Centuries-old Dorset shipwreck given special protection

Underwater video has captured new images of a shipwreck that has become the oldest protected wreck in English waters.

The Mortar Wreck, which was found off the Dorset coast, dates back to the mid-13th Century.

The boat was discovered in 2020 by diver Trevor Small, along with its cargo of gothic gravestones.

Before it was found, there were no known wrecks of seagoing ships from the 11th to 14th Century in English waters.

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20 July 2022