, nearly the slowest of any British ironclad. Armament The ship was designed to carry an armament of 14 rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns eight-inch and 2 RML seven-inch guns. Lord Warden was completed, however, with a pair of RML nine-inch guns, 14 RML guns, and 2 RML guns. The latter guns served as forward chase guns on the main deck where they were very wet and useless in a head sea. One of the guns was the forward chase gun on the upper deck and the other became the stern chase gun on the main deck. A dozen of the guns were mounted on the main deck on the broadside amidships and the remaining pair were positioned on the quarterdeck on the broadside. The shell of the nine-inch gun weighed while the gun itself weighed . It had a muzzle velocity of and was rated with the ability to penetrate of wrought-iron armour. The eight-inch gun weighed ; it fired a shell at a muzzle velocity of and was credited with the ability to penetrate of armour. The seven-inch gun weighed and fired a shell that was able penetrate of armour. Armour The entire side of Lord Wardens hull, except for the side of the upper deck, was protected by wrought-iron armour that tapered from at the ends to amidships. It extended below the waterline. The forward chase guns on the upper deck were protected by 4.5-inch armour plates on the sides of the hull and a 4.5-inch transverse bulkhead to their rear protected them from raking fire. The armour was backed by of oak and the iron skin of the ship. Construction and service Lord Warden, named after the position of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, was ordered on 25 May 1863 from Chatham Naval Dockyard. She was laid down on 24 December 1863 and launched on 27 May 1865. The ship was commissioned in July 1867 to run her sea trials and completed on 30 August, for the cost of £328,998 or £322,843, exclusive of armament. After a few months service with the Channel Squadron, Lord Warden was posted to the Mediterranean. On 30 January 1868, the wooden steam frigate was caught by a squall whilst taking up her berth in Valletta Harbour, Malta. She collided with the , knocking off her bowsprit and then collided with Lord Warden, damaging some of the latter's boats and