The two artefacts from La Belle Marie, the last ship to sail from Brockweir, came together as part of a two-day history exhibition in the village, organised by the Brockweir History Group and Brockweir Inn CBS.
The exhibition marks the launch of the Reimagining Brockweir art project, which aims to explore and share the village’s history through creative workshops.
Lise Brekmore, project lead, said: “This is such an important project for the newly bought community pub.
“The building has been a pub since the 1700s and was integral with the other 16 pubs in the village to the ship-building and port business in Brockweir.
“The history of the village is very important and we are excited to be re-telling it through this project.”
Supported by the Historic England Everyday Heritage Grant, the project focuses on celebrating working class histories and the places tied to them.
The programme is community-led and will draw on digital and archival resources from the Brockweir History Group to uncover and share stories from the village’s past.
A series of free workshops will take place throughout August, open to all ages.
The first, on August 2, will be a photography session with professional photographer David Broadbent, who will guide participants in capturing images that reflect Brockweir’s historic character.
These photographs will help inform two art workshops on August 16 and 30, led by international artist Matthew Stone.
Mr Stone will encourage participants to weave personal narratives into the artwork to create a collective visual record of Brockweir’s past and present.
The final archive will be held by Brockweir Inn CBS for the community.
The Brockweir Inn, a 16th-century tavern on the River Wye, was purchased by the Brockweir Inn Community Benefit Society in December 2024.
