Labour of Love

Labour of Love. . , In August 1979, the hulk was towed 800 miles to Hartlepool, where the world's largest maritime project ever undertaken would begin., The intention was to restore the ship as near as possible to her condition during the first commission from 1861-64., A restoration team had been established and skilled shipyard workers, mainly from the recently closed local shipyards, recruited as the workforce., On board, each area was photographed and examined to pinpoint the exact position, of original fixtures. On shore, researchers reconstructed the life and fittings of a Victorian warship. Precise research unearthed the details necessary for her reconstruction., It was a tremendous task demanding enormous resources, skill, patience and, endurance. No previous ship restoration involved so much work, so many people, and such a brief timescale., 1987 saw her transformed from a forlorn hulk into a magnificent ship once more. Warrior is a worthy tribute to the vision, skills, enthusiasm and dedication of her restorers - just as, over 150 years ago she was a testament to the vision and inventiveness of the Victorian era., “If every warship in the 19th century still existed and was available for preservation Warrior would still be my first choice.” Sir John Smith