With the help of Norman & Underwood, Pilkington has come to the rescue of one of the country's national treasures. The Mary Rose, the flagship of Henry VIII was recovered from the seabed in 1982.

A hugely popular tourist attraction, now visitors will have a clear view of this famous wreck, following the installation of Pilkington Optifloat ' and Pilkington Optilam'in the protected viewing gallery.

As part of an ongoing preservation programme, the Mary Rose is sprayed with a wax solution. To protect visitors from the chemicals and dampness, a glass barrier had been erected in the Visitors' Gallery, which eventually became opaque due to chemicals staining the inside pane. In time it has obscured the view.

The new glass was specified and processed by Norman and Underwood (Eastern) at its Kings Lynn factory, supplied by Pilkington Plyglas and framed and assembled by Seaglaze Marine Windows of Norwich, who specialise in custom made marine glazing. Pilkington Optilam' is a laminated glass product that reduces the risk of injury by accidental human impact and remains in place even if broken. It will resist manual penetration and provide some security protection in addition to safety. The glass has been silicon sealed to prevent water penetration.

David Childs CBE, Development Director at the Mary Rose Trust, comments: "The improvement is staggering. Combined with more artistic lighting, the visitors' view is significantly better and we feel it will lead to a greater appreciation of the Mary Rose. With over 250,000 visitors a year, the museum experience has to be of the highest quality. The new glass certainly helps to create that."

The Mary Rose is one of the most important nautical discoveries of the modern world. Reportedly Henry VIII's favourite warship, it was built between 1510 and 1511. She sank in 1545 and was raised to the surface over 400 hundred years later revealing long lost treasures. She is on permanent display at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

To obtain more details e-mail [email protected] or telephone the Technical Helpline on 01744 692000 or visit www.pilkington.com/planar.