The Rooswijk, an armed Dutch East Indiaman, was wrecked by a storm in 1739, while carrying a large cargo of silver. All 250 crew and passengers died.
A British sport diver found the wreck in the Goodwins' Kellet Gut area in 2004. With other divers he located silver ingots, which were lifted and identified as Rooswijk lading.
The Dutch Government, which owns the silver, appointed a British-based team to recover it, under high-level archaeological supervision due to the wreck's historical value. The work was completed recently.
Now, the British Government has decided to designate the wreck as a protected site to guarantee its continued well-being. Announcing the designation, under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, Culture Minister David Lammy said:
'The history of the Rooswijk is well documented, and its wreck site has the potential to yield a wealth of information about trade between Europe and the East Indies in the early 18th century.
'It also provides a rare opportunity to gain insight into a period when English shipwrights were employed to standardise Dutch ship design. For these reasons, it is fitting that this site gains statutory protection.'
Under the designation, diving or any other intrusion is not allowed within a radius of 150m of the position 51 16.443N, 01 34.537E. No official licensee has yet been appointed as custodian of the site.
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