Unlocking medieval ship's secrets

The timbers are painstakingly cleaned and examined for artefacts

Residents of Newport are invited to follow the progress of archaeologists slowly uncovering the hidden history of the city's medieval ship.

The 15th Century vessel was found in the River Usk in June 2002 during construction of the Riverfront Theatre.

The ship was excavated and lifted from the ground timber by timber, and all 1700 timbers are now being cleaned and recorded by a team of specialists.

An open day takes place at the Maesglas Industrial Estate on 24 October.

Neil Stevenson and Kathryn Price from the project team gave an update on progress to Jamie Owen and Louise Elliott on BBC Radio Wales.

They were accompanied by volunteers Zoe Preece, 17, and Eric Channing, who's nearly 70.

The ongoing discovery of objects including coins, a fishing weight and animal bones are giving experts clues as to where the ship came from and the lifestyles of those on board.

More about the Newport Ship project

Photos of the excavation