Exactly 28 years to the day after the raising of the Mary Rose in the bed of the Solent, work has begun on an ambitious project to build the new Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
The build is part of a £35 million project for the Mary Rose Trust, the charity responsible for the conservation of the Tudor flagship which sank in action in 1545, and is a major step in the final chapter in the conservation of King Henry VIII’s favourite ship.
The museum, scheduled for completion in autumn 2012, will reunite the Mary Rose with the majority of the 19,000 preserved artefacts recovered with her, to present visitors with an experience of Tudor life.
Rear Admiral John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust Rear Admiral John Lippiett said: “The significance of the Mary Rose collection cannot be underestimated and we still have a £4 million fundraising target to meet before the museum can be opened to the public in 2012, the UK’s Olympic year.
“One year on since the launch of the Mary Rose Public Appeal we remain reliant on the public to continue to ensure this national treasure is preserved for future generations.”
The Trust must raise a total of £15 million to match the £21 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant, one of the largest made, which the new museum project has received.
To help secure the future of The Mary Rose visit www.maryrose.org
