HMS Unicorn is a 46-gun Leda-class frigate, launched in 1824. Unicorn is the 3rd oldest ship still afloat in the world (after USS Constitution and HMS Trincomalee) and the fourth oldest surviving ship in Britain (after Mary Rose, HMS Victory and Trincomalee). By the time Unicorn was completed, ‘Pax Britannica’ (the long era of peace in Europe from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the outbreak of the First World War) had begun, so she wasn’t required for service. Masts were never fitted. Instead, a roof was built over Unicorn's weather deck and she was laid up 'in ordinary'. Unicorn was later used as a powder store at Woolwich Arsenal, before being moved to Dundee in 1873 for use as a naval reserve training ship.
Because Unicorn was roofed soon after completion, never saw battle, and only saw the open sea when towed to Dundee, she is the best preserved historic ship in existence. Over 90% of Unicorn's timbers are original to her construction. Compare that with the 'Trigger's Broom' that is the Cutty Sark. On many of Unicorns timbers it is still possible to see the carpenter's marks. These were used in construction as tags to distinguish the type of wood, seasoning and position in the ship. Unicorn's design also includes innovations of the industrial revolution. The hull is reinforced with iron bracing straps and iron knees which support the decks.
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