The remains of a 17th-century ship recently resurfaced after winter storms ripped open a beach in the United Kingdom.
The vessel was found at Studland Beach in Dorset, along the southwestern coast of England. Bournemouth University announced the discovery in a Feb. 9 press release.
The ship is believed to be a vessel called « The Fame, » a merchant ship from Hoorn, the Netherlands, that sank in 1631 after running aground.
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The timbers measure nearly 20 feet long and about 6.5 feet wide, and officials said the ship’s section « consists of at least 15 frames connected with wooden treenails to five outer hull planks. »
The statement noted, « The frames appear eroded, but the hull planks are in excellent condition. »
« There would originally have been another layer of planking on the inside of the vessel, but this appears to have been lost. »
The planks have been buried since the 1630s and have been « intermittently exposed » since, according to the university.
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« This explains why the inner planks are missing and frames eroded, while the outer hull planks survive in such good condition, » said the statement.
Though the timbers surfaced only recently, the wreck itself was first discovered in the 1990s in the Swash Channel near Poole Harbor.
During a 2013 excavation, archaeologists noted some pieces were missing — and now believe those sections have been found.
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The ship « would have been capable of carrying more than 40 guns to defend itself against pirates during voyages to the Caribbean to bring back salt, » per the statement.
Also, the ship was reported to have dragged its anchor, grounding on a nearby, notorious sandbank where it broke its back, » the university said.
« Records state that all 45 crew abandoned ship safely, but local residents quickly set to work looting the wreck. »
Tracey Churcher, general manager of the National Trust in Purbeck, called the discovery « a real treasure. »
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« I’m always astounded by the history we find at Studland, » she said in a statement.
« The wooden tree nails are still in place and holding after 400 years — what a testament to the craftsmanship at the time. »
An excavation is slated for the near future, said Fleur Castell, a spokesperson for the National Trust.
Castell told Fox News Digital the discovery « highlights the dynamic and constantly evolving nature of Studland’s coastline. »
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« Four hundred years ago, the area that’s now the beach, where the wreck was revealed, was open sea, » she said.
Shifting sands and powerful winter storms have accelerated changes along the coastline, Castell added — exposing fragile sections of the protected wreck that officials say must not be disturbed.
The release said visitors « are asked to help protect the site by not touching or damaging the exposed timbers. »
Tom Cousins, a maritime archaeologist who inspected the wreck, told Fox News Digital the site is currently being protected by the National Trust.
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« Historic England will then fund a project to get the timbers back to our conservation lab in Poole, where we can record them in detail, » he said.
Dendrochronology testing will determine the exact age — and identity, the experts hope — of the ship.
The discovery is the latest in a long list of historic maritime finds over the past year.
Last summer, officials announced that they identified two slave ships off the coast of Central America.
Also, last year, a centuries-old ship was found beneath a former fish market in Spain.
Source link : https://www.foxnews.com/travel/winter-storms-reveal-possible-17th-century-shipwreck-tied-armed-caribbean-voyages
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Publish date : 2026-02-25 11:00:00
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