Grace Dieu (ship)

"See Grace Dieu (disambiguation) for other Grace-Dieu, especially nautical, or HMS Grace Dieu"

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Commissioned in 1416 , Grace Dieu was completed in 1418 and was one of the largest wooden ships of its time, measuring 66.4 meters (218 ft) in length. She weighed 1,400 tons.

Two other ships, "Valentine" and "Falcon" were built to escort her. Grace Dieu and her escorts appear to have only set sail once, in 1420, under the command of the Earl of Devon. The expedition sufferred a mutiny soon after leaving Southampton and diverted to St. Helens on the Isle of Wight.

Subsequently, Grace Dieu was laid-up in the River Hamble. Already dismasted and stripped of equipment, she was burnt to the waterline after being set abalze by a bolt of lightning in 1439. The remains of Grace Dieu are still in the River Hamble at Bursledon, near Southampton, Hampshire. The site was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act on 5 February, 1974 and was excavated by Channel 4's archaeology programme Time Team in 2004 for their 2005 series.

See also

*List of world's largest wooden ships

References

External links

* [http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server.php?show=nav.3896 Royal Navy site]
* [http://www.channel4.com/history/timeteam/2005_grace.html Time Team site]