Programme 3

Newport's Medieval Ship - Introduction

Introduction
The design of the ship
Artefacts found on the ship
The Fate of the Ship
Future Plans

The new Arts Centre

In July 2002 workmen were excavating the foundations for a new Arts Centre on the banks of the River Usk near the centre of Newport when they discovered the remarkably well-preserved remains of a mediaeval ship.

The discovery caused a dilemma for the City Council officials, who were naturally keen to have the Arts Centre built on time. It was proposed that the construction should continue, meaning that only 5% of the timbers would be preserved, and the rest of the ship lost for ever. However, public interest in the discovery was strong and vocal. Local residents queued in their thousands to view the excavations and formed the pressure group SOS - "Save Our Ship" - to prevent the archaeological site from being destroyed.

Banks of the River Usk

Considering its age, the ship is in an excellent state of preservation, with the hull remaining relatively intact, although the stern has been lost underneath the new building. The starboard side was particularly well preserved, and some of the decks and superstructure have survived. Supporters coined the phrase "the Welsh Mary Rose" to describe the vessel, after Henry VIII's 16th Century battleship that is preserved at Portsmouth. This is the most complete surviving example of a 15th Century ship found in Northern Europe, and the only armed merchant ship found from this period. Indeed, some have said that this is a more significant find than the Mary Rose.

Hanes Cymru a'r Môr

9:00PM Tuesday
Repeated on S4C Digidol 9:00PM Saturday
with English Subtitles