Backbone of full-size replica Saxon ship completed after nine-month delay

The backbone of an 88ft-long replica of the Sutton Hoo longship has been completed, after a nine-month delay when one of the first wooden pieces split.

The full-size reconstruction of the Saxon ship that was excavated in 1939 is being built by a team of around 120 volunteers in a shed beside the River Deben in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Independent charity the Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company, which is building the ship, has been funded by donations.

The project’s master shipwright, Tim Kirk, said most of the volunteers are retired – including retired engineers, social workers and an eye surgeon.