In November 1120, after four years fighting the French, the most formidable ruler in Europe, King Henry I set sail on his return voyage to England.
His retinue set sail first followed by The White Ship which was carrying the only legitimate male heir to the throne, William AEtheling along with 350 of the most important people in England and France including aristocracy, famous knights, and courtiers.
That fateful night, 25th November 1120, a drunken helmsman rammed The White Ship into rocks and sunk her, along with all passenger’s except one, a butcher.
This became one of the greatest disasters England had endured and it’s repercussions would change the course of English history forever.
Charles Spencer has written a book to mark the 900th anniversary of The White Ship sinking and last month embarked on a shipwreck expedition along with a team of divers. Commercial Rib Charter were on hand to provide a Dive Vessel to support the team in their search for remains.
CRC Vanguard set sail from Lymington to Normandy, crossing the English channel and arriving in a location 1 mile North-East of Barfleur in just under 3 hours. Survey equipment was deployed to find the exact location of the shipwreck whilst experts from the Institute of Digital Archaeology prepared their diving equipment. Images were taken of the wreck which match the size, shape and location, all pointing strongly to this being the remains of the White Ship after 900 years underwater.
Never before has modern digital technology be used to search for the wreck of the White ship, so the site remained relatively undisturbed.
If you are looking to embark on an expedition or need support with an up and coming filming project give our team a call on 01590 607103
