Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1912 — TREASURES OF LOST DUNWICH [ARTICLE]

TREASURES OF LOST DUNWICH

Sea Gives Up Relics of Ancient English City Swallowed Up by Ocean. The recent extraordinary high tide wrought strange havoc on the Suffolk (England) coast. At Thorpness, Aldeburgh, a million tons of sand were washed away, and bungalows on the coast which were a hundred yards away from the sea, were within a few feet of highwater mark. But the most curious act Was that hundreds of coins of gold, silver and bronze, and dating back in many cases to early Saxon time, were brought to light, also antique bronze rings and ornaments and an old bag clasp of bronze, with a silver inscription believed to be of the age of King John. This coast is of the greatest antiquarian interest. Standing on it, according to local legend, the wayfarer at twilight can hear the bells of the submerged churches of Dunwlch in the sea. Of this place, once a populous seaport, little or nothing now remains.

Here centuries ago were stationed Roman troops; here was a Saxon city of great importance, Dummoceastre, and here about 630 A. D. Sigeberht, king of East Anglia, built himself a palace and erected a cathedral, which was consecrated by Archbishop Honor ius. There were 15 bishops of Dunwlch before the sea disappeared. At one time the city boasted six churches, in addition ,to convents, hospitals and other public buildings. Under Henry 11. its ships voyaged as far as Iceland. In the reign of Edward 111. the old port was swept away, with 400 houses. One by one five of its churches were Undermined by the waves, and today only one remains, a melancholy ruin, with a fragment of a monastery and Ue scanty remains of a-Jsper hospital. Ships, harbor, city, an "have gone; even the very ruins have perished with the above exceptions. But on the shore still grows the “dtinwich rose,” which by tradition was first brought to East Anglia by the monks 1,400 years ago. -w