Work to stop the iron hull of an historic steamship corroding
beyond repair was due to begin on Tuesday. The Victorian ship
was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel The first panel of a
horizontal glass plate, which is designed to protect the hull of
the SS Great Britain, will be put in place. When all 170
laminated glass sections are secure, a thin layer of water on
the glass plate will give visitors the impression that the ship
is afloat. Work on the £11m conservation project in Bristol
should be ended by summer. In October 2004, the Brunel-designed
vessel received £362,809 of added funding to help with
conservation. The Victorian ship is maintained by the Great
Britain Trust. The trust is trying to raise a further £600,000
to fund a museum and for further restoration and conservation.