Six-hundred-year-old Henry V warship found buried in the river Hamble

A wooden vessel believed to be one of celebrated English king Henry V’s ‘great ships’ has been found in a river in southern England.

The wreck discovered in the River Hamble is likely to be the Holigost – the second of four “great” ships which were built for the King’s royal fleet.

Government body Historic England now plans to perform sonar and aerial imaging on the ship using drones in the hope of understanding what life was like on board in the 15th century.

Its chief executive, Duncan Wilson, said: “To investigate a ship from this period close to the 600th anniversary is immensely exciting.”

The remains of the Holigost were uncovered by historian Dr Ian Friel, who believes the discovery could be even more important than the identification of the Grace Dieu ship back in the 1930s.

The Holigost boasted a crew of 200 sailors when it took part in operations between 1416 and 1420, but as up to 240 soldiers could also be aboard, conditions would have been crowded.

It was equipped with bows and arrows, seven cannon and 102 “gads” – iron spears which could be thrown at enemies and penetrate the body armour most commonly used at the time.

Records also suggest a “dyver” called Davy Owen was hired in 1423 to fix cracks under the Holigost, possibly the first-known instance in England of a diver being used for ship repairs.

The motto for the ship was “une sanz pluis”, which translates as “one and no more” – a clear indication that Henry V believed the King alone should be master.

Originally rebuilt in 1413 from a captured Spanish vessel, the Santa Clara, the Holigost’s name reflects Henry V’s personal devotion to the Holy Trinity.

Agencies/Canadajournal