Wreck of historic warship is tobe subject of a day-long seminar
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
It takes place on the 325th anniversary of the Battle of Beachy Head which saw the allied fleet of English and Dutch warships defeated by the French who chased the fleet up the Channel past Hastings.
The Anne a warship of Charles II was the only loss to the English fleet and her remains can still be seen on the beach at Pett Level where she was towed and then eventually burnt to stop the French seizing her.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe seminar has been organised by the Shipwreck Centre at Hastings and takes place in the historic setting of St Clements Church, in the Old Town, and runs from 9am - 4pm.
During the morning Dr David Davies will present a lecture on Samuel Pepys’s Navy and Dr Ann Coats will be talking about Chatham dockyard in the 1670’s.
In the afternoon Richard Endsor will talk about building the Ann, while Dr Peter Marden will explore the history of the warship.
There will also be a talk entitled The Normans Bay Wrecks and Prof Robert Stone will explore a virtual reconstruction of the ship.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdJacqui Stanford, from the Shipwreck Museum, said: “This is a big event for Hastings, and is bringing people from all over the country to attend.”
The wreck of the English 70-gun warship, lies in the beach just beyond the eastern end of the shoreline houses of Pett Level. She was run ashore in July 1690 after being seriously damaged by the French navy in the Battle of Beachy Head.
She was ordered to be burnt by her Captain John Tyrrell to stop her being taken as a French prize.
She was one of the 30 ships programme supervised by Samuel Pepys and she was visited by King James II in 1687, before she carried a German princess to Lisbon to be the bride of King Pedro II of Portugal. It is believed that she was named after James II’s daughter Anne who later became Queen.
2,300 trees were used to build her at a cost of £16,000.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe Anne is owned by the Warship Anne Trust, a subsidiary of the Nautical Museums Trust that owns the Shipwreck Museum, and it is there that her story is told, with photographs and reconstruction paintings of the ship, and artefacts from the wreck. Amongst them is part of an early iron grenade.
The wreck can be seen at Pett Level at extremely low tides. The bottom is buried about four metres deep in the sands. The Anne is owned by the Warship Anne Trust.
Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.
Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad1 Make our website your homepage at www.hastingsobserver.co.uk
2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hastingsobserver
3 Follow us on Twitter @HastingsObs
4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.
And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!
The Hastings Observer - always the first with your local news.
Be part of it.