TIMBERS found by National Trust rangers following Storm Katie may be from the wreck of a 17th century Dutch ship.

The timbers were washed up on Studland beach, and are thought to be from the Swash Channel wreck, located near the entrance to Poole Harbour.

The wreck, which was given legal protection in 2004, has been described as the most significant maritime archaeology project in Britain since the raising of the Mary Rose in 1982.

The National Trust, which looks after Studland, has contacted Bournemouth University experts to try to identify the find, with the team planning to dive on the wreck to check for damage.

Timbers already known to be from the wreck, that of a high status armed merchant ship, have been dated to trees felled in 1628 near the Dutch-German border.

The Studland discovery was made by National Trust rangers on Tuesday and Wednesday, days after Storm Katie combined with unusually high tides.

The timbers are in three main sections, two of which appear to fit together.

Holes for wooden pegs, and the pegs themselves, are clearly visible, and the timbers seem to have been shaped with tools.

To preserve them, they have been submerged in storage tanks at nearby Corfe Castle, pending further investigation. The Receiver of Wrecks will be informed.

The Bournemouth University team have so far recovered 1,000 artefacts from the Swash Channel wreck.

They include a carved wooden head which adorned the ship’s rudder, baroque style carvings of mermen and cherubim and personal items such as shoes, wooden bowls and tankards.

Some of them have been on display at nearby Poole Museum.

Marine archaeologist Dave Parham, who leads the university team said: “It is not improbable that it they could be from our site.

“As a result of this find we will be going out to check if there has been any damage to the site.”