HMS Victory masts to be removed in conservation project
The move is part of the latest phase of a ten-year £42m project, dubbed The Big Repair.
www.bbc.comHere’s the latest update on HMS Victory and the Royal Navy Museums as of 2026.
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HMS Victory’s conservation work continues as part of The Big Repair project. The most recent milestone involved removing the masts to allow full scaffolding and access for restoration, a rare glimpse into the ship’s inner structure and ongoing work. This phase marks a significant moment, as Victory will be without all masts for the first time since the 1890s, while restoration proceeds around the vessel.[7]
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New viewing opportunities are planned for summer 2026. The National Museum of the Royal Navy has announced that additional viewing platforms at the stern will provide fresh perspectives on the conservation work, enabling visitors to see areas not accessible in decades. Victory remains open to visitors during the work, with ongoing “Victory Live” demonstrations and educational displays that explain the repair process.[5][9]
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Context and location: HMS Victory is the flagship of the First Sea Lord and a working museum at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with the National Museum of the Royal Navy overseeing its preservation and public interpretation across six sites in the UK. The conservation program ties into broader enhancements at the dockyard, including new galleries and immersive displays about Victory’s history and construction.[1][2][3][8]
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Related developments: Coverage highlights the scale of the £42 million conservation project and ongoing public engagement efforts, including opportunities to see shipwrights at work and to participate in caulking or traditional shipbuilding demonstrations as part of the overall visitor experience.[1][5]
Illustration of current status:
- The Big Repair is in a critical access phase with masts removed and scaffolding surrounding the hull, while public access continues and new stern viewing points are introduced later in the year.[9][7]
If you’d like, I can pull a concise timeline of milestones from 2025–2026 and summarize current visitor tips for seeing Victory during the works.
Citations:
- HMS Victory masts removal and significance [BBC: 2026-04-27][7]
- New stern viewing platforms and public access during restoration [National Museum of the Royal Navy: See History In The Making, 2026-04-30][9]
- Victory as part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy and Portsmouth Dockyard context [Royal Navy Museums / NMRN, 2024; Visit Us page][2][8]
- Victory Live and conservation updates [NMRN: The Big Repair, 2022; Victory Live page][10][5]
- 2026 coverage of new gallery and visitor experiences related to Victory’s story [Anglotopia / 2026 coverage][1]