Artefacts from a 17th century royal shipwreck will be unveiled for the first time in an immersive exhibition exploring its last voyage and the historical mysteries raised by its discovery off the coast of Norfolk. 

Featuring research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the latest technological innovations, The Last Voyage of The Gloucester: Norfolk's Royal Shipwreck, 1682, opens February 25, 2023 at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. 

The Gloucester sank in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk in 1682 while carrying the future King of England and Scotland, James Stuart.  

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. 

Now for the first time the public will be able to explore the story of the ship's fateful final voyage and the painstaking work to retrieve, conserve and research some of its artefacts, in an expansive exhibition co-curated by Norfolk Museums Service and UEA. 

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. 

Section two will tell of the 'second life' of the Gloucester as a wreck site and research subject, including the story of its discovery by the Barnwell brothers and James Little, the conservation of the objects discovered so far, and the ongoing research to expand our understanding of this important period of British history.  

Key objects include the Gloucester's bell – the discovery of which in 2012 confirmed the identity of the wreck – alongside personal possessions of the passengers and crew that serve as poignant reminders of a disaster that cost hundreds of lives. 

Visitors will view wine bottles encrusted with barnacles, the ship's navigation tools, and personal items including a pair of spectacles along with their wooden case, combs and clay pipes, all of which have survived centuries on the seabed. Together they illuminate the wide range of social classes and professions of those onboard the ship. 

Digital elements include a film exploring the discovery of the wreck, a 3D diver's eye tour of the wreck site and a specially commissioned animation examining the circumstances of the sinking of the ship. 

Alongside objects from the wreck, prestigious 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. The objects rescued from the Gloucester wreck site appear in this exhibition with the permission of the Ministry of Defence and Norfolk Historic Shipwrecks. 

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 6th May 1682.  

“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.” 

Cllr Margaret Dewsbury, Cabinet Member for Communities, Norfolk County Council 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.  

“The partnership between Norfolk Museums Service, the University of East Anglia and Julian and Lincoln Barnwell is a testament to this culture of innovation and excellence. 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.” 

The Last Voyage of The Gloucester: Norfolk's Royal Shipwreck, 1682, has been created by Norfolk Museums Service and UEA in partnership with Norfolk Historic Shipwrecks and The National Museum of the Royal Navy. It is sponsored by Adnams plc, Alan Boswell Group and Birketts LLP and is part of the wider historical research project led by UEA's Prof Jowitt and funded by the Leverhulme Trust. 

The Last Voyage of the Gloucester: Norfolk's Royal Shipwreck, 1682, runs from Saturday 25 February - Sunday 10 September 2023, at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Norwich, NR1 3JU. Tickets to the exhibition are free with museum admission (See admission prices). It is expected this exhibition will be very popular so it is recommended to book tickets in advance. 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors 

1/ For more information or to request an interview about the exhibition, contact Melanie Cook, VisitNorwich, melanie.cook@norwichbid.co.uk

 
For information or to request an interview about the Gloucester research project, contact Prof Claire Jowitt of the University of East Anglia on: c.jowitt@uea.ac.uk. After regular business hours, contact the duty press officer on: communications@uea.ac.uk. 

2/ Images: See the WeTransfer link and credit lines   https://wetransfer.com/downloads/e72b75e4293b0f453d2a901965fba8b920221208103226/d67cfde4093587136a0685740c9fbc1720221208103310/89c1d5 

3/ Special press previews will be held on Friday 24 February 10am-4pm, and Saturday 25 February 9am-11am, including tours of the exhibition with the curators and the opportunity to interview them. To book a place, contact: Esther Morgan, esther.morgan@norfolk.gov.uk  

4/ Norfolk Museums Service  
Norfolk Museums Service is a multi-award-winning service comprising ten museums and a study centre, ranging from the Norman splendour of Norwich Castle to the beautiful 50-acre site of Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse and the restored herring works at Great Yarmouth, home to the atmospheric Time and Tide Museum. All NMS sites are Accredited museums under the Arts Council Accreditation scheme and many of the collections in our care are Designated of national importance. NMS is now regarded as one of the leading museum services in the United Kingdom, being recognised in 2012 as an Arts Council England Major Partner Museum (MPM) and a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) in 2018, tasked with providing leadership to the sector, including through our SHARE Museums East Museum Development programmes. Norfolk Museums Service is a partnership between Norfolk County Council and Norfolk's district councils, funded through council tax, earned income, and grants. www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk 
 

5/ University of East Anglia  
The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a UK Top 30 university and is ranked in the UK top 20 for research quality (Times Higher Education REF2021 Analysis). It also ranks in the UK top 10 for impact on Sustainable Development Goals. Known for its world-leading research and excellent student experience, it was awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework and is a leading member of Norwich Research Park, one of Europe's biggest concentrations of researchers in the fields of environment, health, and plant science. www.uea.ac.uk      
 

6/ Adnams plc 
Founded by George and Ernest Adnams in 1872, Adnams began as a Southwold brewery on the Suffolk coast and has been fiercely independent for the last 150 years. In 2010, Adnams became the first brewery in England to build a distillery on the same site. Its pioneering spirit has enabled Adnams to become a distinctive brewer, distiller, wine merchant, retailer, publican, and hotelier. From its Southwold home, Adnams crafts award-winning premium beers, spirits and wines which are available from its 13 retail stores, managed properties, partner pubs and in outlets nationwide and 30 countries around the world. Adnams has long taken pride in its heritage and strong values and is committed to running its business sustainably, leaving its footprints in the sand, not on the planet.   

Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams plc, says: “The Gloucester will become an important part of the social and cultural fabric in our amazing corner of the world, and we therefore felt compelled to work with others to help tell the story of perhaps the most important maritime find since the Mary Rose. 
Only a few years earlier, Gloucester was also a participant in the Third Anglo-Dutch war at the Battle of Sole Bay, off the coast of Southwold in 1672. This battle inspired our much-loved Adnams Broadside, a dark ruby red beer launched in 1972 to mark the tercentenary of the engagement and of course Southwold as our home sits at the beating heart of Adnams.  
It is a tale that is importantand emotional that through wonderfully preserved artefacts tells us so much about life aboard ship on its final journey.” 

7/ Alan Boswell Group 

As a top 15 Independent Insurance Broker and one of the UK's largest regional Independent Financial Planners, Alan Boswell Group is here to ease the burden of arranging insurance and financial services.  

Established in Norfolk in 1982, the Group has significant experience in providing specialist and independent advice for a wide range of personal and commercial needs. The company prides itself on its reputation which has been built on the back of providing exceptional customer service to over 70,000 clients.  

The Group currently employs over 380 staff across seven offices throughout East Anglia, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire. www.alanboswell.com  

Alan Boswell says: “Julian and Lincoln have been committed to this project for nearly 20 years and we're so pleased that their dedication is finally coming to fruition. It's an incredible part of our history, made even more special by the fact that it all happened off the Norfolk coast. We're proud that we've been able to support the project over the past four years and look forward to seeing all their hard work come to life at the exhibition.” 

8/ Birketts LLP 

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a rich heritage spanning over 150 years, the firm has over 900 staff working from offices across East Anglia and London. Large enough to provide specialist expertise in most areas of the law, but with a personal and tailored service, Birketts has an unrivalled reputation for providing high quality legal and client services. 

For more information visit birketts.co.uk. 

Chris Coupland, Partner and Head of the Agriculture and Estates Team at Birketts says: “Birketts is delighted to sponsor such an important and fascinating exhibition. The significance of this historical find, off the shores of our home on the East Anglian coast and the two stories that accompany it, both historical and recent, are quite incredible. It is wonderful to be a part of this moment in British and East Anglian history”. 

9/ Leverhulme Trust 

Since its foundation in 1925, the Leverhulme Trust has provided grants and scholarships for research and education, funding research projects, fellowships, studentships, bursaries and prizes; it operates across all the academic disciplines, the intention being to support talented individuals as they realise their personal vision in research and professional training. Today, it is one of the largest all-subject providers of research funding in the UK, distributing approximately £100 million a year. For more information about the Trust, please visit www.leverhulme.ac.uk and follow the Trust on Twitter @LeverhulmeTrust 

10/ The Gloucester Project 

The University of East Anglia's project 'The Wreck of the Gloucester: The Life and Times of a Seventeenth-Century Third-Rate Warship' will produce a biography of the Gloucester frigate across its full career from 1654 to 1682 and from inception to salvage. 

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Funded by The Leverhulme Trust (2021−24), the Gloucester Project is researching the life and times of the only surviving third-rate Cromwellian warship and aims to revolutionize understanding of the Gloucester's unique significance at national and international levels For more information see www.gloucestershipwreck.co.uk and follow the Gloucester Project on Twitter @gloucesterwreck