Support our Work Help Save The London Donate Fundraise Follow the Save the London 1665 campaign on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube ----- You can listen our May 2020 podcast recording for Society for Underwater Technology here ----- Between 28th November and 5th December 2023 we are taking part in the BigGive Christmas Challenge 7 Days to Double the value of your Donation thanks to the BigGive and The Reed Foundation. Donate via the BigGive portal to DOUBLE the difference ----- On the 7th March 1665 tragedy struck in the Thames Estuary, when the warship London exploded with the loss of over 300 souls. Today, over 350 years later, the tragedy continues as the wreck site washes away with every passing ship and tide. On the anniversary of the ordering of The London, the 3rd of July 2019, the Nautical Archaeology Society and the London Shipwreck Trust launched the “Save The London” Campaign, to raise £200,000 to support the crucial recovery and conservation of many of the historical artefacts and remains from the protected wreck. £10.00 will pay for a set of storage containers to transport and keep artefacts wet once they have been recovered from the sea. £20.00 will pay for two divers’ air for a working dive on the site. £50.00 pays for the cost of running the team’s dive boat for a trip to the site and back. £100.00 pays for the transport of finds from the site to a conservation facility. £500.00 pays for the conservation of a delicate organic artefact such as a leather shoe. You can donate securely here The launch of the Save the London campaign took place at Southend Central Museum and included guests from Southend Borough Council, local businesses and supporters, the Port of London Authority and Time Team Archaeologist and NAS President Phil Harding. ----- ----- Discover the London IV - 4th March 2023 Our 4th annual event dedicated to the amazing historic shipwreck of The London; included a host of fascinating talks and activities. The #DiscoverTheLondon Event was organised by the Nautical Archaeology Society with the support of Southend Museums and Southend-on-Sea City Council and was sponsored by Dive Master Insurance Venue: The Beecroft Art Galley, Southend-on-Sea Victoria Ave Southend-on-Sea SS2 6EX ---- Timetable: 10.30 - Doors Open 11.00 – 11.15 - Welcome and Introductions - Mark Beattie-Edwards, Nautical Archaeology Society, Southend City Mayor Cllr Kevin Robinson and Anna Firth, MP Southend West 11.15 – 12.00 - Diving the wreck of the London, Steve Ellis, Protected Wreck Licensee 12.00 – 12.30 - The London Wreck Collection, Ciara Phipps and Victoria Rathmill, Southend Museums 12.30 – 14.00 - Lunch Break / See the Artefacts / Visit to Central Museum 14.00 – 14:30 - George Browne, Gunfounder to Cromwell and Charles II, Ruth Rhynas Brown, Retired Curator at the Royal Armouries 14.30 – 15:00 - The gunnery system of the London, Dr Daniel Pascoe, Pascoe Archaeological Services 15.00 – 15.45 - The Future of the London, Mark Beattie-Edwards, Nautical Archaeology Society 15.45 – 16.00 - Phil Harding, Archaeologist & Presenter, NAS President & Save The London Ambassador ----- Discover the London III - 6th March 2022 On the 6th March 2022 we hosted our third discovery day, dedicated to the amazing historic shipwreck of the London; the event was held live in Huntington in partnership with the Cromwell Museum. Talk 1: Cromwell and the Naval Revolution, Stuart Orme Talk 2: Looking at the London, Richard Endsor Talk 3: Diving the London – the 2021 season, Steve Ellis Talk 4: Cordage and the London, Des Pawson MBE ----- The London Wreck - Excavation and Analysis of Material at Risk Work by Historic England's conservators on the London wreck material has revealed a wealth of information about this 17th-century warship. You can read a recent article on this ongoing research published on the Historic England website here. ----- Discover the London II - Southend's Time Capsule - 6th March 2021 On the 6th March 2021 we hosted our second discovery day, dedicated to the amazing historic shipwreck of the London; including a host of fascinating talks discovering one of the most historically significant shipwrecks since the Mary Rose. The #DiscoverTheLondon Event was organised by Nautical Archaeology Society and the London Shipwreck Trust, with the support Southend Museums and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, and with grant support from Historic England. Thank you to everyone that attended and made a donation to the #SaveTheLondon campaign. The event raised an amazing £1,573.52 which will be used to support the costs of diving and conservation of finds saved from the wreck in 2021. Above: The London in Context - presented by Rebecca Rideal Above: The London and the Stuarts - presented by JD Davies Above: The Curation of the London - presented by Ciara Phipps, Southend Museum Service Videos of all the 2021 talks can be found on the Save The London YouTube Channel here ----- Discover the London I - 7th March 2020 The #DiscoverTheLondon Event was organised by Nautical Archaeology Society and the London Shipwreck Trust, with the support Southend Museums and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. Videos of all the 2020 talks can be found on the Save The London YouTube Channel here ----- Help to Save the London The London is a ‘second-rate’ ship from Cromwell’s era, and is identified in Samuel Pepys Diary as part of the fleet that brought Charles II back to England in the 17th Century. Despite her historical significance, her remains are currently lying just off the shipping channel in the River Thames, where the strong tides and turbulence from London’s present-day shipping are rapidly eroding the site, washing away many irreplaceable artefacts. Located not far from Southend pier, a small team of experienced local divers brave the dark and treacherous waters to recover artefacts for public display. Please help us raise £200,000 to support the work of the volunteer divers to advance, promote and provide for the preservation of the London shipwreck and its artefacts for public benefit and to protect it for future generations. In 2018 and 2019 we received in kind support from MAST/Bournemouth University to help with the transportation, conservation and curation of small artefacts. In 2021 the NAS received grant support from the Headley Trust and the Aurelius Trust to support the conservation of small finds from the site. Currently the project volunteers diving team receives no public funding, with currently no support grants to cover the costs of saving our maritime heritage from the eroding seabed. They personally cover these costs from their own pockets. The NAS believes this is wrong and that if society really values its past it should help contribute to the costs of saving it, before it is too late. ----- You can donate Online or by Text Message Donations can also be made on the website on this page or via text message - to donate by phone, just text SAVETHELONDON10 to 70085 to donate £10.00 or text SAVETHELONDON20 to donate £20.00. Standard message rates apply. £10.00 will pay for a set of storage containers to transport and keep artefacts wet once they have been recovered from the sea. £20.00 will pay for two divers’ air for a working dive on the site. £50.00 will pay for the cost of running the team’s dive boat for a trip to the site and back. £100.00 will pay for the transport of finds from the site to a conservation facility. £400.00 will pay for the conservation of a delicate organic artefact such as a leather shoe. You can donate here ----- What will happen with your donation 60% of money raised will go to supporting the costs of the diving team and the conservation of artefacts recovered. 40% of the money raised will be used by the Nautical Archaeology Society to support ongoing fundraising, corporate partnership development and sponsorship efforts as well as developing the long term business plan to Save The London for the people of Southend-on-Sea and for us all. ----- Large Donations and Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship To discuss corporate partnership and sponsorship opportunities or large donations to the Save the London campaign please contact NAS CEO, Mark Beattie-Edwards on [email protected] or by calling +44(0)2392 818419. ----- ----- Our Supporters and Ambassadors "The London is a highly significant part of the history of The Thames, please support its recovery and conservation." Sir Tony Robinson, Actor, Author, Presenter. “The London is not just a ship or a piece of archaeology, but a part of British history, and a vital piece of our maritime heritage” Phil Harding, Archaeologist, Presenter from Time Team. "It is a huge privilege to become an ambassador for the campaign to save the London wreck. There are precious few opportunities to study extant artefacts from this particular stage of the Royal Navy's history. To have an entire wreck from this time is unparalleled. The history of the London is one of great tragedy, but it's future has the potential to be a positive force in our understanding of this complex period of history." Rebecca Rideal, Historian and Author. “The London provides a unique time capsule from some of the most turbulent times in our history. To save it will be a huge learning adventure and the provision of a fabulous educational and heritage destination that will provide something deeply moving to future generations” Sir Tim Smit, Co-Founder of The Eden Project. “The plan to lift the London intact is inspirational. Not only will it ensure the preservation of the vessel but, by allowing us all to share the excitements of discovery as excavation proceeds, it will spread wide an appreciation of our great maritime tradition.” Sir Barry Cunliffe, Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology, University of Oxford. “As Mayor of Southend, I fully support the work of the divers of The London Shipwreck Trust and wish them all the best in their fundraising endeavours to preserve the wonderful artefacts this fantastic shipwreck has uncovered. This shipwreck is not only a wonderful asset for our town of Southend, but is also historically important both nationally and internationally. The London shipwreck deserves to be recognised for its importance in maritime history.” John Lamb, Mayor of Southend-on-Sea. “Historic England supports the Save the London campaign as it directly contributes to one of our own strategic objectives in relation to developing cultural partnerships and collaboration as well as increasing local community capacity”. Historic England. “The PLA are excited to be working with the Nautical Archaeology Society and the London Shipwreck Trust to find the best possible solution for saving as much as possible of the London – a historically important and nationally protected shipwreck in the Thames Estuary”. Robin Mortimer, CEO of the Port of London Authority. Thanks to National Maritime, Jobs in Maritime, Dive Master Insurance , Southend Museums , Beckett Rankine , Janice Gooch Heritage Consultancy , Perkins & Will, The Cromwell Association and The Cromwell Museum and Society for Underwater Technology for their support and advice. ----- Above: Hear why local artist Alison Bournes is helping us to Save The London ----- Show Your Support - Help us show how many people care Please sign our support form to allow us to demonstrate just how much and how many people care about our precious heritage. ----- Above: The dive team visiting the protected wreck in the Thames Estuary Above: In June 2020, the largest container ship in the world, HMM ALGECIRAS passed within 50m of the site Above: The site lies right on the very edge of the commercial shipping lane and is subjected to turbulence created Above: Underwater visibility is mostly around 50cm meaning that working is a slow process Above: The dedicated volunteer divers - Steve Meddle, Carol Ellis and Steve Ellis Just some of the artefacts that have been saved from the London Above: A rare cannon ball gauge ----- Above: A Pulley Block ----- Above: A complete "build your own" barrel Above: The beautiful sundial ----- Above: Gunpowder cartridge cases ----- Above: Comb with every single tooth intact Above: Completely intact bottle that's been in the Thames for over 350 years Above: A flexible rammer for loading the guns Above: A seal ring and pipe damper Above: Our favourite - one of the many leather shoes with string tie and wooden heel ----- Above: A pewter spoon ----- Manage Cookie Preferences