HMS Trincomalee

HMS Trincomalee is a restored Royal Navy sailing frigate built in Bombay in the early 19th century. She now serves as a museum ship afloat in Hartlepool, part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy. One of only two surviving British frigates of her era, she was launched in 1817 after three years of teak construction by the Wadia family of shipwrights. The ship’s name honours the 1782 Battle of Trincomalee off Sri Lanka, where the British secured a strategic anchorage. Her figurehead, carved in pine by Hellyer & Sons, depicts a turbaned man representing a Sri Lankan figure. After decades of service and later civilian use as a training ship, she was returned to Hartlepool for final restoration. The frigate’s history reflects Britain’s global naval reach during the 19th century. Built at a cost of £23,000 and fitted out for £2,400, she served on anti-slavery patrols and helped quell unrest in Haiti. After being sold and renamed Foudroyant, she became a holiday ship for boys training with the Royal Navy. The artist Henry Scott Tuke used her as a subject in paintings until 1929. Today she holds the distinction of being the oldest British warship still afloat. Visitors board the ship in Hartlepool to explore her decks, gunports and restored interiors. The turbaned figurehead, conserved in 2020, reveals traces of original red, green and gold paint. Paint samples matched a 1931 cigarette card, showing earlier restoration work. The ship sits in Hartlepool’s dock, surrounded by displays on naval history. Nearby, the National Museum of the Royal Navy presents artefacts and stories linked to Trincomalee’s long service.