IN the summer of 2002, something magical happened on the banks of the River Usk in Newport.

While building work for the Riverfront's orchestra pit was taking place, the remains of a 15th century merchant ship were discovered on the riverbank.

Near the top of the pit, archaeologists discovered the remains of a timber drain and a cobbled floor underneath some large timbers.

Further digging revealed that these were part of a large ship lying in an inlet, with the bow of the ship facing away from the river.

Still in remarkable condition, the ship is one of the best preserved vessels of the Age of Discovery, when Portuguese explorers were looking for a new sea route to India.

One oak timber, called a knee, was discovered inside the hull and this was found to have been felled in the winter of 1465.

This clinker-built ship, with its Nordic style and overlapping hull planks, even pre-dates the voyages of Christopher Columbus and could hold between 150 and 300 tons of cargo.

It was a much different time in Newport, which had a population of just 2,000 people, and it is thought the ship was brought to the town by the Earl of Warwick for repairs during the Wars of the Roses.

Unsurprisingly, the find did not go unnoticed and within weeks, the Save our Ship campaign and the Friends of the Newport Ship (FONS) projects were launched, with night vigils held at the site and even Sir Anthony Hopkins lending his support.

By the end of the summer of 2002, the Welsh Government set aside £3.5 million for the ship’s conservation and for what was to prove a complicated lifting operation.

Originally 80 metres long, the ship had to be taken apart piece by piece because of it being pierced by concrete piles and 2,000 timbers needed to be carefully separated and raised by a crane.

Following a four-month operation, the timbers were then transported by lorry to a temporary store provided by the steel company Corus, with the eventual aim of putting it back together.

Once the timber was taken away, remains on the site included a headless skeleton; a silver coin; an archer’s leather bracer; pottery; a comb; pieces of rope; remains of leather shoes; and a large plank.

The skeleton, which was also missing its lower legs, was radiocarbon dated to the Iron Age, some 1,500 years before the ship came to Newport.

The coin, which was placed within the timbers for good luck, bears the coat of arms of the state of Dauphine in France.

Dated back to 1447, on the back of the coin is an inscription which translates to ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord’.

Mike Lewis, the overall manager of the Newport Medieval Ship project, said that these types of finds are priceless and can help put Newport on the international map.

He said: “We know how far and wide she travelled as a vessel and it gives a unique snapshot of the medieval trading period.

“There aren’t many shipwrecks from this period. It’s such a unique artefact – it’s of international significance

“But there’s work needed to maintain the profile of the ship, particularly in this lull period while the ship is being completed.”

These days, the ship is kept at Unit 20 in Estuary Court at Queensway Industrial Estate in Newport. The process of moving the ship from a Maesglas warehouse to this new site began just under a year ago.

The ship is being stored in a regulated temperature to keep it fresh thanks to careful work from the curator, Dr Toby Jones.

FONS opened the unit to the public at the end of June, initially just for Fridays, but expanded to opening on Fridays and Saturdays due to popular demand.

More than 900 people have visited since and FONS predict that they are already on course to top 1,000 visitors, which would eclipse last year’s total in Maesglas.

Phil Cox, chairman of FONS, said that the success of this remarkable project is owed to the collaboration of numerous groups and volunteers across the city, including Newport Museum and the Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge.

He said: “A great deal of hard work helped our curator, Dr Toby Jones, transform the new site into a functional and efficient base for the project and then create the base for our cosy cabin.

“Special thanks go to all the volunteers who have supported this effort by giving their time and skills freely. Without their regular commitments, none of this would have been possible

“Without the help of local people we will never achieve our dream of creating a national heritage attraction.”

This progress has not gone unnoticed and has even had the royal seal of approval, with Prince Charles having written to volunteers expressing his support for their efforts in preserving the vessel earlier this year.

This was no mean feat as Prince Charles had been involved with the salvaging of the Mary Rose from the Solent in 1982.

Councillor Charles Ferris, who is patron of FONS, said that this letter proves that the conservation of the ship is a huge part of the overall regeneration of Newport with the upcoming Friars Walk development.

He said: “It’s funded for the next four years for the conservation so that’s all very positive.

“I’m so pleased that when people come and visit it, they say it’s really wonderful and they’re not just being polite.

“It still has that magic and is still as fresh as the day it was discovered.”

Openings have been cut back to just Saturdays and will close for winter after December 12, reopening for spring half-term in late February. Group visits can still be arranged by contacting Phil Cox at chair@newportship.org or calling 074 11149678.