Timbers from 17th-century shipwreck wash up on beach after Storm Chandra
Timber believed to be from a historic 17th-century shipwreck washed up on the UK coast after Storm Chandra.
Ship parts discovered at Studland Beach last month are thought to belong to part of the Swash Channel wreck first discovered during a major shipping approach to Poole Harbor in the 1990s.
Historical records suggest that the wreck was of Dutch or German origin; ‘The Fame’, probably from the Dutch merchant ship Hoorn, which ran aground and sank in 1631. Marine archaeologists say the newly uncovered pieces may form a section of the hull that was previously missing from the ship.
“Finding this historic ship piece is really exciting,” said Tom Cousins, who led the team of maritime archaeologists from Bournemouth University (BU) who identified the timbers. “Parts of the ship were missing during our excavation of the Swash Canal wreck in 2013 and we believe part of the hull was uncovered at Studland.”
Winter storms on Jan. 28 exposed at least 15 wooden frames, approximately six feet long and eight feet wide, attached to five outer hull planks with wooden tree nails.
According to archaeologists, the frames are eroded, but while the hull planks are in excellent condition, an additional layer of planking that must have originally been inside the ship appears to have been lost.
Archaeologists have theorized that the remains had been buried in the sand since the 1630s and were unearthed intermittently over the years; This explained why the outer hull planks survived in such good condition, but the inner planks were missing and the frames were corroded.
‘The Fame’ was estimated to be forty meters long, 10 meters wide and 15 meters high and could carry over 40 weapons to defend herself against pirates on her voyages to bring salt to the Caribbean.
The ship reportedly dragged its anchor and ran aground on a nearby infamous beach, where it broke its back. Records state that all 45 crew left the ship safely, but locals quickly began looting the wreckage.
Tracey Churcher, chief executive of the National Trust in Purbeck, which owns the beach, said: “I am always amazed by the history we find at Studland, but this was a real treasure. The wooden nails are still there and lasting after four centuries – what a beautiful testament to the craftsmanship of the time.”
Maritime archaeologist Hefin Meara of Historic England said: “The Swash Channel wreck is one of 57 shipwrecks identified off the coast of England under the Preservation of Wrecks Act 1973. Remains of ships dating to before 1700 are extremely rare. We cannot say with certainty that these items came from that wreck site, but it is an intriguing possibility.”
‘Fame’ is believed to have high status due to rare decorative wood carvings found during excavations; these include an intricately carved head of a man, possibly thought to be a Roman or Dutch soldier of the period.
The origin of the timbers will be confirmed through dendrochronology testing, which will determine when and where the timbers used to build the ship were grown and whether they match those previously analyzed from the Swash Channel wreck.
Protected wrecks have legal protection due to their archaeological and historical significance; This means that any disturbance or interference is only permitted under official licence. If excavated, the timbers will join the collection currently on display at Poole Museum. Visitors are asked to help preserve the site by not touching or damaging exposed timbers.
