HUNDREDS of people including 30 mayors from across South Wales got a fascinating insight into attempts to piece together the 1,700 pieces of the medieval Newport Ship.

The warehouse storing 19 water tanks in which dismembered planks are being stored was opened to the public on Saturday.

Organisers estimated that hundreds of people attended the exhibition at Maesglas Industrial Estate, organised in partnership with Newport council and Friends of the Newport Ship.

Newport Mayor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi was among the civic leaders attending the event.

People watched as volunteers cleaned pieces of timber while others used the latest technology to map the dimensions of each piece.

The recording work should be complete by Christmas, after which the planks can be dried and preserved, a process expected to take up to five years.

The Newport Ship was discovered in the banks of the River Usk four years ago and is believed to date back to the 15th century.