Sailing has always been a risky business.Sailing comes with the threat of wreck, and excavating wrecks is a risky business.
The Mortar Wreck, a ship from the 13th Century, was discovered by a local diver out in Poole Harbour and is one of the oldest shipwrecks in Britain.
Gareth Jarvis describes diving on a wreck:
“You get the archaeology of the wreck and you get the fish everywhere. I mean, I’ve seen sea bass hunting around the wreck, loads of crabs ,loads of lobsters but it is actually a very scenic dive. It’s very visual and it’s wonderful and just floating around it is good.”
Did you know?
A huge Iron Age Logboat was dredged up near Brownsea Island in 1964. It didn’t rot because it was submerged in the mud. It is on display at Poole Museum.
See it in person at Poole Museum
Head to the Shipwreck! Gallery.
See artefacts from local wrecks including the Mortar Wreck and the Swash Channel Wreck - believed to be a Dutch merchant ship named The Fame, which sank in Poole Harbour in 1631.