Medieval "Mortar Wreck" — 13th‑Century Ship Salvaged After Decades as 'Rubbish'

The Mortar Wreck, a 13th‑century English vessel dated to around 1250, was recovered after being long misidentified as modern construction debris. Found about a mile off Dorset, the Irish‑oak ship carried stone mortars and two Purbeck grave slabs; a cracked hull suggests it may have collapsed under roughly 29.5 tons of cargo. Many finds are now exhibited at Poole Museum, shedding light on medieval trade and shipbuilding.

05:05 AM, 12/02/2025Culture

Medieval "Mortar Wreck" — 13th‑Century Ship Salvaged After Decades as 'Rubbish'

After centuries on the floor of the English Channel, material from one of England’s oldest surviving shipwrecks has finally been brought ashore. The site went uninvestigated for years because it was repeatedly dismissed as modern construction debris — until a closer look in 2019 revealed otherwise.

Discovery

Bournemouth University maritime archaeologist Tom Cousins led a team that revisited the site and found substantial timber remains of a medieval hull and a well‑preserved cargo. "Our skipper said, ‘Have you ever dived this mark?’ We said, ‘No — because it’s rubbish, there’s nothing there,’" Cousins recalled. The targeted inspection quickly proved that the site was far older and more significant than anyone had assumed.

The Ship and Its Cargo

Named the Mortar Wreck for the stone mortars recovered among the finds, the vessel dates to around 1250. Built of Irish oak, the ship was carrying an unusually heavy load: dozens of stone mortars used for grinding food and two carved grave slabs made from Purbeck stone. Quarried only on the Isle of Purbeck since Roman times, Purbeck stone could be polished to resemble marble and was widely used in important medieval buildings, including Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London; examples have even been traced as far as Denmark.

What Likely Caused the Sinking

While documenting and recovering parts of the hull and cargo, researchers found a significant crack in the timbers. Cousins suggests that this "souped‑up" variant of a Viking‑type vessel may have failed under an estimated 29.5 tons of cargo, causing the ship to founder about a mile off the Dorset coast, roughly 93 miles southwest of London.

Display and Significance

Many of the recovered objects are now on display at Poole Museum, including one of the carved grave slabs whose ornate masonry echoes decoration associated with the tomb of Stephen Langton (Archbishop of Canterbury, 1207–1228). "When we first heard about the discovery of the Mortar Wreck, we were just so excited to play our part in the whole story," said museum collections officer Joe Raine. The exhibit helps illuminate medieval trade in Purbeck stone and everyday seafaring life in 13th‑century England.

Why it matters: The Mortar Wreck is one of the oldest surviving medieval English hulls identified to date. Its cargo and construction offer fresh insights into medieval maritime trade, shipbuilding techniques and the high demand for Purbeck stone across Europe.

Medieval "Mortar Wreck" — 13th‑Century Ship Salvaged After Decades as 'Rubbish'

Discovery

The Ship and Its Cargo

What Likely Caused the Sinking

Display and Significance

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