PostHole
Compose
Login
The Life Scientific: Eleanor Schofield
In July 1545, King Henry VIII watched from Southsea Castle on England's south coast as his fleet sailed out to face the French - only to witness his prized warship, the Mary Rose, sink before his eyes. Raised from the Solent in 1982, the ship is now the centrepiece of the Mary Rose Museum, along with thousands more artefacts that were recovered from the seabed. But keeping the 500-year-old ship and its associated Tudor relics in good condition is no small task, which is where Dr Eleanor Schofield comes in. As Director of Collections at the Mary Rose Trust and a materials engineer by training, Eleanor has spent years tackling the unique scientific challenges of conserving centuries-old wood and metal. From the United States to Portsmouth, Eleanor's research is helping ensure this iconic vessel remains 'ship-shape' for generations to come. In a special edition of The Life Scientific, recorded in front of an audience at the museum in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyards, Professor Jim Al-Khalili discovers how cutting-edge science is keeping history afloat.
Accessibility links
BBC World Service
Discovery
- Discovery Home
- Episodes
- Galleries
- Podcast
- Join us on Facebook
Main content
Listen now
The Life Scientific: Eleanor Schofield
Discovery
Materials scientist Eleanor Schofield on the challenges of studying and protecting ancient wooden warships, and the enlightening process of conserving the mighty Mary Rose.
In July 1545, King Henry VIII watched from Southsea Castle on England's south coast as his fleet sailed out to face the French - only to witness his prized warship, the Mary Rose, sink before his eyes. Raised from the Solent in 1982, the ship is now the centrepiece of the Mary Rose Museum, along with thousands more artefacts that were recovered from the seabed. But keeping the 500-year-old ship and its associated Tudor relics in good condition is no small task, which is where Dr Eleanor Schofield comes in. As Director of Collections at the Mary Rose Trust and a materials engineer by training, Eleanor has spent years tackling the unique scientific challenges of conserving centuries-old wood and metal. From the United States to Portsmouth, Eleanor's research is helping ensure this iconic vessel remains 'ship-shape' for generations to come. In a special edition of The Life Scientific, recorded in front of an audience at the museum in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyards, Professor Jim Al-Khalili discovers how cutting-edge science is keeping history afloat.
###
####
Higher quality (128kbps)
Lower quality (64kbps)
Available now
26 minutes
Last on
Mon 9 Feb 2026
01:32GMT
BBC World Service & Live News
More episodes
Previous
The Life Scientific: Peter Knight
Next
The Life Scientific: AP De Silva
See all episodes from Discovery
Broadcasts
Mon 2 Feb 2026
20:32GMT
BBC World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & Europe and the Middle East only
Mon 2 Feb 2026
21:32GMT
BBC World Service except Online, Americas and the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East & UK DAB/Freeview
Tue 3 Feb 2026
05:32GMT
BBC World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
Space
The eclipses, spacecraft and astronauts changing our view of the Universe
The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry
[The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry]
A pair of scientific sleuths answer your perplexing questions. Ask them anything!
Podcast
Discovery
Explorations in the world of science.
Similar programmes
By genre:
- Factual > Science & Nature
By format:
Magazines & Reviews
[BBC World Service homepage]
News in more than 40 languages