HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar, is the oldest commissioned warship in the world.

‘Heart of oak are our ships,

Jolly tars are our men’

HMS Victory certainly does have a heart of oak. Six thousand trees - 90% of them English Oaks - were felled to build her. That’s 40 hectares (100 acres) of woodland. Her oak hull is 60cm (2ft) thick. Rot-resistant elm planks line her keel below the water and her masts and yardarms are supple pine.

With Britain at peace her frame was left to season for three years which is the secret of her strength and long life. She was one of the largest warships afloat when she was launched in 1765.

As for jolly tars, HMS Victory had a crew of 820 men at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where one in five were killed or wounded.

Don’t be deceived by her beauty, as her 100 deadly guns could literally blow a lesser ship out of the water. She’s a formidable war machine.