Hundreds of thousands of hours were spent on the seabed uncovering the Mary Rose.

The search for the Mary Rose began in 1965 with Alexander McKee, an amateur historian and diver who had believed that Henry VIII's ship had survived beneath the surface, and formed a team to help find it..

For very nearly 50 years, her name has been synonymous with that of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship, having been the archaeological director of the remarkable excavation.

For many schoolchildren in the 1980s, the Mary Rose will forever be associated with the popular BBC TV show Blue Peter, which sent presenter Sarah Greene to dive on the wreck site in 1982.

Check out our blog, with features on objects that were found, and memories of the people who helped excavate and raise the Mary Rose.

Work on the Mary Rose didn't end in 1982, ever since we've been working hard to understand and care for the thousands of objects recovered. 

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary a new book, The Mary Rose - Her Story, Their Story, Our Story, has been published, covering all aspects of the Mary rose, from her construction in 1510 to the present day.