Bronze cannon from legendary warship found “by chance” 360 years after it sank in deadly explosion

An “exceptionally well-preserved” bronze cannon from an iconic ship was recovered from a busy shipping lane after 360 years at the bottom of an England waterway, historians announced this week.  

The cannon came from the wreck of “The London,” a historic warship that blew up in a gunpowder explosion in 1665, according to a news release from national preservation organization Historic England. According to the BBC, 300 people on board were killed in the explosion.

The wreck is now a protected site and has remained underwater in two parts. Divers have been examining the wreck for decades, working to monitor the conditions of the site and record artifacts. 

Diver Steve Ellis, who has been exploring the site for 14 years, said rare “ideal” conditions underwater made the discovery possible. Typically, divers at the wreck have poor visibility, and since the wreck is next to a busy shipping lane, artifacts have become covered in silt and clay. It was “by chance” that Ellis was able to spot the cannon, according to Historic England. 

“It was so exciting to see the cannon emerge from the seabed after many years of diving the site,” Ellis said. 

Ellis said the discovery may offer new insight into how the ship may have exploded. According to Historic England, the cannon was one of 76 aboard the ship at the time of its sinking. About 41 of those cannons have been recovered so far, but each has unique features making its study important, according to the organization, because the warship did not use standardized weapons but instead salvaged many cannons from captured enemy vessels, shipwrecks and decommissioned ships. 

“This amazing discovery will help us to better understand the types of cannons on board the London when it blew up in 1665 … There is a complex story to unravel here,” Historic England CEO Duncan Wilson said in the news release. 

Historic England said that experts have long suspected the other cannons from the ship were on the seabed. The discovery, the orgnization said, emphasizes the need to keep the wreck site protected from erosion and continue exploring with licensed divers. 

The London played a key role during a time of political upheaval after the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-1654), the group said, adding that the ship was part of part of a 1660 convoy sent to bring Charles II from the Netherlands to restore him to the throne.