The National Museum of the Royal Navy will be looking its best for the celebrations of 100 years of naval heritage within Portsmouth Dockyard.

And figurehead historian Richard Hunter has been bringing the bust of Lord Nelson back to its former glory on HMS Trafalgar in Victory Arena.

Richard and his colleague Philip Hudson attracted a lot of visitor attention and questions as they spent over a week on site, painting the figurehead with fast drying enamel paint that should ensure the figurehead’s future for the next decade.

One of Richard’s favourite parts of the process is painting the faces as many of them have lost their character and he can help bring them back to life.

Eagle-eyed visitors will also notice that this time around Nelson is without detail of his right eye as per the original figurehead of 1841.

Nelson famously lost the sight in his right eye at the siege of Calvi on 10 July 1794 and this is how sailors would have recognised the image of him. The eye has been painted in for previous restorations but it has been returned to its original form to celebrate 100 years of naval heritage.

Other details that can be noticed are the medal decorations. After detailed research Richard has changed the gold version of the Order of the Crescent, which was a decoration created by Sultan Selim III in August 1799 specifically to honour Nelson on the first anniversary of the Battle of Nile, and would have originally been silver.

The one original feature to be left untouched as it was still in good condition was the Breast Star of the Order of the Bath, awarded to Lord Nelson for his role at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797.

Over the past 20 years Richard Hunter has become increasingly involved in a number of important figurehead restoration projects around the world.

He said: “Important and valuable relics of the world’s rich maritime heritage have been allowed to just simply rot away; the catalogue of lost carvings grows each year.”

The plaque accompanying the figurehead reads:

H.M.S. TRAFALGAR Built as a First Rate of 120 guns at Woolwich and completed in 1841, 2694 tons. Took part in the bombardment of Sebastopol in 1854, being towed to her position in the line by the RETRIBUTION (paddle). Converted to a two deck screw ship of 90 guns at Chatham in 1858-59 and in 1873 was renamed BOSCAWEN, when she became a seaman boy’s training ship at Portland. Sold in 1905, the year in which boy’s training became shore based at Shotley near Ipswich.

For further information about figureheads and Richard’s projects, visit his website: www.figureheads.co.uk