Details of Norwich Castle's Gloucester shipwreck exhibition

Wine bottles encrusted with barnacles, the ship’s navigation tools, a pair of spectacles with their wooden case, combs and clay pipes, all survived centuries on the seabed after the HMS Gloucester sank in 1682.

Along with the ship's bell, they are among items which will go on show at a major exhibition at Norwich Castle Museum next year, which charts the final journey of the boat and its amazing discovery off the coast of Great Yarmouth.

The Gloucester was carrying James Stuart, the future King of England and Scotland, when it went down after striking a Norfolk sandbank on May 6, 1682, on its way to Edinburgh.

The royal passenger was saved, but as many as 250 people drowned.

Johan Danckerts' painting 'The wreck of the Gloucester off Yarmouth, 6 May 1682' (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

After lying on the seabed for 325 years, the ship was discovered in 2007 by Norfolk brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell and their friend James Little.  

Due to the age and prestige of the ship, the condition of the wreck and the accident’s political context, the discovery has been described as the most important British maritime discovery since the Mary Rose.

Wine bottles recovered from the Gloucester's wreck (Image: Norfolk Museum Service)

Featuring research from the University of East Anglia and the latest technological innovations, The Last Voyage of The Gloucester: Norfolk’s Royal Shipwreck, 1682, will open at the castle museum in February next year.

Spectacles from the wreck of the Gloucester (Image: Norfolk Museums Service)

EXHIBITION OF TWO PARTS

The exhibition will be presented in two parts: the first section will delve into the history of the Gloucester and the events of the wreck, painting a picture of what life was like onboard before disaster struck and exploring what led to the tragedy.

The bell from the Gloucester (Image: Norfolk Museums Service)

Section two will tell of the ‘second life’ of the Gloucester as a wreck site and research subject, including the story of its discovery, the conservation of the objects discovered so far, and ongoing research to further understand that period of British history.

The exhibition will also include a film exploring the discovery of the wreck, a 3D diver’s eye tour of the wreck site, and an animation examining the circumstances of the ship's sinking.

A comb recovered from the wreck of the Gloucester (Image: Norfolk Museums Service)

Curators of the exhibition Ruth Battersby Tooke and Dr Francesca Vanke, of the Norfolk Museums Service, and Prof Claire Jowitt and Dr Benjamin Redding, of UEA,  said: "We are delighted to share the extraordinary history of the wreck of the Gloucester and the artefacts that movingly speak of the tragic events of May 6, 1682.

The Barnwell brothers examine a cannon on the wreck of the Gloucester (Image: Maritime Archaeology Trust / Historic Shipwrecks Ltd)

"Artefacts rescued from the seabed are displayed for the first time, revealing some of the secrets that this important historic ship has to offer and providing unique insights into the lives and experiences of those onboard. 

"It has been a privilege to work with Julian and Lincoln Barnwell and James Little to tell their remarkable story of the wreck’s discovery in 2007."

The Barnwell brothers, who discovered the wreck of the Gloucester (Image: Archant 2022)

INTERNATIONAL ASPECT

Museums in Britain and Europe are loaning key paintings, documents and objects associated with the maritime, political, cultural and social history of the period, to set the wider context for the Gloucester’s story.

Pipes recovered from the Gloucester (Image: Norfolk Museum Service)

Special permission had to be obtained from the Ministry of Defence and Norfolk Historic Shipwrecks to allow the objects to go on show.

Margaret Dewsbury, Norfolk County Council's cabinet member for communities, said: "Norfolk is home not only to the most remarkable heritage, but also the expertise needed to research this heritage and display it for the public to experience and enjoy.

"We are incredibly excited to be mounting this exhibition in Norwich and very grateful for the fantastic support from our business community which is helping us to achieve our ambitions."

Jugs from the Gloucester will go on show at the exhibition (Image: Norfolk Museum Service)

The exhibition will run at Norwich Castle Museum from Saturday, February 25 until Sunday, September 10.

Tickets are free with museum admission, but museum bosses advise people to book tickets in advance.

There are hopes a permanent museum could be created in Norfolk to display the remarkable finds from the Gloucester.

READ MORE: The brothers who spent a fortune searching for lost royal ship