More than 15,000 visitors have headed to a major exhibition showcasing the finds from the remarkable wreck of a royal warship dubbed 'Norfolk's Mary Rose'.
Thrilled museum bosses have hailed the popularity of the 'The Last Voyage of the Gloucester: Norfolk’s Royal Shipwreck, 1682' exhibition, which opened at Norwich Castle Museum at the end of February.
The wreck of the ship - which had the future King James I on board when it sank off the coast of Great Yarmouth - was discovered by Norfolk divers Lincoln and Julian Barnwell and their friend James Little in 2007.
The find was kept secret for several years, but visitors to the Norwich Castle exhibition are able to see items brought up from the seabed after almost 350 years.
Objects on display include beautifully-designed wine bottles, a urine flask, spoons, the mouthpiece of a brass trumpet, parts of a woman's shoe, combs, clay pipes, a leather pouch and the ship's bell.
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Steve Miller, head of Norfolk Museums Service, said: "The first six weeks of The Last Voyage of the Gloucester exhibition have been very busy with 15,000 visits up to the end of March.
"It is wonderful to see the galleries buzzing and to hear all the positive feedback we’ve been getting about this very special exhibition, which has obviously captured people’s imaginations.
"We couldn’t have brought this incredible story to life without a big collaborative effort, so we’d like to put on record our thanks to our exhibition partners, the University of East Anglia, our exhibition sponsors, Adnams plc, Alan Boswell Group and Birketts LLP and of course, the Barnwells whose discovery of the Gloucester with their friend, James, began this incredible journey.
"We look forward to a busy spring and summer and welcoming thousands more visitors to the show."
Tickets to the exhibition, which runs until September, are free with museum admission, but it is recommended to book.
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