Shipwreck cannon recovery starts

A variety of military equipment was found on the seabed

Marine archaeologists have started work to recover a cannon from a sunken Elizabethan wreck.

The ship went down off the island of Alderney in 1592.

Mensum Bound, directing the excavation, said the cannons on the ship were one of the most important finds of their kind in the world.

The warship, which is believed to have been built in Britain in 1575, was carrying a large cargo of military supplies when it sank.

The wreck was discovered in 1977 after a fisherman reeled in a musket.

It is lying about 25 metres (82 ft) below the surface of the sea. Artefacts found on the seabed include muskets, swords, spurs and stirrups.

The team hopes to discover something on the seabed which will help them to discover the name of the vessel.

Mensum Bound said: "The wreck covers a period of English history which is really very little known. It was a period when Britain was really fighting for its very survival."

The Alderney Maritime Trust was established to safeguard the wreck, curate the site and ensure the proper management of diving operations.