The planned museum, designed to look like the ship's hull. © Wilkinson Eyre Architects
The Mary Rose Trust’s bid for £13.5million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a new museum has been unsuccessful in the latest round of grants announced.
The money would have gone towards a new £23m museum. However, celebrations will go ahead as a new phase of conservation begins on July 27 with the switching on of a new spray system.
Designed by award-winning architects Wilkinson Eyre, the proposed museum would unite the objects from the Tudor warship with the hull in its present location next to HMS Victory in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The Trust is determined to proceed with this ambition, and will continue to work with the HLF on conservation plans.
“The spirit of the Mary Rose is undiminished,” said Dr Margaret Rule CBE, who directed the excavation and salvage of the Mary Rose, “and I am confident that the Trust will get the help it needs to fulfil the dream of creating a permanent museum to house both the ship and the finds safely and imaginatively for all to enjoy.”
“It gives me great pleasure to mark the next, crucial stage of conservation by turning on the new spray system.”
The Mary Rose as it is believed she would have looked in her prime. Courtesy Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
The new system uses a thicker, more concentrated polyethylene glycol (PEG) to preserve the hull.
“The Mary Rose is one of the most important pieces of our nation’s heritage and the Trust rightly considers that such a treasure deserves a truly world-class museum to tell the story effectively,” commented Dame Liz Forgan, HLF Chair.
“Unfortunately, the project as it currently stands is not yet considered capable of delivering that vision. We have been a huge supporter of the Mary Rose in the past, awarding nine grants of over £5.6million and we hope to work with the Trust to realise its ambition in the future.”
Rear Admiral John Lippiett, Chief Executive of The Mary Rose Trust, said: “The Mary Rose project has only got this far with the enthusiastic support of the HLF and we look forward to working with them to achieve our ultimate ambition of a new museum worthy of one of the world’s most outstanding maritime icons.”
The HLF announced a total of £76.5m for heritage projects around the UK including £7.7m for the creation of Hull History Centre and £20m for Tyntesfield gothic estate near Bristol.
