SS Great Britain: First section of new deck replaced

Work to completely replace the wooden deck was started in December

The first phase of a renovation project to replace the deck of the SS Great Britain in Bristol Harbour has been completed in time for the birthday of its designer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Brunel, born on 9 April 1806, designed the iron steam ship that launched from Bristol in 1843.

Work to completely replace the wooden deck began in December and is being finished in six stages.

West of England mayor Dan Norris said the new stern deck looked "stunning".

The SS Great Britain was the world's first iron-hulled screw-driven ocean liner, propelled by a combination of steam and sail power.

It sailed around the world 32 times, covering more than one million miles (1.6m km) at sea, including transporting the first ever England cricket team to tour Australia.

After being scuttled in the Falkland Islands in 1937, it was eventually salvaged and returned to Bristol in 1970 as a visitor attraction on the city's harbourside.

More than 6km (3.7 miles) of timber will be used to create the new deck

More than 6km (3.7 miles) of accoya timber will be used to create the new deck, which has been described as a "more historically authentic brown colour" and "more slip resistant".

Funded by Arts Council England, the new planks are expected to be walked on by about 10 million people and to last for about 50 years.

Mr Norris, said the ship had "some very happy memories" for him. "This new deck at the stern of this magnificent ship not only looks stunning, it's also much more robust, which means it will last much longer - which is great when it comes to sustainability," he said. "I'm proud to be marking the first important stage of an important revamp of Brunel's masterpiece."