SS Great Britain wins tourism Oscar

The SS Great Britain in Bristol has received the accolade of the UK's best large tourist attraction at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence.

The world's first propeller-driven steamship capable of ploughing the oceans won the award in conjunction with Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, reports the BBC.

The ship, which was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and was launched from Bristol in 1843, is visited by an estimated 200,000 visitors each year.

It served first as a liner, then as an emigrant ship to Australia, before becoming a troop carrier during the Crimean War.

Following a fire on board in the Falkland Islands in 1886, it was used as a depository for wool before being towed back to Bristol in 1970, since when a huge amount of repair work has been carried out.

In 2005 an £11.3 million project on the ship was completed, allowing visitors the opportunity to enjoy it from all angles before stepping onboard.

The ship won the Gulbenkian Prize for galleries and museums last year.