HMS Victory scale model goes on permanent display

The exhibit is the world's only known scale model of HMS Victory from the time of the Battle of Trafalgar

A scale model of HMS Victory made more than 200 years ago has been put on permanent display.

The model helped shipbuilders of the early 19th Century carry out a major refit on the vessel, which was rotting and battle-damaged at the time.

It is being displayed at The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The museum described it as a "superb snapshot in time and a key piece of evidence from the early 19th century".

The Battle of Trafalgar took place on 21 October 1805.

The model, which is the world's only known scale model of HMS Victory from the time of the battle, has gone on display to mark Trafalgar Day.

Louisa Blight, head of collections and research at the NMRN, described the engagement - in which Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson defeated the French and Spanish navies before losing his own life - as "the most important battle in the history of the Royal Navy".

She told the BBC the 1:48 scale 142cm (56in) long model's likeness to the real thing was "absolutely striking", likening it to a 3D prototype.

The 1:48 scale model's likeness to the real thing has been described as striking

"Used together with artworks and archaeological research, the model helps us build a picture of what Victory looked like during this period," the museum said.

Lord Nelson's flagship is currently undergoing a 13-year revamp at the dockyard.

Andrew Baines, HMS Victory project director, said: "Today we use new techniques and innovative technology, including digital modelling, to plan our Victory repairs and conservation works.

"In the early 19th Century, a builder's block was the equivalent."

The model is being displayed at The National Museum of the Royal Navy to mark Trafalgar Day

HMS Victory was almost 40 years old when it underwent a major refit and remodel ahead of the Battle of Trafalgar.

The model shows changes made to the ship between its construction and the famous battle, including to its hull, windows, and figurehead.

The model was able to be acquired at auction because of a grant of £247,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, a donation of £150,000 from the Society of Nautical Research, and £295,000 from the HMS Victory Endowment Fund.

The original HMS Victory is in dry dock in Portsmouth

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