Part of the figurehead of HMS Bristol

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A gleaming white-painted female head served as the figurehead of HMS "Bristol", a robust wooden screw frigate boasting 51 guns and weighing 3027 tons. Constructed at Woolwich Dockyard in 1861, it was later downsized to 31 guns and retired from naval service in 1883. The vessel was subsequently dismantled by Castle & Co., either at Charlton or their facilities at Baltic Wharf, Millbank, Westminster, where the figurehead ultimately came to rest. The site suffered significant damage during the 1941 bombing of the Second World War, resulting in the destruction or damage of many intricately carved figures and ornate decorations, including those inherited by Castle's from Beatson's of Rotherhithe via their shared connection with the Beech family. Notably, this group included a "Fighting Temeraire" head, although it was not the original fiddle-head used at Trafalgar but rather a male bust replica. Fortunately, the remains of all except one - which was rescued by the donor to the Museum - are alleged to have been repurposed as boiler fuel. However, other evidence suggests that Castle's may have transferred some items to Plymouth, including quarter-gallery figures of the "Temeraire", which were subsequently built into a fireplace surround and ultimately lost during the 1944 bombing, along with the firm's records.