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British warship artefact found decorating home in northern Spain
The priceless anchor could belong to the 19th-century British warship HMS Serpent, which sank off the coast of Galicia
In a mighty twist of maritime history, the Guardia Civil has recovered an anchor believed to belong to the 19th-century British warship HMS Serpent. The anchor, once a piece of naval legend, was found adorning the facade of a private home in Muxía, a coastal town in Galicia, northern Spain.
The homeowner is now under investigation for allegedly committing a crime against historical heritage.
The HMS Serpent, a Royal Navy torpedo cruiser, tragically ran aground off the Galician coast near Cabo Vilán on November 10, 1890. Of the 175 crew members aboard, only three survived, with 172 buried in what is now known as the English Cemetery near Cape Vilán.
The investigation began in June when officers received a tip suggesting the anchor might have come from the HMS Serpent. According to local accounts, the artefact was accidentally dredged up about 25 years ago by a fishing boat operating near Cabo Vilán.
As the boat’s crew tried to recover the anchor, their fishing gear broke, and it sank back to the seabed. Undeterred, the captain recorded the coordinates, and a larger vessel retrieved the anchor the following day.
Somehow, the artefact ended up on a private property, repurposed as an unconventional piece of nautical decor.
It turns out that this particular homeowner is quite the collector of illicit items. In addition to the HMS Serpent anchor, investigators found two other anchors at the same property, whose origins are still under examination. All three have been transferred to the Museo de Mar in Camelle (Camariñas) for preservation and detailed analysis.This extraordinary recovery sheds light on the long-lost wreckage of the HMS Serpent, which served the Royal Navy for just two years before its tragic end. Its remains, scattered along the Galician coast, continue to tell the story of the crew and the perilous maritime conditions of the late 19th century.
Images: Guardia Civil
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