A new exhibition dedicated to the 17th-century wreck of the London is now underway at Southend Central Museum. “The London Shipwreck: Her Final Voyage” is due to run until the end of May next year.
The museum already has a permanent display of artefacts recovered from the 17th-century wreck, but the new showcase focuses on the “final voyage” of preservation undertaken by items between their recovery and display.
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New conservation techniques and scientific analyses conducted on the objects under the guidance of Historic England over the years have revealed a range of unexpected historical information, say the curators.
Included in the show are a number of never-before seen artefacts now out of conservation, the star of which is the timber gun-carriage that would have held one of the warship’s cannon, one of very few of its kind in existence.
The London was a 76-gun second-rate warship best-known for having escorted Charles II back to England during the Restoration. In 1665, while preparing to join the fleet for the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the vessel suffered a catastrophic gunpowder explosion in the Thames estuary near Southend, killing around 300 of the 350 people on board.
The wreck now lies in two parts and is a designated Protected Wreck. Over the years, shifting tides and heavy shipping traffic have exposed parts of the site, revealing more of its remarkably well-preserved artefacts but also threatening the wreck’s endurance.
The London wreck has also become famous for being entrusted to a small team of dedicated local scuba divers led by trustee Steve Ellis, and their story can be found elsewhere on Divernet.
The new exhibition can be seen at the Central Museum between Wednesdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm. Admission prices are £4.50 for adults and £2.50 for children.
Also on Divernet: LONDON DIVERS DISCOVER 1650S BRONZE CANNON, THE ESSEX 3 WHO TOOK ON LONDON, TOUR THE 17TH-CENTURY LONDON WRECK ONLINE, BID UNDER WAY TO SAVE ‘ESSEX MARY ROSE’
