How old is ss great britain

There it was scuttled and left to rot. But SS Great Britain was not forgotten. The idea of returning it to its birthplace began to capture imagination. In , naval architect Ewan Corlett, who likened the 19th-century Great Britain to the 20th-century Concorde in technological advancement, proposed a salvage operation in a letter to the Times. The eventual day salvage operation was not straightforward.

A team of divers worked around the clock in icy water and stormy weather. A massive crack on the starboard side was stuffed with mattresses donated by islanders and patched up with plywood, and three huge masts weighing more than 30 tons each had to be removed before it could be refloated. Meanwhile, a huge submersible pontoon towed by a trawler made its way from west Africa to the Falklands.

Visitors can stroll on the decks, take in the interiors and experience the sights, sounds and smells of life on board. You can even admire the ship from underneath with entry to the Dry Dock. New for , the Being Brunel museum explores the life and legacy of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and tells his story through never-seen-before personal possessions, as well as interactive exhibits and audio-visual experiences. The launch of SS Great Britain.

An air of anticipation A long day of festivities were planned to celebrate the launch on Wednesday 19 July and the ships owners had pulled out all the stops for the celebration, most notably by inviting a very special Guest of Honour to oversee proceedings.

Prince Albert in Fitting out of the ship in Cumberland Basin, April This photo by William Talbot is believed to be the first ever taken of a ship. SS Great Britain in , after her refit to four masts. Sign up for our newsletter Enter your email address below to get the latest news and exclusive content from The History Press delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up. Share this page.

We recommend. The Evolution of the Transatlantic Liner Buy. Canadian Pacific Ships Buy. The Titanic Expeditions Buy. Understanding J. Bruce Ismay Buy. Illustrated Mauretania Buy. Voices from the Shoreline Buy. Windrush Buy. Sails, Skippers and Sextants Buy. He remembered telling his friends: "What are they going to do with her? No way can they make that into a viable ship anymore.

Many others though were swept away by the romance of the story. The daring rescue 8, miles from home, the near impossible task of raising Isambard Kingdom Brunel's great iron steam ship from the sea bed, the perilous journey across the Atlantic - all this stirred the hearts of Bristolians. After all, they were welcoming home one of their own, years after she was launched from the city. Ms Hicks had a great vantage point.

She was standing on another great Brunel creation - the Clifton Suspension Bridge. She was there with her mother and her brother, and was struck by the enthusiasm of the crowd. We were waving union jacks and cheering. It was so exciting," she said. Down on the river, Mr Boyce was taken aback by the reception. There were horns, hooters and all sorts. It was really noisy. Huge crack. It was the end of a journey home that had been anything but uneventful.

After the ship had been raised from the seabed and brought to shore, the salvage team was faced with the rusting remains, peppered with holes and stripped of almost everything of any use. A huge crack ran from top to bottom, which in places was a foot wide. The plan was to patch the holes, pump her out and float her sufficiently to manoeuvre a submersible pontoon underneath and then raise her out of the water for the long tow home across the Atlantic. And, as Prince Philip said: "The idea of towing a ship on a platform up the Atlantic seemed to be me to be absolutely bloody lunacy.