Grave slabs recovered from England's oldest shipwreck

The grave slabs will undergo conservation before going on display

A number of grave slabs from England's oldest known shipwreck have been recovered by maritime archaeologists.

The remains of the 13th Century Mortar Wreck were discovered in Poole Bay, off Dorset, in 2020.

Cauldrons, cups, pottery and kitchen objects have already been brought to the surface.

A team from Bournemouth University has returned to the site to raise the carved slabs, along with stone mortars - made for grinding flour.

Dr Derek Pitman, head of archaeology at the university, said the wreck was "really well preserved".

"It was full of stone mortars and burial slabs. I've never seen anything like it," he said.

"It probably hit some choppy waters as it was leaving the harbour.

"It's a substantial ship and had a relatively large cargo."

The vessel was loaded with slabs and mortars

Dr Pitman said it was believed the stone was brought overland from the southern Purbeck area to Poole Harbour where it was loaded on the ship but, when it sailed out to Studland Beach, it sank.

In 2022, the Mortar Wreck was given protected status, making it the oldest protected wreck in England.

Its timbers date from between 1242 and 1265. Before it was found, there were no known wrecks of seagoing ships dating from the 11th to 14th Centuries in English waters.

Dr Pitman said: "I've been privileged to see them bringing things up from the ship.

"Bringing up mortars was a fairly straightforward process but they were out with a monstrous barge anchored to the sea bed, bringing up huge crates with these massive Purbeck stone slabs."

The objects will undergo conservation work. They will eventually go on display in Poole Museum which is currently closed for a £4.3m redevelopment.