Smallhythe, Kent
7 February 1999

The Medieval axe head found in an antiques shop in Smallhythe

Ellen Terry's House

Carenza clearing the 'boat' remains in trench 4

Smallhythe is now a small village amid the fields of east Kent, the nearest body of water being the Reading Sewer, a drainage ditch, and its peace only disturbed by the bleating of sheep. However, in the 15th and 16th centuries, it was the site of a bustling shipbuilding industry right next to the mile-wide River Rother.

Time Team came to Smallhythe to see if they could find any traces of the medieval shipwrights who built, among other craft, Henry V's 1,000-ton Jesus.

Medieval ship nails

Henry V's ship Jesus, made at Smallhythe – animated 3D reconstruction by Steve Breeze

Further reading

The Good Ship: Ships, shipbuilding and technology in England by Ian Friel (British Museum Press, 1995) hardback £25
Looks at the technological developments in shipbuilding in medieval England from AD 1200 to 1520.

Medieval Ships and Shipping by Gillian Hutchinson (Leicester University Press, 1994) paperback £18.99
A readable and scholarly introduction to shipping and shipbuilding in Britain during the period 1066-1500.

Ships of the Port of London: vol. 2: 12th to 17th centuries (English Heritage, 1996) paperback £30
Study of the archaeological remains of ships and boats used in the port of London. The author reconstructs the design and use of the ships, employing evidence from the vessels, from waterfronts and from trade goods.

Ships and Shipwrecks by Peter Marsden (English Heritage, 1997) paperback £15.99
A clear and concise overview of British maritime archaeology from prehistoric log boats and medieval seafarers to the early 19th century. For anyone interested in the construction, use and function of boats.

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