The Mariner's Mirror Podcast

In this episode, Dr Sam Willis discusses the conservation of HMS Victory. As the flagship of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, Victory holds immense historical and cultural significance, but preserving her is proving to be a monumental challenge.Simon Williams, who leads the ship’s conservation project 'HMS Victory: The Big Repair', shares the unexpected realities of working on the 260-year-old wooden vessel, including the discovery of extensive degradation. What began as a plan to replace six futtocks has grown into a massive effort to conserve 150 futtocks on the starboard side alone. With limited documentation from previous restorations, Simon explains how the team navigates risk management and decision-making in uncharted territory. Simon also discusses the delicate balance between public access and preservation, revealing how the team has had to repair structural elements while ensuring visitor safety and offering the public a rare opportunity to witness conservation in action. He reflects on the privilege of working on HMS Victory, and his fascination with the hidden stories embedded in the ship’s construction and maintenance. To ensure future generations can continue this work, the team is creating a detailed historical record of the conservation process - laying the foundation for informed maintenance and repair for years to come.Carolina Sophie Henham also offers a fascinating glimpse into the daily realities of conservation work, from managing water ingress to battling persistent pests like the 'Death Watch' beetle, which is notoriously resistant to traditional treatments and particularly fond of oak, HMS Victory’s primary timber. Carolina explains the difficulty of treating infestations without compromising the ship’s structure, and shares insights into the team’s ongoing research into sustainable pest control methods. She also discusses the innovative approaches being explored to protect this historic vessel.Tony Noon offers a behind-the-scenes tour of the conservation workshop at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth, revealing bays dedicated to tasks like laminating futtocks and carving ornate timbers. The space also houses materials and artefacts from other historic ships, showcasing the broader scope of maritime preservation. This episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of the most ambitious maritime conservation projects in recent years.This episode is supported by the Society for Nautical Research, the Save The Victory Fund (STVF) and the Lloyd's Register Foundation.

In this commemorative episode of Mariner’s Mirror Podcast, host Dr Sam Willis marks the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar by exploring the exact location and circumstances of Admiral Lord Nelson’s death aboard HMS Victory on the 21st of October 1805. Joined by Andrew Baines, Executive Director of Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth, and Dr Dan O’Brien, historian of undertakers and funerals in Eighteenth Century England, the discussion unfolds on the very decks where history was made - the quarter deck where Nelson was shot, and the orlop deck where he died.This episode offers a poignant reflection on the emotional weight that the decks of the Victory still retain. Baines observes how visitors respond to these spaces onboard the ship, noting the evolving significance and the solemn atmosphere on the flagship. The plaque on the quarter deck is polished every morning by the Royal Navy crew to commemorate Nelson's death. Once a functional part of the ship, the purpose of the orlop was forever transformed by the events of Trafalgar. O’Brien explores how this quiet, confined area has become a site of reverence - not only for Nelson’s final moments but also for the countless anonymous sailors who perished. These spaces onboard HMS Victory now stand as a powerful reminder of sacrifice, legacy, and the human cost of naval warfare.Listeners are immersed in the chaos of battle on October 21, 1805, with vivid accounts of Nelson’s final moments, the ship’s damage, and the emotional impact on the crew. The episode also reflects on the significance of HMS Victory as a national memorial, contrasting it with Trafalgar Square and other public monuments. This is more than a retelling - it’s a journey into the heart of naval heritage, recorded on the ship that still carries Nelson’s legacy.This episode is supported by the Society for Nautical Research, the Save The Victory Fund (STVF) and the Lloyd's Register Foundation.

Studying the history of safety at sea reveals how hard-earned lessons from past tragedies have shaped the protections we rely on today. For centuries, seafaring was one of the most dangerous human activities. Shipwrecks, storms, fires, and collisions claimed countless lives, often because of poor ship design, inadequate training, or the absence of regulations. By understanding this history, we see how each disaster spurred reforms—from better lifeboats and signalling systems to international safety standards. Time and again, loss of life at sea prompted innovations in navigation, weather forecasting, and shipbuilding. Its a history that highlights the human dimension of maritime safety, reminding us of the bravery of sailors, the grief of families, and the persistence of campaigners who demanded change. An important aspect of this are the living memories of those who served at sea. In this episode Dr Sam Willis speaks to two sailors who served on merchant ships all over the world, to hear their remarkable stories.

Dr Sam Willis meets Andrew Lambert to discuss his fantastic new book No More Napoleons. Lambert has reshaped how we think about Britain’s role in international politics from the 19th century onward and focuses on Britain’s determination to prevent the rise of any single, dominant continental power after the defeat of Napoleon. This strategic goal—maintaining a balance of power in Europe—guided British diplomacy, war-making, and alliances for more than a century. We hear about high politics, military strategy, and global history and discover how British leaders worked tirelessly to prevent new “Napoleons” from overturning the balance, whether in the form of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s Germany or later threats to European stability. The episode will leave you in no doubt that Britain was more than an imperial power, but a guardian of stability whose actions shaped Europe’s destiny as British politicians and military leaders pursued an enduring quest for peace through balance.

This is the second episode in a mini series on the history of the Clan Line, one of Britain’s most distinctive and influential shipping companies. In this episode Dr Sam Willis travels the length and breadth of the UK to speak with sailors who served on Clan Line ships, to hear and preserve their memories of this most crucial time in global maritime history. Founded in Glasgow in 1877 by Charles Cayzer, the line quickly grew into a vast fleet that connected Scotland with Africa, India, and beyond. What made it particularly interesting was its combination of commercial power and cultural identity: every ship bore a “Clan” name, giving the company a strong Scottish character that set it apart in the crowded world of British shipping.The Clan Line was important because it played a crucial role in Britain’s imperial trade. Its ships carried goods such as jute, tea, and cotton, linking colonial economies to British markets. During both World Wars, the company’s vessels were vital to the Allied cause, transporting troops, supplies, and munitions—often at great risk from enemy submarines. Many were lost, but the service of its crews contributed directly to victory.Beyond trade and war, the line symbolised the globalisation of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It represented Scotland’s industrial and maritime strength, while also reflecting the dangers and opportunities of long-distance shipping. Today, the Clan Line stands as a reminder of how shipping shaped commerce, conflict, and community.

The Clan Line was one of Britain’s most distinctive and influential shipping companies, leaving a lasting mark on maritime and economic history. Founded in Glasgow in 1877 by Charles Cayzer, the line quickly grew into a vast fleet that connected Scotland with Africa, India, and beyond. Famed for its combination of commercial power and cultural identity, every ship bore a “Clan” name, giving the company a strong Scottish character that set it apart in the crowded world of British shipping.The Clan Line played a crucial role in Britain’s growing imperial trade. Its ships carried goods such as jute, tea, and cotton, linking colonial economies to British markets. During both World Wars, the company’s vessels were vital to the Allied cause, transporting troops, supplies, and munitions—often at great risk from enemy submarines. Many were lost, but the service of its crews contributed directly to victory.Beyond trade and war, the line symbolised the globalisation of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It represented Scotland’s industrial and maritime strength, while also reflecting the dangers and opportunities of long-distance shipping. Today, the Clan Line stands as a reminder of how shipping shaped commerce, conflict, and community.To find out more Dr Sam Willis spoke with Jamie Cayzer-Colvin, direct descendent of Charles Cayzer who founded the company, and Susan Scott, the Cayzer family’s archivist who dug out some fabulous items to bring this great story to life.

Today we travel to the final months of the Second World War when the Germans began to develop midget submarines. The allies had crossed the channel and invaded Normandy in June 1944 and were slowly battling their away through France towards Germany. The Russians meanwhile were making huge advances in the east. German UBoats continued to fight in the Atlantic but by this period their potency had been blunted by new tactics and technology which had turned them from the feared hunters of the early years of the war to prey. It was at this moment that designs for midget submarines were finalised and construction begun, in a last and desperate throw of the dice in the under-sea naval war. To find out more Dr Sam Willis travelled to the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven to explore the Seehund, one of only a handful of these craft to still survive. Sam spoke with Nils Theinert, an expert on German submarines.

This episode forms part of a new strand of our podcast: Seapower Past and Present which explores seapower as it is understood and practised in the modern world whilst offering a historical perspective on the themes we explore. Each episode is chosen according to a theme or a location – a hotspot in the modern world where seapower has a major influence on geopolitics. So if you enjoy this episode do please seek out others in this strand – you will shortly be able to find episodes on economic warfare, critical national infrastructure, how technology is changing the nature of warfare at sea; and on hugely significant locations in the modern maritime world – the Black Sea, South China Sea, Middle East and Arctic.To make this series come alive we’ve teamed up with the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. In each episode you will hear from at least one historian and from at least one practitioner, a member of the armed forces who has direct first hand, personal experience of the topic being discussed.In this episode, Dr Sam Willis speaks to three guests at the Royal Naval Base in Portsmouth to help us understand seapower in the South China Sea. This region is rich in maritime history and diverse in its modern strategic concerns. To discuss this further, the podcast is joined by Dr Jennifer Sabourah-Till from Permanent Joint Headquarters, who commands joint and multinational military operations on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. Dr Matthew Heaslip, Senior Lecturer in Naval History at the University of Portsmouth, also joins to discuss the Royal Navy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He provides expert knowledge on the use of gunboat diplomacy, amphibious operations and imperial policing in the South China Sea. Also joining Sam in this episode is Joe Reilly, a junior Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy who has previously spent time in the Asia-Pacific theatre on board the patrol vessel HMS Spey. Joe is also a Richmond Fellow with the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre.

This episode explores a subject of great contemporary interest and significance: the morals of behaviour at sea. What are the origins of the idea of a captain going down with his ship? When did it become expected to save anyone from shipwreck - regardless of their nationality, religion or status? Are we living in a world where the expected moral norms of seafaring are now changing? To find out more Dr Sam Willis travelled to the Center for Literary and Cultural Research in Berlin to meet three historians who have been working on this project for several years and have published a hugely interesting and important book: Moral Seascapes: On the Ethics and Aesthetics of Maritime Emergency. They explore some of the great maritime artists including Turner and Gericault; epoch-defining lifesaving technology; contemporary images of migration disaster and raise questions about the nature of the sea and seafaring that are as relevant today as they were centuries ago.