HMS Irresistible 1859

Launched at Chatham 27-10-1859, and fitted for sea at Sheerness.
The Figurehead, a representation of Zeus was carved by Hellyer & Son of Portsmouth. The Hellyer’s original drawing depicted the figure with his right arm stretched out behind him, holding a thunderbolt.
The ship ended up at Bermuda as a depot ship. She was in service there from 1868-1891 when she was sold to Pearman Watlington & Co to be broken up. When the ship was broken up, the figurehead came ashore where it presided for many years over Clarence Cove at Admiralty House in Spanish Point. During this time the arms were replaced, with the right arm now facing forward holding a trident thus converting the figure to a representation of Neptune.

He remained at Bermuda for nearly eighty years, before returning to the place of his creation – Chatham Dockyard. Over the years attempts have been made to restore this immense figure whose central core had completely rotted away.

In 2024 he was transported to my workshop in Oxfordshire to undergo an extensive programme of restoration, which commenced with the total removal of all previous attempts, to leave just what remained of the original figure. The images below give an indication to the extent of this work, which included the removal of an internal steel structure.

Having removed all previous intervention, the rebuilding can commence, initially by building up a new central core in timber to contain what remains of the original figure so that it can be conserved with consolidating resin.