NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The remains of a 17th-century ship<\/a> recently resurfaced after winter storms ripped open a beach in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n The vessel was found at Studland Beach in Dorset, along the southwestern coast of England<\/a>. Bournemouth University announced the discovery in a Feb. 9 press release.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The timbers measure nearly 20 feet long and about 6.5 feet wide, and officials said the ship’s section “consists\u00a0of at least 15 frames connected with wooden treenails to\u00a0five\u00a0outer hull planks.”<\/p>\n The statement noted, “The frames\u00a0appear\u00a0eroded, but the hull planks are in excellent condition.”<\/p>\n The remains of a 17th-century merchant ship resurfaced at Studland Beach after powerful winter storms, officials say. Underwater pictures show the Swash Channel wreck, possibly related, at right.<\/span> (National Trust, Fleur Castell; Bournemouth University)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “There would originally have been another layer of planking on the inside of the vessel, but this appears to have been lost.”<\/p>\n The planks have been buried since the 1630s and have been “intermittently\u00a0exposed” since, according to the university.\u00a0<\/p>\n ANCIENT PLEASURE BOAT FOUND NEAR PALACE RUINS TIED TO HISTORY’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL QUEEN<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “This explains\u00a0why the inner planks are missing and frames eroded, while the outer\u00a0hull planks\u00a0survive\u00a0in\u00a0such good\u00a0condition,” said the statement.<\/p>\n “The ship\u00a0was reported to have dragged its anchor, grounding\u00a0on a nearby, notorious\u00a0sandbank\u00a0where it broke its back.”<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Though the timbers surfaced only recently, the wreck itself was first discovered in the 1990s in the Swash Channel near Poole Harbor.<\/p>\n During a 2013 excavation, archaeologists noted some pieces were missing \u2014 and now believe those sections have been found.<\/p>\n EXTRAORDINARY MASS GRAVES FROM CENTURIES-OLD BATTLES EMERGE ALONG HIGHWAY ROUTE<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The ship “would\u00a0have\u00a0been capable of carrying\u00a0more than\u00a040 guns to defend itself against pirates\u00a0during\u00a0voyages to the Caribbean<\/a> to bring back salt,” per the statement.<\/p>\n Also, the ship\u00a0was reported to have dragged its anchor, grounding\u00a0on a nearby, notorious\u00a0sandbank\u00a0where it broke its back,” the university said.\u00a0<\/p>\n National Trust officials are urging visitors not to touch or damage the exposed timbers, as shifting sands continue to reveal fragile sections of the protected site.<\/span> (National Trust, Jamie Lamb-Shine)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Records\u00a0state\u00a0that\u00a0all\u00a045 crew abandoned\u00a0ship\u00a0safely, but\u00a0local residents\u00a0quickly set to work looting\u00a0the wreck.”<\/p>\n Tracey Churcher, general manager of the\u00a0National Trust\u00a0in\u00a0Purbeck, called the discovery “a real treasure.”<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “I\u2019m\u00a0always astounded by the history we find at\u00a0Studland,” she said in a statement.<\/p>\n “The wooden tree nails are still in place and holding after 400 years<\/a> \u2014 what a testament to the craftsmanship at the time.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n “Four hundred years ago, the area that’s now the beach, where the wreck was revealed, was open sea.”<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n An excavation is slated for the near future, said Fleur Castell, a spokesperson for the National Trust.<\/p>\n Castell told Fox News Digital the discovery “highlights the dynamic and constantly\u00a0evolving nature of Studland’s coastline.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “Four hundred years ago, the area that’s now the beach, where the wreck was revealed, was open sea,” she said.<\/p>\n Shifting sands and powerful winter storms<\/a> have accelerated changes along the coastline, Castell added \u2014 exposing fragile sections of the protected wreck that officials say must not be disturbed.<\/p>\n The exposed timbers likely belong to “The Fame,” a Dutch merchant vessel that ran aground and sank in 1631, officials said.<\/span> (Bournemouth University)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The release said visitors “are asked to help protect the site by not touching or damaging the exposed timbers.”<\/p>\n Tom Cousins, a maritime archaeologist<\/a> who inspected the wreck, told Fox News Digital the site is currently being protected by the National Trust.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n Dendrochronology testing will determine the exact age \u2014 and identity, the experts hope \u2014 of the ship.<\/p>\n Dendrochronology testing is expected to determine the precise age of the wood and confirm the ship’s identity in the coming months.<\/span> (National Trust, Jamie Lamb-Shine)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The discovery is the latest in a long list of historic maritime finds over the past year.<\/p>\n Last summer, officials announced that they identified two slave ships<\/a> off the coast of Central America.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Also, last year, a centuries-old ship was found beneath a former fish market<\/u><\/a> in Spain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Split](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/uk-historic-ship-discovery-archaeology-historic-find-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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