Divers have documented a series of submerged structures belonging to Shipden, a medieval settlement off the Norfolk coast that disappeared beneath the North Sea around 700 years ago.
Shipden was once located along the coastline near present-day Cromer, but repeated storms and coastal erosion are believed to have overwhelmed the settlement during the late medieval period.
A recent underwater survey has now recorded 25 manmade features on the seabed, providing new evidence that could help researchers reconstruct the layout and eventual destruction of the lost town.
Shipden is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which describes a community of 117 inhabitants with 36 swine, a harbour and two churches.
By the 14th century, however, the coastline was undergoing significant changes. Previous research by North Norfolk District Council suggests that one of Shipden’s churches had been submerged by around AD 1400.
The disappearance of the settlement subsequently gave rise to local legends, most notably the story of “church rock” — supposedly the remains of a drowned church whose bell could still be heard tolling beneath the waves.
Divers investigating the site found no structure that could be positively identified as a church, potentially challenging a tradition that has persisted in Cromer for generations.
“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,” said Peter Stibbons, chairman of the Friends of Cromer Museum.
According to Stibbons, researchers are now comparing medieval documentary sources with the physical evidence recorded underwater in an attempt to develop a clearer picture of Shipden.
“We’re busy going through the medieval documentation and matching it to the physical finds to date, to suggest a better understanding of Shipden — and for the present we’re putting forward ideas rather than conclusions,” he said.
Although no church was identified, divers encountered flintwork that may represent a collapsed structure.
Researchers believe the traditional identification of “church rock” may instead have developed after an accident involving the Victoria, a Great Yarmouth steam paddle tug that struck the site in 1888.
“It is now thought that it wasn’t actually a church, but that the name became attached by legend,” Stibbons said.
“There certainly was a church, St Peter’s at Shipden, but it was probably further north and west of the traditionally identified site.”
Among the most significant discoveries was a line of flint foundations or stone-filled caissons. According to the Friends of Cromer Museum, these could represent a 14th-century attempt by Shipden’s inhabitants to defend their settlement against the encroaching sea.
Remarkably, mortar associated with some of the stonework appears to have survived centuries of submersion.
Specialist underwater photography was used to record the structures, enabling researchers to produce detailed 3D models of features across the seabed.
Lead diver Nick Schiller said the team’s original objective was to search for surviving remains of the Victoria, but the opportunity to contribute to research into medieval Shipden was an unexpected bonus.
The latest findings could help separate archaeological evidence from centuries of folklore surrounding the lost settlement, while providing new information about how medieval coastal communities responded to an increasingly destructive North Sea.
The Friends of Cromer Museum is continuing to analyse the underwater evidence alongside historical records, with theories and digital reconstructions of Shipden expected to be published in the coming months.
Header Image Credit : John Midgley/Alfred Savin Project
Sources : BBC
