DIVERS have discovered more well-preserved sections of an incredible warship from the 17th century at a wreck off the UK coast.
Recent surveys have found that the ship – HMS Northumberland – is in a remarkable state of preservation, with divers uncovering its hull 20 metres deep and roughly nine miles off the Kent coast.
PADivers have discovered the well-preserved hull of HMS Northumberland[/caption]
PAShifting sands off the Kent coast have uncovered parts of the ship that have never been seen before[/caption]
PARopes were found as were chests containing cannonballs[/caption]
The warship was built in 1679 and served in many major naval battles before it sank during the Great Storm of 1703.
After first being discovered in 1980, divers have now been able to see a large section of the ship’s hull thanks to sinking sands off the Kent coast.
Crews have found timbers and ropes still attached to the ship as well as unopened caskets – all of which have been protected from erosion and decay in the sand.
On top of this, divers have found copper cauldrons and wood chests with some preserved cannonballs inside which have survived “particularly well”.
Mystery also surrounds three other warships that sank during the same storm.
The vessels, which were all part of the fleet of Queen Anne, were brought down by the historic storm, but HMS Northumberland is the only one of the four to have ever been found.
Historic England‘s survey, organised with divers from MSDS Marine, discovered more of the preserved wreckage but there are now concerns erosion could take place.
Since the sands have now shifted, the well-preserved sections of the ship are exposed, leaving it at a high risk of deterioration, Historic England said.
The warship is considered to be one of the “best preserved” wooden ships.
Dan Pascoe, holder of the licence to dive at the wreck site, said: “The Northumberland has the potential to be one of the best-preserved wooden warships in the UK.
“However, at 20 metres underwater and nine miles offshore, it is out of sight and mind to most people.”
The Northumberland was a third rate 70-gun warship built in Bristol as part of Samuel Pepys’s regeneration of the English Navy.
‘IT IS A RACE AGAINST TIME’
A film made by streaming service History Hit aired yesterday, detailing the new survey and the initial construction of the Northumberland.
Creator Dan Snow said: “Northumberland is the missing link.
“Built roughly halfway between the Mary Rose and HMS Victory, this wreck can fill in crucial details of shipbuilding and life at sea at that pivotal moment in our history.
“We have the Mary Rose, the ‘Tudor time capsule’ – well here’s a Stuart time capsule to sit alongside it.”
Future work on the site may include taking wood samples or dendrochronological sampling to find out more about the ship’s construction and confirm its identity.
Paul Jeffery, marine leader at Historic England, said: “The completeness of the Northumberland wreck site is remarkable.
“It is a race against time as more of the Northumberland wreck becomes exposed.”
PADivers are making the most of the shifting sands as they may soon lead to the erosion of the well-preserved site[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
