NEWPORT’S historic medieval ship will be preserved for generations to come following the start of a freeze drying process yesterday.

The ship, believed to date back to the 15th century, will have all of its 2,000 timbers placed in a six tonne, custom-built freeze dryer.

The process, expected to be completed in 2014, will remove excess water and once complete, will leave the timbers dry to the touch meaning they can be handled more easily.

The preserved timbers will then be stored until arrangements are made for them to be placed on display.

The ship's curator, Toby Jones, said it was a great way to mark the ten year anniversary of its discovery.

He said: “The ship will now be preserved for generations to come to discover and enjoy, and means that work can continue to discover even more about its exciting history.”

The vessel was discovered in the banks of the River Usk in June 2002 during construction of the Riverfront Theatre.

It was excavated piece by piece by a team of archaeologists and is one of the largest and best preserved examples of a ship from this period ever found in the UK.

It is currently stored at an industrial unit in Maesglas but it is hoped it will eventually be housed in its own museum.

The authority recently applied for a £21,000 Welsh Government grant to fund a digital reconstruction of the ship based on archaeological evidence, traditional ship building knowledge and historical research.

It is hoped this could be used to help guide the reassembly of its timbers once they have been preserved.

To celebrate the ten year anniversary of its discovery, a series of videos have been produced detailing the preservation process and can be seen below.

A programme of events will also take place throughout the year. For more information visit the link above.