Archaeologists in race against time to save shipwreck uncovered by storms on edge of nudist beach

Archaeologists have successfully excavated a section of a 17th century shipwreck that was uncovered by winter storms on the edge of a nudist beach.

The maritime experts were in a race against time to save the exposed historic timbers from being destroyed by the sea on Studland Beach in Dorset.

It is believed to be part of the Swash Channel Wreck - a Dutch merchant ship called The Fame with Hoorn that ran aground and sank in the key shipping approach to Poole Harbour in 1631.

The discovery was made at the National Trust-owned Knoll Beach at the end of January following Storm Chandra but the continued stormy weather put the historic wood, thought to be from a midship hull section, in danger of being broken apart by strong waves.

Maritime archaeologists from Bournemouth University were helped on Thursday by the National Trust's youth group, made up from local school students.

The operation got underway once the tide had started going out at about 10am, moving tonnes of sand before the timbers could be carefully lifted out and dismantled for testing and storage.

It is approximately 20ft long and nearly 7ft wide and consists of at least 15 eroded wooden frames connected with wooden treenails to five outer hull planks which are in excellent condition.

They will be reconstructed in the university's conservation labs.

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Dendrochronology testing will be carried out to identify when and where the exposed timbers used to build the ship were grown.

These results will enable experts to conclude whether they match those previously analysed from the Swash Channel Wreck.

A large part of the 130ft long ship was discovered in the Swash Channel in the 1990s, excavated in 2013 and is now in the Poole Museum.

The Fame of Hoorn was estimated to be around 130ft long, 33ft wide and 50ft high.

It would have been capable of carrying more than 40 guns to defend itself against pirates during voyages to the Caribbean to bring back salt.

The ship was reported to have dragged its anchor, grounding on a nearby notorious sandbank where it broke its back.

Records state that all 45 of the crew abandoned ship safely, but local residents quickly set to work looting the wreck.

The wreck was discovered by divers in the 1990s and parts of it were excavated in a major project in 2013.

In the largest excavation since the Mary Rose, parts of the wreck including the carved head, 25ft rudder and other artefacts were brought to the surface.

The wreck at Studland emerged in the aftermath of Storm Chandra which brought heavy rain and 60mph gusts to the south west coast of England.

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Hefin Meara, maritime archaeologist from Historic England, said: "The Swash Channel wreck is one of only 57 shipwrecks around the coast of England designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

"Firmly dated remains of vessels predating 1700 are exceptionally rare.

"We can't say for certain that these fragments come from that wreck site, but it's an intriguing possibility.”

Archaeologists say there would originally have been another layer of planking on the inside of the vessel, but this appears to have been lost.

They believe this suggests that the remains have been buried in sand since the 1630s and intermittently exposed over the centuries.

As a result, the inner planks are missing and frames eroded, while the outer hull planks survive in excellent condition.

Sarah Coggins, coast and marine advisor for the National Trust, said: “In 1630 this section of beach would’ve been open sea.

"Over the past 400 years, sand has been deposited creating the dunes, wetlands and shoreline we see at Studland today..

“That’s why this historic wreck is found buried in sand rather than lying on the seabed and highlights the ever-changing nature of the coast.”

Knoll Beach, a 900 yard stretch of the idyllic four mile long Studland beach, is one of Britain's most popular naturist spots.

Princess Diana once stumbled across it by accident during a secret visit to Studland bay in the late 80s.