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Metro
17 hours ago
- General
- Metro
Archaeologists discover 250-year-old shipwreck on remote island
Hiyah Zaidi Published July 24, 2025 3:55pm Link is copied Comments A 250-year-old shipwreck was discovered on the island of Sanday, Orkney, after a school boy uncovered the ribs of the wooden ship poking through the dunes of a remote Scottish beach. This discovery resulted in a team of archaeologists, scientists, and local historians uncovering the vessel's long-lost history. And now, after dedicated research, an answer to its story has emerged (Picture: Wessex Archaeology/PA Wire) Researchers have revealed that the wreck is likely to be the Earl of Chatham, which is an 18th-century warship from the American War of Independence. After the war, the ship had a second life hunting whales in the Arctic, but met a stormy demise in the 'cradle of shipwrecks' in 1788 (Picture: AP) Ben Saunders (pictured), senior marine archaeologist at Wessex Archaeology, said: 'It is thanks to our dedicated team of community researchers and the evidence they have gathered means we have been able to identify the Sanday Wreck with a reasonable degree of confidence. Throughout this project, we have learned so much about the wreck, but also about the community in Sanday in the 1780s. Sanday was infamous for shipwrecks at the time, called 'the cradle of shipwrecks in Scotland', but the community was equally well-known for its hospitality, as it looked after sailors who fell afoul of the area's stormy seas' (Picture: Historic Environment Scotland/PA Wire) The wreck was first discovered in February 2024, after a storm swept away sand that was covering it. It sparked the interest of the island, which is home to around 500 people, and around 270 shipwrecks have been recorded around the 20-square-mile island since the 15th century. Looking at the age of the timber through wood rings revealed that the ship came from southern England in the middle of the 18th century, when record keeping started to begin thoroughly (Picture: Wessex Archaeology/PA Wire) Further research revealed that before it had a life as the Earl of Chatham, it was the HMS Hind, a 24-gun Royal Navy frigate which was built in Chichester in 1749. It had a massive military career, where it helped Britain control Canada from France during the sieges of Louisbourg and Quebec in the 1750s. In the 1770s, it served as a convoy escort during Britain's failed effort to hold onto its American colonies. But in 1784, it was sold off and renamed, becoming a whaling ship, hunting the huge mammals in the Arctic waters off Greenland (Picture: Orkney Islands Council/PA Wire) But in 1788, while the ship was heading out on a whaling trip, it was wrecked in bad weather off Sanday. Turning old Royal Navy ships into whaling ships was common, as their build allowed them to withstand the icy conditions of British whaling routes. The Earl of Chatham completed four seasons in the Arctic before meeting its end in the Bay of Lopness in March 1788. It carried 56 sailors on board at the time, but they all survived (Picture: Orkney Islands Council/PA Wire) Now, the timbers are being preserved in a freshwater tank at the Sanday Heritage Centre, where they will stay for around two years. Keeping the timbers in a tank helps prevent them from decaying, because as soon as they are removed from the sea they start to dry out and break down (Picture: Historic Environment Scotland/PA Wire)
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
250-year-old warship discovered on remote Scottish island; what we know so far
In a remarkable discovery sparked by a schoolboy's curiosity, the remains of a centuries-old wooden ship have surfaced on the remote shores of Sanday, Orkney. As per the BBC reports, a sizable portion of a remarkably well-preserved shipwreck, believed to be several centuries old, has washed up on a beach in Orkney. The structure features large wooden pegs securing the timbers—a construction technique known to have been widely used since the 16th century. The wreck, reportedly, was first spotted in February 2024, after a storm swept away layers of sand, has now been identified to be likely the Earl of Chatham —a former Royal Navy vessel turned Arctic whaler that met its end in 1788. What initially appeared as just wooden ribs jutting out of the dunes quickly caught the attention of archaeologists, scientists, and local historians. Months of dedicated research and dendrochronological analysis—tree ring dating of the timbers—revealed that the ship was constructed from wood sourced in southern England in the mid-18th century. Combined with community-led archival work, this evidence has led experts to conclude that the wreck is most likely the Earl of Chatham . In this image provided by Wessex Archaeology, the Sanday Wreck timbers are seen before being placed in a freshwater tank at the Sanday Heritage Centre, on Orkney, Sept 23, 2024. (Fionn McArthur/Wessex Archaeology via AP) Before its final chapter as a whaling vessel, the ship had an illustrious military past. Originally commissioned as the HMS Hind , a sixth-rate 24-gun frigate built in Chichester in 1749, it played a significant role in British naval campaigns during the 1750s. It saw action during the sieges of Louisbourg and Quebec, helping Britain gain control of parts of Canada from the French. During the 1770s, it also served as a convoy escort amid the American Revolutionary War. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indonesia: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo Read more: Ever wondered what the world would be like without men? Try this island In 1784, following its decommissioning from the Royal Navy, the Hind was sold, renamed the Earl of Chatham , and refitted for whaling in the Arctic waters off Greenland. Its robust naval design made it ideal for enduring the harsh conditions of the British whaling routes. The ship completed four successful Arctic seasons before a powerful storm drove it aground in the Bay of Lopness, Sanday, in March 1788. Despite the wreck, all 56 crew members survived the incident. Sanday, often called 'the cradle of shipwrecks in Scotland,' has a long history of maritime incidents, with over 270 recorded wrecks around its 20-square-mile coastline. However, the island has also been known for its hospitality, something senior marine archaeologist Ben Saunders of Wessex Archaeology highlighted during the project. 'Now that we have this knowledge about the wreck and how it came to rest in Sanday, the next step is is very much to explore what the community here would like to see happen," he said. 'The community was well-known for looking after sailors who fell afoul of the area's stormy seas.' Read more: 7 Indian cities and their coolest local bazaars to explore Today, the remains of the ship are being carefully preserved in a freshwater tank at the Sanday Heritage Centre, funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund. This conservation method prevents the ancient timbers from decaying, as they begin to deteriorate rapidly once exposed to air. Clive Struver, chair of the Sanday Development Trust, called the project 'hugely exciting,' and emphasized that the next step would be to involve the local community in deciding how to share the story and legacy of the Earl of Chatham . From a child's beachside discovery to a full-scale archaeological revelation, the Earl of Chatham not only serves as a window into 18th-century maritime life, but also a powerful reminder of Sanday's enduring connection to the sea.
Euronews
6 days ago
- General
- Euronews
Shipwreck of 18th century warship uncovered on remote Scottish island
When a storm in February 2024 ripped away the sands on a remote beach in Sanday - one of Scotland's far-flung, sea-beaten islands - it revealed something astonishing: the ribs of an old wooden ship, long buried beneath the dunes. The ghostly remains quickly stirred excitement among the 500-strong island community, for whom the ocean is both a livelihood and a lurking danger. 'I would regard it as a lucky ship, which is a strange thing to say about a ship that's wrecked,' says Ben Saunders, senior marine archaeologist at Wessex Archaeology, which helped locals lead the investigation. 'I think if it had been found in many other places it wouldn't necessarily have had that community drive, that desire to recover and study that material, and also the community spirit to do it.' It wasn't the first shipwreck Sanday had seen. Around 270 wrecks have been recorded around the island's 20-square-mile coastline since the 1400s. But this one felt different. Locals leapt into action. Farmers rolled up in tractors and trailers to haul 12 tons of oak timbers from the beach, while island researchers set about trying to unravel the ship's origins. Using dendrochronology - the study of tree rings - experts discovered the timbers hailed from southern England and dated to the mid-1700s. 'You remove ones that are Northern European as opposed to British, you remove wrecks that are too small or operating out of the north of England and you really are down to two or three … and Earl of Chatham is the last one left," says Saunders. Before it was known as the Earl of Chatham, the vessel served as HMS Hind, a 24-gun Royal Navy frigate built in 1749 in Chichester. Its career spanned the highs and lows of the British Empire. In the 1750s, it took part in the sieges of Louisbourg and Quebec, helping Britain snatch control of Canada from France. By the 1770s, it was escorting convoys as Britain struggled - and ultimately failed - to hold onto its American colonies. Decommissioned in 1784 and sold to private owners, the ship was renamed and transformed into a whaler, hunting in the Arctic waters off Greenland. Saunders notes that in 1787, 'there were 120 London-based whaling ships in the Greenland Sea, the Earl of Chatham among them.' But the voyage the following year would be its last. Caught in bad weather en route to the whaling grounds, the ship was wrecked just off Sanday's coast. Incredibly, all 56 crew members survived. Today, its timbers are being carefully preserved in a freshwater tank at the Sanday Heritage Centre, with hopes to eventually place them on permanent display.
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Researchers said the shipwreck was British frigate HMS Hind - it intercepted American ships in the Atlantic
The Sanday wreck is believed to be the 18th-century HMS Hind, a navy frigate that became a whaling vessel. Photo / Wessex Archaeology, Orkney Islands Council Ferocious winter storms are not unusual on the remote island of Sanday, jutting off Scotland's northern coast. But when a storm buffeted a beach there last year, a long-buried surprise was revealed beneath the sand: A 9m wooden shipwreck. The mystery of the oak hull's provenance was revealed
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Science
- Washington Post
Shipwreck of Revolutionary War frigate resurfaces on Scottish beach
LONDON — Ferocious winter storms are not unusual on the remote island of Sanday, jutting off Scotland's northern coast. But when a storm buffeted a beach there last year, a long-buried surprise was revealed beneath the sand: A 30-foot-long wooden shipwreck. The mystery of the oak hull's provenance was revealed Wednesday by a team of archaeologists and historians: The wreck was probably HMS Hind, a British frigate that once fought in the American Revolutionary War and sank off the island over 230 years ago.
