Medieval town swallowed by the sea

Divers have found 25 man-made structures from Shipden, a British settlement that vanished beneath the North Sea around 700 years ago. The remains lie several hundred metres off the coast of Cromer, Norfolk.

Volunteer divers mapped the seabed

The British Sub-Aqua Club's Anglian branch explored the underwater site during summer, taking advantage of clear skies and unusually still water that exposed the chalk and sand seabed.

Flint structures still standing tall

The divers found a line of flint structures, stone caissons, and cut stone pieces. Some remain standing between eight and ten courses high despite centuries underwater.

First-ever 3D models created

Specialist photography allowed researchers to create preliminary three-dimensional models of the underwater finds. These are believed to be the first images ever taken of these features.

Sea defences or medieval pier

Researchers are investigating whether the stone caissons formed part of a 14th-century attempt to hold back the sea, or if they're connected to a pier authorised in 1390.

Shipden was once thriving

The Domesday Book recorded Shipden in 1086 as having 117 residents, three acres of meadow, woodland for 36 pigs, a harbour and two churches.

“The Domesday Book recorded it in 1086 as having 117 residents, three acres of meadow, woodland capable of supporting 36 pigs, a harbour and two churches.”

Name faded during medieval times

Shipden's name gradually fell out of use during the 13th and 14th centuries and was replaced in records by Cromer as the settlement was consumed by erosion.

Great storm of 1362 devastated coast

The devastating North Sea storm of January 1362 was among the events that battered the coastline and contributed to Shipden's disappearance.

Legend of the sunken church

Shipden's disappearance inspired folklore claiming that the tower of St Peter's Church survived beneath the waves on a formation called Church Rock, with its bell supposedly heard during storms.

Some accounts claimed visible ruins

Local legend said the church ruins could be glimpsed at particularly low tides, and that the bell would warn fishermen not to go to sea during storms.

Church location remains a mystery

Documents confirm a church was lost, but the latest divers found nothing that could be positively identified as the building. Researchers now believe Church Rock may not have been the church at all.

Church thought to be further north

St Peter's is now thought to have stood further north and west than Church Rock, challenging centuries of local belief about the sunken church's location.

Legend may be incorrect

Peter Stibbons, chairman of the Friends of Cromer Museum, said it's a significant step to suggest the Church Rock legend may be wrong after generations of local knowledge.

“'Those of us brought up in Cromer have always known the story of Church Rock, so it's a big step to saying the legend may be incorrect.'”

Ship wreck complicated the site

In August 1888, the pleasure vessel Victoria struck a rock beneath the surface near Church Rock. The wreck and obstruction were later blown up because they posed a danger to shipping.

Explosion may have destroyed evidence

The explosion that destroyed the Victoria wreck may have destroyed archaeological evidence. Divers found scattered flint that could have come from the demolished structure.

Search expanded beyond expectations

Lead diver Nick Schiller said the team initially searched for Victoria remains but found much more, helping understand Shipden and the port of Cromer.

“'It looks as if the supposed "church rock" turns out to be a flint-built structure from medieval sea defences, so the hunt for a church site can go on.'”

More questions than answers

The summer's work greatly enlarged the investigation's scope but raised more questions than it solved about Shipden's history and layout.

Diving season ended, return planned

The diving season has ended, although the team hopes to explore the site again next year to continue uncovering Shipden's secrets.

Findings to be shared publicly

The research findings and three-dimensional reconstructions will be published online and displayed at Cromer Museum. The work is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.