For those with a head for heights and a spirit of adventure, the SS Great Britain is offering a dizzying experience.

Visitors to the UK can be immersed in the life of a 19th century sailor on board engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s most famous ship.

Go Aloft allows thrill-seekers to don a harness and scale the rigging of the great ship, 27 metres above the deck –giving breathtaking views of the city of Bristol.

They can then traverse the yardarm, which will take them nine metres out across the ship below, before returning to solid ground.

Go Aloft was officially launched on April 5 by ‘Mr Brunel’, played by Simon Strain and the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Faruk Choudhury.

For those wishing to stay on deck, crew re-enactment volunteers will be on hand to bring the experience of being on board a passenger steam ship to life.

It would have been scary

Rhian Tritton, director of conservation and education for the SS Great Britain Trust, said: “In everything we do we aim to take visitors back in time and show them what the conditions on board would have been like for passengers and crew alike.

“It would have been opulence and luxury for the first-class passengers, but scary and pretty dangerous for the hard-working crew.

“Although Go Aloft is an accurate representation of what they would have had to do, we’re not making visitors climb the rigging in bare feet – they will be wearing a harness and sensible shoes at all times.”

Tickets cost £10 (€12) and can be bought on the day of visiting.

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