Channel 5 - Worlds Greatest Ships Series 1 (2018) Part 4 Secrets of SS Great Britain

– Also known as “Great British Ships” –

The British Isles have a long, rich and celebrated seafaring history stretching from the earliest times through the victories of Drake and Nelson, the voyages of discovery and the defence of the realm by vessels of all types in the present century. Much of this history is recorded in literature and in museums but reaches its most tangible form in the large number of historical ships that have been preserved and are continually restored as monuments to a proud past. This new series explores some of the most celebrated and accessible ships and looks the history of each vessels design, construction, active service and subsequent restoration and preservation. Visiting the ships as they stand today, Rob Bell will reveal how and why these monumental vessels were originally built. He'll reveal the mystery of why the Mary Rose sank and discover how HMS Belfast helped turn the tide on D-Day. From Nelson on board HMS Victory to Sir Francis Drake on the Golden Hind, Rob will reveal how daring, genius and dazzling invention led to Britain becoming the world's greatest sea power.

A Windfall Films Production for Channel 5

Part 4 Secrets of SS Great Britain

Rob uncovers the extraordinary story behind what was once the longest passenger ship in the world – the SS Great Britain. Designed by Victorian engineering genius, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, this vast vessel rewrote the ship-building rulebook, pioneering innovations still found on almost all modern ships. Rob learns how the origins of the SS Great Britain lay in Brunel's off-the-cuff boast to extend his famous Great Western Railway 'from Bristol to New York'. Yet the renowned inventor soon had his work cut out to convince both the public and his financial backers that his revolutionary combination of an iron hull and a screw propeller would work. Climbing to the very top her rigging, Rob learns how the ship's early years were plagued by disaster – from running aground on the coast of Ireland, to nearly capsizing in a violent storm. The Great Britain finally found success thanks to the Australian gold rush – today, 250,000 Australians can trace their direct ancestors to passengers on Brunel's legendary steam ship. From the gilded grandeur of the first-class dining room, to the cramped bunks of the third class sleeping quarters, Rob discovers what life was like on board for the thousands who set sail on this record-breaking ship.

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