Shipden medieval settlement discovered underwater off Norfolk coast

Divers from the Anglian branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club have mapped and photographed approximately 25 man-made structures on the seabed off the coast of Cromer, Norfolk. These flint-built remains are believed to be part of Shipden, a medieval settlement that was swallowed by the North Sea roughly 700 years ago.

Working with local historian James Mindham, the team utilized unusually clear water and calm conditions to document the site. The findings include a line of flint structures, cut stone, and lower sections of stone caissons. Some of these structures remain standing between eight and ten courses high.

Researchers are currently investigating the purpose of these remains. One theory suggests the caissons were part of a 14th-century attempt to defend the coastline against sea erosion, while another possibility links them to a pier authorized in 1390. Shipden was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as having 117 residents before the settlement was eventually lost to the sea and replaced by Cromer.