Shipwreck off the coast of England is a Dutch 17th century warship.

Two guns on the seabed.Photo: Cathy De Lara, Historic England

A shipwreck found off the south coast of England is almost certainly the Klein Hollandia, a 17th-century Dutch warship discovered by a team of Dutch and British marine archaeologists.

The Klein Hollandia was built in 1656 and was used in all naval battles between the Dutch Republic and the British until her sinking in 1672. confrontation Beyond commercial interests.

It was captured by the British when they attacked a trading convoy in which Klein Hollandier participated. However, the ship sank off Eastbourne when the British towed the booty home.

The wreck was discovered by an amateur diver in 2019 at a depth of 32 meters and is reported to be “extremely well preserved” by the Dutch and British Heritage Services. Said.

Divers found numerous bronze cannons, Italian pottery, and marble slabs bearing the manufacturer’s name, along with a substantial portion of the wooden hull. These are believed to have come from quarries near Carrara. Experts said the slabs are probably for luxury homes in the Dutch Republic.

“This was the first time I’d seen a bronze cannon on the ocean floor,” marine archaeologist Martin Manders told broadcaster NOS. “You see the sparkle, it’s amazing.”

wood measurements. Photo: Martin Davis, English Heritage

A study of archival material and the age of the timber helped identify the ship. “All the clues we find point to Klein Hollandia.

British and Dutch experts will continue to work together to conduct further research on the wreck. Smaller pieces of cargo have been hoisted, but heavier pieces remain out of the way on site. “When you interfere with a site, it changes the context and you can’t undo it, so we keep things simple,” Manders said.

Klein Hollandia’s work is part of a larger Anglo-Dutch project to preserve our joint maritime heritage.The two countries cooperated in previous investigations Rosswake, VOC ship sunk off Goodwin Sands in 1740.