When the remnants of a former wine-trading vessel were discovered in the muddy banks of Newport’s River Usk archaeologists knew immediately they had stumbled on something of huge significance.

But history doesn’t always march to a modern timetable and only now, 20 years on from that accidental discovery during the construction of the town’s Riverfront theatre, can work begin to reassemble the historic craft.

It has taken that long for specialists to dry out, restore and treat more than 2,500 of the ship’s 550-year-old timbers.

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Now begins the difficult part – piecing together what has been described as the world’s largest 3D puzzle.

It will take time, patience and not a little bit of luck to reconstruct the 15th-century vessel, known since its discovery in 2002 as the Newport Ship.

Read more: The Telegraph