
Visitors to the HMS Victory will be able to walk around Nelson's cabin for the first time, thanks to a major refurbishment.

The multi-million pound conservation project has seen the 250-year-old warship repainted in its original colours and a new route for visitors open up.

The public will now be able to ascend onto the Poop Deck to view Victory’s surroundings in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, walk around Nelson’s Great Cabin as well as see Captain Hardy’s Cabin displayed for the first time as a working captain’s accommodation.

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Visitors to the HMS Victory can now go into Admiral Lord Nelson's Great Cabin to see how it would have looked during its Georgian heyday

A multi-million pound refurbishment of the famous ship means that the Poop Deck at the back of the vessel is now open to the public

Captain Hardy's Day Cabin has also been restored. Cpt Hardy served as flag captain to Admiral Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar

On the Orlop Deck, the area has been simplified to prevent over-sentimentalising the legend of Nelson, with the Devis painting of 'The Death of Nelson' having been removed for conservation and display off the ship.

Another new area is a carpenter’s store where visitors can learn about the toll the Battle of Trafalgar had on Nelson’s flagship.

The length of the visitor route has been increased by an estimated 80 per cent thanks to the revamp.

Andrew Baines, head of historic ships at the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), said: 'This is the most exciting transformation of one of the world’s most iconic ships in nearly a century.

Head of Historic Ships for the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Andrew Baines, is pictured in the newly-open Orlop deck - the lowest deck on the ship

This was how Nelson's Great Cabin looked before it was restored to its original glory by conservators, who started work in 2013

National Museum of Royal Navy of Conservation co-ordinator for historic ships Diana McCormack in Captain Hardy's Day Cabin, during the restoration process

'The story of HMS Victory, and of Nelson, is now being told in a completely fresh way. The idea is to show visitors the ship as Nelson would have seen her, as part of an exciting new journey around his flagship.'

As well as the new visitor experience onboard, the NMRN is launching a new exhibition 'Sparring with Time' which tells the story of the history of the ship and its legacy.

Professor Dominic Tweddle, NMRN director general, said: 'Victory is iconic and it is very much cherished by the thousands who visit her every year. In fact, 28 million people have seen her since she arrived at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

'Now people can see her in a completely new light. Visitors will get to experience her anew, and see all of the wonderful areas of the ship that could not have been accessed until now.

'They will be able to follow in the footsteps of Nelson, and get a real picture of what life was like on-board Victory as she went to Trafalgar.'

The HMS Victory was launched in 1765 and has been repainted to her original black, yellow and red colours