447 was found on the ship (Image: NQ) Artist Paul Deacon's impression of the ship (Image: NQ)Friends of Newport Ship are continually working to maintain the ship's history (Image: NQ) Timbers retrieved from the Newport Ship (Image: NQ) Curator Toby Jones with a model of the ship in 2012 (Image: NQ)