Work to preserve ss Great Britain continues remotely during lockdown

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The ss Great Britain's curators and engineers are managing to preserve Bristol's iconic attraction remotely during the lockdown with the help of modern technology.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's ship is widely acknowledged to have changed history, and is unquestionably unique, but it now needs to be looked after in exactly the same way as other national treasures and museums during the pandemic.

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Years of restoration have left the ss Great Britain looking almost as good as new above ground, but it is science holding it together below.

Brunel's 175-year-old metal hull is surrounded by a sea of glass and it requires round-the-clock care - not easily achieved at present.

The dry dock is filled with dehumidifiers to maintain absolute dryness and ensure the underside will not degrade and rust any further.

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The engineers are having to steer the ship through uncharted waters during the current Covid lockdown, and it has also forced them to chart a different course for the half-century celebrations of the ss Great Britain's return to Bristol.

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