Norfolk remembers its most famous son with two-month-long Nelson exhibition

This is the bullet which killed Britain's greatest sailor.

Still fused with a piece of gold lace which it ripped from Nelson's uniform as it tore through his left shoulder and caused fatal wounds on October 21 1805, the lead shot is the most treasured item to go on show at a major exhibition in the admiral's home county for two months.

Norwich Castle Museum is hosting Nelson and Norfolk between July 29 and October 1, celebrating both the naval leader's life and his strong ties with the county.

The 15mm musket ball which killed him - fired by a French sharpshooter - was recovered by Victory's surgeon at Trafalgar, William Beatty, mounted in a locket and eventually presented to Queen Victoria 40 years.

Joining it at the exhibition will be Nelson's undress coat and hat, which he wore at the Battle of the Nile; the hat features in the iconic portrait of Nelson by the artist William Beechey, also on display.

And there' a dramatic black velvet drape from Nelson's funeral carriage bearing the single emotive word 'Trafalgar', together with the commemorative hatchment were both used at his funeral and have not been seen together since circa 1826, possibly even since the funeral itself.

"The people of Norfolk are understandably proud to claim Nelson as one of our own - with this exhibition we can take stock of what his influence and reputation has meant to both his home county and the country as a whole," said Margaret Dewsbury of Norfolk County Council.

"To be able to include items which take us from his birth in the beautiful Norfolk village of Burnham Thorpe to his heroic death at Trafalgar is remarkable and moving and will make for an unforgettable experience for visitors."