HMS Trincomalee was built in 1817

But HMS Trincomalee will be moving just a few yards as it makes way for improvements to the maritime museum which is its base.

The vessel is swapping places with a paddle steamer as work begins on a �1.6m project to revamp Hartlepool's Maritime Experience.

HMS Trincomalee was built in 1817 and is the oldest ship afloat in the UK, according to the trust that runs it.

In the vessel's first move in 10 years, it will make a short voyage into the neighbouring Jackson Basin, where it will be temporarily moored.

The Wingfield Castle was built in 1934

The regeneration of the visitor attraction is being funded by One NorthEast, Hartlepool Council and the HMS Trincomalee Trust.

The trust's general manager Bryn Hughes said: "There are a number of challenges to overcome during the move, but it should be a spectacular sight."

HMS Trincomalee was built for the Admiralty in Bombay and is the last of the commissioned frigates of the Nelson era. It served in the West Indies and the Pacific.

It was stationed in West Hartlepool between 1862 and 1877 as a training ship, returned to the town in 1987 and restored between 1990 and 2001.

The Wingfield Castle was built in Hartlepool in 1934 as a passenger ferry between the Humber and New Holland.

She was restored in the 1980s and is used as a coffee shop.