1/4. Join Dan for the first episode in a mini-series telling four stories of ships that have shaped Britain and its maritime history, from the trade that kickstarted the global food chain to the technology that revolutionised our ability to conquer the seas.

The Cutty Sark was the fastest ship of her day and could carry over a million pounds of tea from China back to Britain for a thirsty Victorian public. She ruled the waves at the height of Britain's imperial century as she carried trade goods across the globe as far as Australia. To make the treacherous journey across the world's biggest oceans, she was equipped with state-of-the-art technology and surveyed by the Lloyd's Register, the world's first ship classification society. Before the Lloyd's Register, shipbuilding in Britain was something of a wild west.

Dan and Senior Archivists from Lloyd's Register Foundation Max Wilson and Zach Schieferstein meet on board the Cutty Sark to delve into the story of this magnificent ship and what it tells us about shipbuilding and trade in the 19th century.

You can find out more about Lloyd's Register Foundation, its history and its work that supports research, innovation and education to help the global community tackle the most pressing safety and risk challenges. Just go to https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. Peta Stamper is the production manager and Beth Donaldson is the production coordinator for the series 'Ships that Made the British Empire'.

We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.