HMS Caroline: Public reopening pushed back to early 2023

HMS Caroline is the sole surviving ship from the 1916 Battle of Jutland

The World War One warship HMS Caroline will not fully reopen to the public until early next year, its operator has said.

The vessel, the sole surviving ship from the 1916 Battle of Jutland, had been due to reopen this summer.

But on Wednesday, the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), said its full reopening was now planned for early 2023.

It is the only NMRN museum site yet to reopen following the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We will be reintroducing public access to the ship through select events over the coming months, with a full visitor reopening planned for early 2023," a NMRN spokesman told BBC News NI.

He said full details would be made public soon.

HMS Caroline during World War One

Built in 1914 in Birkenhead in England, HMS Caroline was one of the fastest warships of its time.

The Battle of Jutland - off the coast of Denmark - involved some 250 ships from the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet.

It was the biggest sea battle of World War One.

More than 8,500 sailors lost their lives in the 12-hour battle on 31 May and 1 June 1916.

After the war, HMS Caroline was berthed in Belfast as a training ship, but also saw service in World War Two.

The warship opened to the public as a museum in 2016, the centenary of the Battle of Jutland.

HMS Caroline opened to the public as a museum on the centenary of the Battle of Jutland in 2016

It closed to the public on 17 March 2020 in line with pandemic public health guidance.

In July 2020 NMRN said the Covid-19 closure of its six UK sites had left a shortfall of £6.35m, and said an operations and funding agreement could not be reached with the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy (DfE).

In March, the DfE announced a deal had been reached to secure the ship's long-term future, and further announced it would reopen to the public in late summer 2022.

Speaking at the time, DUP minister Gordon Lyons said the ship "is a very important cultural and heritage visitor attraction" and added that he looked forward to "the attraction welcoming visitors again soon".

DfE told BBC News NI on Wednesday that it would not be commenting further on the delay to the ship's full reopening.