Shipwreck timbers from 17th Century excavated

It's been a month since stormy weather blasted away sand covering part of a 400-year-old ship.

Now archaeologists and students have gathered on Studland beach in Dorset to excavate what is believed to be part of the 17th Century Swash Channel wreck.

A team from the marine archaeology department at Bournemouth University and volunteers for the National Trust worked for hours to dig away sand and reveal the timbers.

It was first discovered after multiple storms in January and experts say it could be part of the hull from the Fame from Hoorn, an armed Dutch merchant ship that ran aground and sank in 1631.

The Swash Channel wreck was first discovered in the 1990s in a key shipping approach to Poole Harbour.

The section of ship, thought to be part of the hull, measures approximately 6m (19.6ft) long and 2m (6.5ft) wide.

Tom Cousins, from Bournemouth University, said the timber would be taken to their conservation facilities for analysis and preservation treatments.

It is hoped the ship will eventually be put on display in Poole Museum.