A rare anchor “only seen a handful of times in the last 200 years” has been uncovered in a small harbour in Devon.

The anchor was found by a local history group in Turnchapel, Plymouth, is believed to date to the 1800s and to have come from a Royal Navy ship.

It appeared at the base of a harbour wall with its wooden stock attached.

Archaeologists have been excavating and said it was an “amazing opportunity… to engage people with maritime archaeology”.

Mallory Haas, Director and Maritime Archaeologist for The SHIPS Project Community Interest Company said: “Anchors of this age and style with their wooden stocks are very rare, and being able to have one that is on the foreshore is rather amazing.”

“I have only seen one other one that was in the mud on the Thames river in London.

The team hopes to find out more about the origins of the anchor
“We can approximate its age due to it being incorporated into the South harbour wall, the anchor likely dates to the early 1800s, and is English in design and is also likely Royal Navy, however we did not find any markings, like the broad arrow.”

The anchor was first spotted by the Turnchapel History Group and is thought to have been laid against the harbour wall prior to it being built, and incorporated into the harbour landscape.

Those involved now intend to make a detailed drawing of the anchor from the measurements gathered and compare it to known designs and to understand the type or size of ship it may have come from.

A metal-working site uncovered in Moray may have helped arm Caledonian tribes against the Romans, before being burned down by the invaders.

Archaeologists have described the site at Lochinver Quarry, near Elgin, as fascinating and unusual.

Evidence has been found of metal production over a period of up to 2,000 years from the Bronze Age through the Iron Age.

Archaeologists believe they could end up excavating as many as 40 iron smelting sites.

Prior to these discoveries around 25 such sites have been found for the whole of Scotland.

A new law stopping businesses in Jersey from providing customers with single-use plastic bags comes into force on Thursday.

The Single Use Plastics Law also means shops will have to charge at least 70p per reusable bag.

It aims to encourage people to take their own shopping bags and reuse them.

Deputy Inna Gardiner put forward the initial proposals and said she hoped people would “embrace this cultural change”.

The law applies to most plastic and paper bags being provided by all businesses including shops, takeaways, event organisers and marketeers with some specific exemptions.

The States said it shows they are “supporting the global reduction in carbon emissions associated with production, transportation, and disposal of bags”.

Posters have been distributed to shops and other businesses in Jersey to explain the new law and a series of factsheets are available online.

Deputy Gardiner added: “I never thought we would see this come into effect so soon after breaking temperature records.

“I hope islanders embrace this cultural change and maybe even have a favourite bag they use every time they go to the shops.

“This is one way everybody in Jersey can show they want to protect the environment and do something to reduce global emissions.”

If traders have non-compliant single use bags still in stock, they can continue to use these for the next six months.

They may be asked to prove the bags were delivered prior to the law coming in and traders failing to comply with the new law may be fined up to £1,000.

Four college students have kayaked 200 miles (321km) to raise awareness of water pollution.

The team of water sports enthusiasts from Gloucestershire began their 9-day challenge to kayak the length of the River Thames on 13 July.

They reached their final destination in Canvey Island, Essex, on 21 July.

Stuart Williams, head of outdoor at Cirencester College, accompanied the group. He said: “The students proved themselves. They nailed it.”

The idea was a collaborative effort which came to fruition after several years of planning, he said.

Mr Williams, who developed a passion after studying environmental sciences, said he wanted “to pass those values on to the students I teach.”

“Having seen a few things in the media we wanted to support this and raise awareness. I feel like we’ve regressed a bit”, he added.

The group travelled in five kayaks from the source of the Thames near Coates in Cirencester.

Their journey began on foot, carrying the kayaks for the first 11 miles (17.7km).

As they kayaked the remaining 189 miles (304.1km) along the river, the students collected water samples to work out which sections of the Thames are the most polluted.

The samples will be tested for traces of nitrate and phosphorus, two substances that show up in high levels if water is polluted.