Mystery shipwreck off Sussex coast identified as lost 17th-century relic

A shipwreck lying off the coast of East Sussex has been identified as a Dutch warship which sank in 1672.

The protected site was discovered by divers in 2019 and initially called the “unknown wreck off Eastbourne”.

It has now been identified as the warship Klein Hollandia, which was built in 1656.

Footage shows divers exploring the site, which was considered so important that it was granted the highest level of protection under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

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