NEW research is throwing a fresh light on Morwellham Quay's early history — with the pub floor possibly dating back to medieval times. It has long been known that a settlement has existed at Morwellham since at least the 13th century.

Research from the 1970s pointed to the Ship Inn as the oldest building still in existence, with a probable date of 1550.

But now a team of archaeologists believe that the ground floor may contain elements of'The House on the Quay' mentioned in a lease of 1240 when Henry lll was king.

For some 30 years visitors have ben drawn to Morwellham Quay. Most of the visitors have come to find out about the port's Victorian hey-day when thousands of tons of copper ore were stored on the quays and ships from all around the world berthed in the docks.

The old port on the river Tamar has been operated as an open air museum and tourist attraction by the Morwellham and Tamar Valley Trust since the 1970s.

But now new research however, is throwing a fresh light on Morwellham's early history.

Trust archaeologists Robert Waterhouse and Cynthia Gaskell-Brown have been looking again at the building and they have concluded that the roof structure and first floor should be dated to between 1450-1475 — with the exciting possibility that the ground floor may date back to 1240.

'We believe we have here a building of immense regional and possibly national significance,' said Mrs Gaskell-Brown.

The current priority is to raise funding to enable Mr Waterhouse to carry out a full architectural and archaeological survey.

The Friends of Morwellham are contributing a third to the cost and the trust is appealing for someone to contribute around £2,000.

The results of the survey will enable future funding bids to conserve and interpret this exciting and historically significant find.