Divers have captured the first known images of underwater structures believed to be remnants of Shipden, a medieval village off the Norfolk coast that was swallowed by the North Sea in the 14th century. The discovery matters because it offers new physical evidence about the lost settlement and may challenge longstanding beliefs about the location of its church.

Volunteer divers mapped 25 man-made features, including flint walls, cut stone and caisson-like foundations that may have formed medieval sea defences. Shipden had 117 residents in 1086, along with a harbour, two churches and farmland, but researchers have not identified the church remains conclusively; they stress that their interpretations remain tentative and are being compared with historical records.