The search for, and discovery of The Gloucester - ‘Norfolk’s Mary Rose’
…how two diving Norfolk brothers, Julian & Lincoln Barnwell discovered the wreck of a 17th Century warship which had carried the future King of England.
A royal ship carrying James Stuart, future King James II, ran aground on a sandbank off the Norfolk coast on May 6, 1682, with great loss of life. For 325 years, Gloucester’s exact whereabouts was a mystery – until 2007, when it was discovered by Norfolk divers, brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell and their friend, retired ex-Royal Navy submariner and diver James Little. Their search took 4 years, and only after another 5 years was it certain that it was the Gloucester.
Kept secret for a further 15 years to preserve the site from looting, the discovery of the Gloucester, and the wealth of artifacts recovered, were the subject of a major exhibition in Norwich Castle Museum in 2023, which attracted over 70,000 visitors.
Come along to Bergh Apton Church to hear the story first-hand from Julian.
