The Heritage Lottery Fund has given £21 million to help conservation efforts on the Tudor warship Mary Rose.

The money will go to keep the work going on the King Henry VIII's flagship and help the ship and thousands of artifacts to be housed under one museum roof for the first time.

Chairman of the HLF said, ''The Mary Rose is an amazing time capsule and one of our most precious heritage icons. 'Many of us remember the moment when the ship was found and subsequently raised from the Solent's sea bed. 'Since then, more than seven million have come to marvel at it and learn more about its fascinating history. 'This major Heritage Lottery Fund investment will help convert years of painstaking archaeological endeavor into an amazing living history experience."

Currently less than 6% of these objects are on display because of a lack of space at the Mary Rose Museum, but with the new premises 70% will be viewable by the public.
John Lippiett, chief executive of the Mary Rose Trust, said that the funding was a ''last chance" for the country's oldest ship, whose future would have been in doubt if the money had not been granted.


- 2008-01-25