Archaeologists working ahead of drainage repairs at the Old Quay car park have uncovered the remains of a wooden ship that may have lain beneath the harbour for more than 600 years. Around nine metres of the lower hull survive, including overlapping oak planks, curved frames and part of the keel, preserved in waterlogged silt.
The find was made by a team from the Wrenhaven Archaeological Trust, which was called in when contractors struck timber two metres below the surface. Early estimates, based on the construction method and pottery found nearby, suggest the vessel was built in the 14th century. Tree-ring dating of the oak should give a more precise date within a few months.
Ships like this carried wool, salt and wine along the coast. We have documents about them, but almost never the boats themselves.
So said the trust's director, Dr Rowan Ashby-Clarke. She said the area had been open water in the Middle Ages, before the quay was pushed seaward in the 1700s, and the ship had probably been abandoned and filled with rubble to help build up the new waterfront. Barrel staves, a leather shoe and a small wooden bowl were found among the timbers.
Race against the air
Once exposed, waterlogged wood begins to crack and shrink quickly, so the team is working under shade tents and spraying the timbers with water every hour. Each piece is being recorded with a 3D scanner before it is lifted. The timbers will then go to a conservation tank at the Museum of the Sea, where they will be soaked in a wax solution for up to three years.
The city council has agreed to pause the drainage works for six weeks and to redesign the pipe route so it avoids any further remains. Viewing platforms are open to the public from 10am to 4pm on weekdays, and volunteers are explaining the dig to visitors. The museum says it hopes one day to display the reconstructed hull close to where it was found.