The London: Shipwreck collection to 'rival best in country'

This leather shoe was brought up by diver Steve Ellis at the end of July

A diver who has helped to recover "thousands of items" from a 17th Century shipwreck has said the finds "rival the best collections" in the country.

The London sank off Southend-on-Sea in 1665 and was only rediscovered in 2005.

Artefacts salvaged from the wreck since 2010 have included shoes, pieces of instruments and a compass.

Steven Ellis, a licensed diver from Leigh-on-Sea, said the finds were remarkably well-preserved.

Mr Ellis, who works as a fishmonger, said The London was the last surviving "large ship" built between 1642 and 1660 for the Anglo/Dutch War from "such an important period of time".

'Human remains found'

An estimated 300 people drowned when the ship mysteriously exploded on a journey along the coast to Gravesend and sank on 8 March 1665.

Mr Ellis said: "I've been diving it since 2010 and we've brought loads of bits up.

"We've found two gun carriages, all kinds of personal items like shoes, a compass - loads of stuff.

"You can see by the shoe how well-preserved things are."

Steve Ellis' wife Carol found what is thought to be a violin peg among the wreckage of The London

"When they eventually go on display, there is going to have to be a whole wing of the museum for them," he said.

Mr Ellis, who worked closely with teams from Historic England, said he had found a number of human remains during his exploration of the ship.

He said: "It's like detective work. It's not just diving and bringing stuff up, it's putting the artefacts together, working out where you are, what it would have been like.

A reconstruction of how The London would have looked before she sank

"I'm no expert but we have got experts around us. I always say it's like a Sunday League footballer being phoned up by the Premiership."

Southend Museum Service is intending to put the exhibits on display and planning on making finds from The London a key part of a new museum on the seafront, when it eventually opens.