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A preserved shipwreck from 1703 was recently documented in stunning detail for the first time – with experts cautioning that it may not stay this way for very long.
Researchers dove off the coast of Kent, England, to view the wreck of “The Northumberland” last summer. The Stuart-era ship was built in 1679 and sank during the Great Storm of 1703. (See the video at the top of this article.)
The site was designated a Protected Wreck Site in 1981 — but it hasn’t been seen so clearly until now.
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Officials revealed the results of the dive on July 31, sharing pictures of a shipwreck covered by marine sediment. The sands have aided the survival of the wreck, which is roughly 50 to 65 feet underwater.
The dive was conducted by Historic England, British coastal contractor MSDS Marine and Dan Pascoe, the licensee of the wreck.
“The Northumberland,” a British warship built in 1679, sank off the Kent coast during the Great Storm of 1703. Now, stunning new images have emerged. (Michael Pitts / History Hit; MSDS Marine)
Historic England told Fox News Digital that divers found an extensive hull structure, exposed deck planks and the wooden frame of the ship – which is “much more than previously thought.”
Among the finds were multiple wooden chests – some still containing musketballs – as well as one sealed chest with unknown contents.
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Researchers also came across seven iron cannons, along with copper cauldrons and rope.
Experts cited shifting sands as the main threat to the wreck.
Hefin Meara, a maritime archaeologist at Historic England, told Fox News Digital the sand on the coast of England is “highly dynamic.”
“The Northumberland” was part of Queen Anne’s Royal Navy — and one of four warships lost in the 1703 storm. (Pascoe Archaeology)
Only the most robust materials, such as anchors and iron cannons, tend to survive.
“The Goodwin Sands provide an excellent environment for the preservation of organic material, such as ship timbers, rope and other objects,” he said.
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“Once the sand cover migrates away from the wreck site, biological and physical processes can cause the wreck to deteriorate very quickly,” he also said.
“‘The Northumberland’ has so much potential to tell us more about the English Navy and ships of the period.”
He noted that archaeologists will continue focusing on surveying the site instead of removing the artifacts, which could jeopardize the integrity of the site.
Archaeologists discovered several wooden chests aboard the wreck — one was sealed, its contents still unknown. (MSDS Marine)
Pascoe noted that “The Northumberland” “has the potential to be one of the best-preserved wooden warships in the U.K.”
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MSDS’s Alison James emphasized the wealth of information that the wreck could provide about the Stuart era.
“‘The Northumberland’ has so much potential to tell us more about the English Navy and ships of the period,” she said.
“‘The Northumberland’ has the potential to be one of the best-preserved wooden warships in the U.K,” said Dan Pascoe, the diver licensed to monitor the wreck. (Michael Pitts / History Hit)
Many historic shipwrecks have been found and documented across the United Kingdom in recent years.
In Feb. 2024, a teenager found an American Revolution warship on a Scottish beach.
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More recently, a former military pilot identified a 19th-century shipwreck in the English Channel.
