There have been fears for the future of the 245-years-old HMS Victory. This was the flag ship of the British Navy on which Admiral Lord Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It is the world’s oldest commissioned warship and the most famous historic ship in the UK. It has now been announced that major restoration work is to be undertaken to ensure that Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, is preserved for future generations.
The Telegraph recently reported that it had obtained a copy of an inspection report for HMS Victory which suggests that the ship is rotting and is being pulled apart under its own weight. There is a backlog of essential repairs, rainwater is entering the vessel and the cradle built for it is not providing adequate support. These problems come at a difficult and uncertain time for the famous ship. The ship is on display in dry dock in Portsmouth as a museum and is one of the area’s main tourist attractions. Campaigners had feared that its running costs would have to be taken over by a poorly resourced charity or private company.
About £1.5m a year is spent on the maintenance of the vessel by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It has now been announced that The Royal Navy has committed to funding the upkeep of HMS Victory for the foreseeable future and the MoD is about to put out to tender for 10-year maintenance contract.