MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Museum cruiser HMS Belfast reopened its doors after a 15-month refit

The veteran cruiser has undergone a 15-month refit on the River Thames, where it is permanently moored as a museum celebrating its long and storied Royal Navy career

The museum ship HMS Belfast, permanently moored on the River Thames has reopened its doors to the public after being closed for 18 months during the pandemic.

 The veteran cruiser has undergone a 15-month refit on the River Thames, where it is permanently moored as a museum celebrating its long and storied Royal Navy career in active service.

The refit is all part of the ship's 10-year revamp and Imperial War Museums' curator Nigel Steel says the vessel's historic spaces are now more interesting than ever.

He said: “We've been trying to really uplift the way in which we interpret these historic spaces to introduce new stories and make them a lot more exciting.”

“And the way we've done that is to talk about elements of history.”

Mr Steel said the new exhibits emphasize some of the biggest moments from the history of the ship, including the part it played in the Korean War and its role during D-Day as one of the earliest ships to transport casualties straight off the beaches.

The museum is open to the public daily between 10:00 and 17:00 and visitors are welcome to explore all nine decks for the full warship experience.

HMS Belfast joined the Imperial War Museums' collection in 1978, becoming a museum and also the largest item in its collection.