Dates: 1812 -
HMS Trincomalee is a Royal Navy Leda-class sailing frigate built shortly following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. She was ordered on 30 October 1812 and was finally launched on the 12 October 1817. After serving as a hulk, she was restored to her original appearance, and now serves as a museum ship.
The Trincomalee is one of two surviving frigates of this era. She was built in Bombay India in 1817, out of teak, due to oak shortages in Britain as a result of shipbuilding drives for the Napoleonic Wars. The ship was named Trincomalee, after an action in 1782 between the Royal and French navies off the Ceylon (Sri Lanka) port of that name.
The Trincomalee was purchased by George Wheatley Cobb in the early 20th century who renamed it the Foudroyant in honour of HMS Foudroyant, his earlier ship that was wrecked in 1897. She remained in service until 1991 when she was restored and renamed back to Trincomalee.
Though not the oldest warship in Britain (that honour goes to HMS Victory), she is the oldest British warship afloat (Victory is dry docked).
Following her recent restoration the Trincomalee has become the centrepiece of an historic dockyard museum in Hartlepool, United Kingdom, known as ’Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience’, which also includes PS Wingfield Castle.
