News / ss Great Britain
New decking being installed on SS Great Britain
More than 6,000 metres of timber is currently being installed on board the SS Great Britain.
The new deck on Brunel’s historic ship is made from boards of Accoya, which over time will weather to a silver colour recreating the original colour of the deck.
The new decking will help preserve the deck of the ship and the original ironwork that sits underneath.
Mr Brunel (centre, with cigar) inspects the new decking on board ship – photo: SS Great Britain Trust
Installation work is due to take around 32 weeks, with wheelchair access also being improved to the weather deck at the same time as the conservation project, which is being carried out by the SS Great Britain Trust and funded by Arts Council England through their Museum Estate & Development Fund.
The work is being carried out by John Perkins Construction, a St George-based firm who also installed the current deck in 1990.
As it is being lifted up from the ship, the old decking is being turned into cufflinks, necklaces and pens for sale in the SS Great Britain shop.
When the project is finished, a new installation will be placed on the deck featuring Wardian cases which would have once helped keep plants alive during their long journeys on the SS Great Britain.
Ferns and other live specimens will go on display to allow visitors to understand the role that the famous ship played in the global development of botany.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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