Winchester College Publication Formidable | Page 7

Interior of the Model
A
part from the large numbers of wooden treenails
protruding through the frames and deck beams,
making the interior look like an ‘inverted hedgehog’,
the most noticeable feature is along the main gun deck
where there are two wooden beams running bow to
stern on which the fifteen guns on crude carriages are
set. There are the remains of ropes and wooden blocks,
showing that the guns could be moved in and out to
imitate loading and firing. This became a common fea-
ture in the wood and bone prisoner of war models that
were produced in large numbers during the
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1795-1815). The
guns mounted on the main gun deck are turned in wood
and were originally painted in a green colour to give the
impression of weathered bronze. A number of these guns
have been lost over the years. Some have been replaced
and all repainted with a matt black finish during the
twentieth-century restoration. Internal inspection re-
vealed a number of the original guns that had fallen into
the model and ended up in the hold of the hull. These
have been carefully removed with specialist medical
equipment. They retain their original
appearance with green paint on the barrels. In addition
to the wooden guns recovered from inside the model,
four slightly smaller guns cast from lead were found.
These were originally located on gun carriages in the
forecastle and there are still two of these rigged there
now. The lead guns are quite detailed and are even
complete with touch holes for firing. The steering gear
is mostly still in place. The rudder is set with its original
wooden tiller, complete with the ropes that would have
lead up the steering wheel on the quarter deck. Sadly the
steering wheel itself is missing. The gratings on the
various decks are largely original and were designed
to allow both light and fresh air below. A single set of
companionway steps was retrieved from the hold and
reset in its original position just forward of the mizzen
mast. There are also two capstans, turned in an unknown
fruitwood, which were used for working the heavy lower
yards as well as hauling up the anchors and cables when
casting off for sail. The main cabin in the stern is rather
sparse in detail but a crude four-legged table is just
visible through the stern lights or windows.
Internal view through an endoscope showing how the guns along the main gun deck are
mounted on wooden beams and operated by a system of rope blocks.
Three of the original guns cast in lead that were recovered from inside the hull. The gun
at the top is complete with a touch hole used for firing.
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Internal view showing the lower
section of the mainmast set on
the keelson. The frames, deck
beams and planking can be seen,
all held in place by the numerous
wooden treenails.
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