HMS Northumberland was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Francis Bayley of Bristol in 1677/79.

[3] HMS Northumberland was commissioned on 20 June 1679 under the command of Captain John Wetwang until 20 September 1679 for delivery to Chatham.

With the outbreak of the War of English Succession, she was commissioned in September 1690 under the command of Captain Andrew Cotton.

In 1694 she was under Captain David Lambert sailing with Russel’s Fleet in the English Channel then moved on to the Mediterranean in October.

[5] She was ordered rebuilt on 14 September 1699 at Chatham Dockyard under the guidance of Master Shipwright Robert Shortiss.

[9] HMS Northumberland was commissioned in 1702 under the command of Captain James Greenaway for service with Sir George Rooke’s Fleet for operations at Cadiz, Spain.

After being informed of a French Fleet and Spanish treasure ships at Vigo Bay they sailed for the north-west coast of Spain.

[13] The remains of the Northumberland lie south of three wrecks of other ships lost in the same storm - the Stirling Castle, Restoration and Mary.

[14] The wreck was originally identified by the discovery of a bell and stock with the naval broad arrow and date; subsequently the ADU have found guns, two copper cauldrons and an anchor.

[14] There is a coherent piece of ship's structure just south of the centre of the designated area, with large timbers and some exposed planking, possibly corresponding to the region between the first and second futtocks (ribs) of the vessel.