A Medieval shipwreck discovered off the coast of Dorset has been declared the UK’s oldest and has been granted the highest level of protected status.
First discovered in the waters of Poole Bay in 2020, it is known as the ‘Mortar Wreck’ because it was found carrying mortar bowls used for grinding grain into flour.
Tree-ring dating of the ship’s timbers revealed it is at least 750 years old, making it the oldest known wreck where the remains of the hull are still visible.
No other wrecks of seagoing ships have ever been found in English waters from the 11th to the 14th century.
Diver viewing a decorated Purbeck stone gravestone on the 13th century Mortar Wreck in Poole Bay, Dorset. It has today been granted the highest level of legal protection by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
The Mortar Wreck was first located by diver and skipper Trevor Small, who has operated diving charters from Poole for the past 30 years, on the edge of the Swash Channel in Poole Bay, Dorset
It is known as the ‘Mortar Wreck’ because it carried mortar bowls used for grinding grain
Numerous artefacts were found onboard the Mortar Wreck, including cauldrons, cups, pottery and kitchen objects (pictured)
Two other sites near the Isle of Wight, dating from the 16th and the 17th century, have also been given protected status under the advice of Historic England. A bronze canon (pictured) was found at the site of the Shingles Bank Wreck NW68. The arms are of Phillip IV of Spain and the gun was made near Brussels for his army
The year 1628 was engraved on the cannon found at the site of the Shingles Bank Wreck NW68. It was used to help date the NW68 vessel to the mid to late 17th century
The Mortar Wreck was first located by diver and skipper Trevor Small, who has operated diving charters from Poole for the past 30 years, on the edge of the Swash Channel.
The vessel is known as a clinker ship in its design, is made from overlapping planks of wood.
The trees used to construct the ship were of Irish oak and were felled between 1242 and 1265, during the reign of King Henry III.
It is still not known where the Mortar Wreck vessel was headed or why it sank, but one theory is that it may have been lost on its way out from the Dorset coast. Pictured are artefacts recovered from the site of the wreck
A cauldron (left) and fragment of pottery (right) recovered from the 13th century Mortar Wreck off the Dorset coast. The vessel is known as a clinker ship in its design, is made from overlapping planks of wood
Mug (left) and grinding stone (right) recovered from the Mortar Wreck. Maritime archaeologist Tom Cousins, from Bournemouth University, said: ‘Very few 750-year-old ships remain for us to be able to see today and so we are extremely lucky to have discovered an example as rare as this, and in such good condition’
Diver viewing a decorated Purbeck stone gravestone on the 13th century Mortar Wreck, Poole Bay, Dorset. Purbeck stone is a form of limestone made from densely packed shells of freshwater snails
The Mortar Wreck vessel is known as a clinker ship in its design, is made from overlapping planks of wood. The trees used to construct the ship were of Irish oak and were felled between 1242 and 1265. Pictured are planks of wood found from the wreck
The NW96 site was dated by the over 50 large lead ingots discovered there, which were cast using a technique that fell out of use around 1580. Pictured are markings on cargo from the NW96 wreck
Archaeologists believe the vessel of the NW68 wreck could have participated in the Battle of Portland in 1653, when the fleet of the Commonwealth of England was attacked by the Dutch Republic during the First Anglo-Dutch War.
It is believed that both the NW68 and NW96 vessels became stranded on the Shingles Bank in the channel before sinking. Pictured is a 3D model of a small part of the NW68 wreck site
The NW68 vessel was dated to the mid to late 17th century, as its cargo includes a canon that was cast in Amsterdam between 1621 and 1661.
It is believed that both of these vessels became stranded on the Shingles Bank in the channel before sinking.
The finds are being investigated by archaeologists from the Maritime Archaeology Trust and Wessex Archaeology, along with the finders Martin Pritchard and Dave Fox.
Surviving wrecks dating pre-1700 is extremely rare, Historic England said, as is finding previously unrecorded wrecks in the Solent, which is a busy shipping route.
With the addition of these three wreck sites, there are now 57 Protected Wreck Sites in English waters.
Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston said: ‘These fascinating shipwrecks can reveal so much to us about our national history and it is right that we protect them for future generations.’
Martin Pritchard, co-finder of the Shingles Bank wrecks, added: ‘I am very pleased that these shipwrecks dating to the 16th and 17th centuries have been granted the highest level of protection. They are a remarkable find.’
