Set up by a team of experienced divers, The London Shipwreck Trust was created to support the crucial recovery of artefacts and remains of the London before they are lost forever. 

The London played a significant role in British history, as it was part of a fleet sent to the Netherlands in 1658 to restore Charles II to the throne. As the only surviving second-rate Cromwellian warship, she is of high significance on both a national and international level.

Her final resting place in the Thames has meant that the thick estuary silt has preserved her remains remarkably well, but these rare artefacts of the past are under threat.

Since her rediscovery in a shipping lane, the protected site was added to Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ Register due to shifting silt levels. Passing ships, dredging and the elements are now washing away the silt that had helped preserve the London and her artefacts for hundreds of years.

As licensed divers of this protected wreck, we see at first hand the effect this erosion has had on the site of the London. Every dive reveals new artefacts as the shifting silt dunes reveal previously unexposed remains to the fierce tidal currents of the Thames. Every find is part of our heritage and must be protected.