New storage site for Newport's medieval ship

Friends of the Newport Ship have drawn up a draft business plan for building a museum for the vessel

Newport's medieval ship is being moved from its current home to a new warehouse after securing funding for another three years.

The Friends of the Newport Ship have until the New Year to move the 15th century vessel's remains.

The ship's timbers are being moved in stages from the Maesglas warehouse where it has been stored, to the new unit in Queensway Industrial Estate.

The Welsh government has agreed to pay £20,000 per year for rent.

Chairman Phil Cox of Friends of the Newport Ship said the group hoped to eventually take over the management of the ship.

They are trying to raise £100,000 to kickstart a project to build a museum to house the ship once conservation is complete.

The first storage tank is being moved on Monday for construction the following day, ready to receive the first batch of ship timber frames.

History of the ship

Some 2,000 timbers make up the 15th Century vessel recovered from the Usk

The remains of the 15th century ship were uncovered when work started on the construction of the Riverfront theatre next to the Usk river in June 2002.

It dates back to the reign of Edward IV in the 1460s.

Experts believe the ship was used as a trading vessel along the Atlantic seaboard.

It is the most complete surviving example of its type from the period.

The ship is believed to have been built in either south west France, the Basque country, or Portugal but there is no evidence showing why it came to rest in Newport.

Work on restoration began a few months after the boat was found, when the remains were moved from their resting place.