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Dig reveals slipway where Nelson's ships were made

Patrick HughesBBC News
News imageBuckler’s Hard Shipyard Trust A painting of the village of Buckler's Hard and the ship HMS Agamemnon on the water near the slipway. It has a silver coloured keel and flies several flags of the UK and its constituent countries and other naval flags. The village of Buckler's Hard can be seen on the background.Buckler’s Hard Shipyard Trust
HMS Agamemnon, known as Nelson's favourite ship, took part in the Battle of Trafalgar and was one of the ships built at Buckler's Hard

A slipway from the 18th Century where ships for Lord Nelson's fleet were built and launched has been excavated by archaeologists.

The team from the University of Southampton said it was the first time one from this period had been totally uncovered in the UK.

Buckler's Hard, the small hamlet in the New Forest where the slipway is located, was once home to one of the busiest private shipyards of the 1700s.

The researchers said they hoped the findings would help improve their understanding of shipbuilding techniques and infrastructure during the period.

News image3 wooden planks laid in the ground which have recently been uncovered in a dig. They are covered in soil and grasses, with water pooled underneath.
The slipway is the first of its era to be fully revealed in the UK

The dig was supported by the newly formed Buckler's Hard Shipyard Trust, a conservation charity.

A total of 55 wooden warships were built at Buckler's Hard for the Royal Navy in the 1700s, some of which were comparable in size to HMS Victory.

"No other private yard built as many ships for the navy during this period," said Prof Jon Adams, director of the university's Centre for Maritime Archaeology.

News imageProfessor Jon Adams looking toward and slightly above the camera. He is wearing a jumper with University of Southampton branding on the left side, and which reads "MAP Black Sea" on the right side. In the background, the excavation site, with people and ships in the background, is visible although out of focus.
Prof Jon Adams said Buckler's Hard provided a unique look into the shipbuilding techniques and infrastructure of the time

Unlike the slipway at Buckler's Hard, most slipways from the 18th Century are now buried under concrete.

Prof Adams said that made this one uniquely suited for learning about traditional shipbuilding.

"The only opportunity is a place like this where you can actually see the whole of the whole of the infrastructure and the logistical structures needed to build ships of that size," he said.

News imageA hand holds out two small stone balls which were used as ammunition in muskets.
The team also found some historical curiosities, such as musket balls and fastening nails from the 1700s

One of the most famous ships built at the site was HMS Agamemnon, which took part in the Battle of Trafalgar and was known as Lord Nelson's "favourite".

There are now plans to place a replica of the vessel on the end of the slipway as it would have looked under construction.

A 3D model of the slipway has also been created to aid research, and the site will be covered with a new layer of soil and topped with timbers in the style of the 1700s.

"The visitor would then come into the village and actually see what the yard might have looked like," said Prof Adams.

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