New Footage of HMS Gloucester Shipwreck Shows How Wreck Site Looks Like [WATCH]

A new underwater footage showing the remains of The HMS Gloucester shipwreck was released ahead of a major new exhibition revealing the secrets of the royal warship.

HMS Gloucester's Wreck Site Unveiled

A major exhibition exploring The Gloucester's last voyage is opening this weekend. It also features the Maritime Archaeology Trust (MAT) conducting photogrammetry of the wreck which gives viewers a "diver's-eye" interactive tour of the site.

Two scuba-diving brothers, Lincoln and Julian Barnwell discovered the shipwreck site in 2007 after four years and covered 5,000 nautical miles. They declared it to the Receiver of Wrecks, the Ministry of Defence and English Heritage, but had to keep the discovery a secret for 15 years. They only revealed their findings in June last year due to the site's sensitivity, ITV reported.

Lincoln Barnwell said they were happy to share glimpses of the wreck site and the visitors will see more in the exhibition of the rescued artifacts, which will be open to the public for the first time. He added that the footage highlights how vulnerable the wreck site is, with fishing nets visible and artifacts exposed on the surface of the seabed.

The dynamic wreck site is reportedly at risk and there's an urgent need to secure the heritage of the HMS Gloucester and the artifacts in it.

According to Julian Barnwell, the discovery was an incredible adventure for them and they were honored that its story will be told in a professional and detailed manner. He is confident that those who will visit will have a better understanding of what really happened on May 6, 1682, when the royal ship sank.

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About The Last Voyage of The Gloucester Exhibit

The exhibition The Last Voyage of The Gloucester: Norfolk's Royal Shipwreck, 1682 opens Saturday at Norwich Castle Museum. It's been created by Norfolk Museums Service and UEA in partnership with Norfolk Historic Shipwrecks and The National Museum of the Royal Navy, Daily Mail added.

The exhibition will reveal the story of the ill-fated final journey of the ship, including the retrieval, conservation and research of some of the artifacts found at the wreck site. Some of the items were wine bottles, spectacles, clay pipes, navigational tools, textiles and the ship's bell.

The researchers also aim to shed more light on the identity and lives of those who perished. The 1682 shipwreck cost the lives of 250 people and nearly killed King James II.

Professor Claire Jowitt, co-curator of the new exhibition said the find was "the single most significant" discovery in the history of maritime since the Mary Rose in 1982.

Jowitt said the exhibit will show the full tragic story of the Gloucester's last voyage and the impacts of its aftermath, including its cultural and political significance and legacy. They will also attempt to establish the stories of some of the identified victims.

Some Details About HMS Gloucestera Nigel Pickford, the author of Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester: A True Restoration Tragedy, explained in a lecture given to Royal Museums Greenwich Members in 2021 the history of HMS Gloucester and even gave some ideas about how the ship was designed and how it looked like.

According to him, it was a beautiful ship, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. It was designed with carved woodwork in the style of Grinling Gibbons. It also included the red ensign, which is reportedly similar to Peter Lely's painting Peter Pett and the "Sovereign of the Seas".