160-year-old British ship washes up north of Christchurch

A 160-year-old British trading ship has been discovered in the Ashley Rakahuri River mouth, north of Christchurch. Photo / Supplied

A 160-year-old British trading ship has been discovered in the Ashley Rakahuri River mouth, north of Christchurch.

The ship, believed to be the Thames, was built in 1826 at Yarmouth, Norfolk, and was once a trading ship that sailed the globe from South America to Mauritius.

The ship ran aground in 1865 while delivering telegraph poles to North Canterbury’s wild coastline.

It was sold off, salvaged and stripped for parts.

Remaining pieces of the ship that were too heavy to move were left behind, only to be swallowed by sand for more than a century.

Local folklore tells of Thames’ timbers being used to build homes in the region, with the bell serving as a fire bell for Southbrook before being gifted to the local school in 1974.

The discovery of the ship began in 2023, when Environment Canterbury park rangers noticed a section of the long-forgotten wooden shipwreck sticking out of the sand.

The wreck was flagged by its harbourmasters team, who deemed the site hazardous, and made plans to remove the ship.

A team used diggers to excavate parts of the ship at the beginning of the year.

Archaeologist Nick Cable was brought in to help uncover the identity of the ship.

“It was the style of timber and the copper sheathing that told us this wreck was from an older, statelier vessel,” he said.

Efforts are underway to stabilise the exposed section, with plans to eventually display the ship publicly. Photo / Supplied

Alongside Nick, local conservator Emily Fryer oversaw the preservation process and began piecing together the clues.

Timber samples, copper sheathing and even pin-sized fragments were all sent away for analysis.

“Samples confirmed the timber was English oak and elm, classic British shipbuilding materials,” said Cable.

“That really sealed the deal for us in confirming the wreck to be the Thames.”

The ship has been hidden under the sand of the Ashley Rakahuri River Mouth for 160 years. Photo / Supplied

Ground scans and probing also helped determine if more of the vessel lay hidden beneath the sand.

Regional council Environment Canterbury said conservation efforts are now underway to stabilise the exposed section, with plans to eventually display it publicly.