Applicants are invited to complete the Company application form and supply a supporting CV by 12:00 noon Wednesday 4 November 2010.

There are more details in the vacancies section of our main website.

Wessex Archaeology is frequently involved in the investigation of RN heritage – ships, submarines, aircraft and dockyards – so the new NMRN is very welcome. Speeches by the Government Minister and the First Sea Lord emphasised the important role of maritime heritage in today’s society and were followed by a rolling broadside from HMS Victory and a performance by the Royal Marines Band.

There is more information about the NMRN launch at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and a clip of HMS Victory’s broadside at The News.

Andrea on her dive course. Photo courtesy of the Underwater Centre, Fort William

Wessex Archaeology has three newly qualified commercial divers. The trio, Nic Bigourdan, Andrea Hamel and Kevin Stratford – all Archaeologists in our Coastal and Marine team - have spent five weeks at Fort Williams’s Underwater Centre in Scotland training for their HSE Surface Supplied commercial diving qualification. Although we have supported several staff carrying out such training in previous years, this is the first time that Wessex Archaeology has fully funded the commercial course.

Wessex Archaeology has been a registered commercial diving contractor since 1996 and is a full member of the Association of Diving Contractors. Our diving team includes two supervisors, one of whom is also qualified as a Diver Medic.

Equipped with surface-supplied equipment, digital video and acoustic tracking, WA carries out many forms of archaeological diving work. Investigations range from detailed surveys of historic shipwrecks for government heritage agencies, to checking suspected archaeological sites amongst anomalies identified by marine developers.

The other post, for a coastal and marine archaeologist, was taken by Stuart Churchley. He was awarded his BSc in maritime archaeology by Bournemouth University, followed by two years gaining experience working on the Newport Ship in Gwent, helping with ship model reconstruction and conservation.

The placements are funded by English Heritage and administered by the IfA. They are designed to allow Patrick and Stuart to develop their skills while working on a range of strategic and development-led projects. So far Patrick has been learning about marine geophysical processing and has also spent a week in Ilminster on a land-based  geophysical survey. He found what appear to be anti-tank traps dating to World War II.

Stuart has also been experiencing marine geophysical survey during the investigation of several protected wreck sites off Kent. During his placement he’s also been helping with the presentation of outreach projects at large public events and was recently involved in testing seabed sampling methods in order to better understand submerged Palaeolithic landscapes in the southern North Sea.

The study area that Wessex Archaeology will investigate is located in the south-east of England, and is one of the last Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Surveys (RCZAS) to be initiated. Along with the other RCZAS completed for other areas of the UK coast, this project has been commissioned by English Heritage, who intend to complete a full archaeological survey of the entire English coast by 2013.

The area that we will investigate covers a distance of over 200 miles of coastline from Redbridge at Totton in Hampshire in the west to White Ness, Kingsgate in Kent in the east. It extends seaward to six nautical miles and inland to either one kilometre or to the five metre contour line (dependent on which has the furthest distance from the coastline).

The project is split into two separate phases. Phase 1 encompasses the desk-based assessment of the area, which includes not only the compilation and analysis of known archaeological sites in the area, but also the analysis of relevant aerial photographs held in the English Heritage archives at the National Monuments Records. The scanning of these photographs and digitising of apparent archaeological features will feed into the National Mapping Programme, providing an extensive amalgamation of the UK’s archaeological/military remains that are visible from the air. Phase 2 consists of the field assessment and aims to ground truth and supplement the results from the initial phase. This phase will also conclude with the compilation of the final report.

Using aerial photographs, historic maps and charts, existing archaeological and historical records, analysis of some ground elevation data called LiDAR, together with a walkover survey of the area, we hope to build up a comprehensive catalogue of the types and extents of archaeological remains that exist along this extremely diverse and culturally interesting coastline.

Several external sources will provide us with existing archaeological, historical, and military information already known to lie within our study area, including the National Monuments Record (and the National Mapping Programme), local Historic Environment Records and Sites and Monuments Records, and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. And in turn, the results that we will generate from the project will be given back to these sources to supplement and enhance their records. This is an excellent means of gathering and sharing locally, nationally and potentially internationally important data that can be accessed by all.

From the 500,000 year old human remains at Boxgrove to the intense military activity in and over the Straits of Dover during World War II, it is likely that all archaeological and historical periods will be represented on the South East coast by a huge variety of archaeological features.

We will be regularly updating the Splash page with news on the project’s progress, so be sure to watch this space!

European Maritime Day shows the importance of the sea and oceans in everyday life throughout Europe. The wide-ranging papers presented at the workshop covered many different aspects of maritime heritage. Key points of discussion concerned the role of heritage in re-connecting society with the maritime industries upon which it depends, and maintaining a broad definition of ‘marine environment’ that encompasses its historic features and landscapes.

Wessex Archaeology has produced a flyer on our role in integrating heritage with marine industry.

The Iona I was built on the Clyde in 1855 by Glaswegian shipbuilders J. & G. Thomson. Dubbed, the ‘Queen of the Clyde’ the Iona I achieved considerable fame as a fast and well appointed passenger steamer operating in the Firth of Clyde for David Hutcheson & Company.

During the American Civil War the vessel was bought by a businessman, probably Mr D. McNutt, to run goods to the Confederate States through the Union naval blockade. After having been converted for this purpose, and whilst leaving the Clyde on the start of its first transatlantic crossing, the Iona I was involved in a collision with another vessel. Contemporary accounts suggest that the Iona I sank rapidly by the stern, but that the vessel was probably intact as it left the surface.

The wreck currently lies on a silty seabed in almost 30m of water, about 100m south-east of the Whiteforeland Buoy in the Firth of Clyde Channel, off Greenock and Gourock. The vessel survives partly intact on a roughly south-west to north-east orientation. The central 25m of the wreck is the best preserved part of the site as here the vessel survives up to upper deck height, with boilers, crankshafts and what appear to be engines surviving in situ. Elsewhere the vessel is less well preserved and does not survive to deck height.

Listen to a podcast recorded by our dive team whilst exploring the wreck of Iona l.

Wessex Archaeology have also investigated the wreck of the Iona I’s sister ship, the Iona II. Read more about the Iona II.

Location

The site is situated in the Upper Clyde Estuary, off Greenock and Gaurock. It lies within the Firth of Clyde Channel, approximately 100m south east of the Whiteforeland Buoy. The following position for funnel base 2013 has been obtained from the multibeam swath bathymetry data supplied by Clydeport and
has been confirmed by tracked diver survey:

During the placement the post-holder will participate in marine geophysical surveys and develop skills in archaeological interpretation of sidescan, magnetometer, sub-bottom and bathymetric data. The post-holder will be involved in relating geophysical results to geological, geotechnical, palaeo-environmental, documentary, diver-based and other archaeological sources, and in contributing to reports and other deliverables.

The training will be delivered on a mentoring/tutoring basis whilst working with teams working on a range of strategic and development-led projects. The placement may contribute towards an appropriate vocational qualification.

Details of the placement can be found on the IfA website.

Applications for the placements should be made to the IfA. The closing date for applications is 20 April 2009.

One placement is for an archaeologist, who will be involved in a wide range of desk- and field-based investigations; the second placement is for a geophysicist, focusing on marine geophysical survey and interpretation.

Details of the two placements can be found on the IfA website.

Applications for the placements should be made to the IfA. The closing date for applications is 27 February 2009.

The hand axes, described by Phil Harding as ‘massively important’, date back tens of thousands of years. They were used by Stone Age hunters at a time in the Ice Age when water was locked up in the ice caps and the North Sea was dry land. The axes were found in gravel that was dredged from the seabed near Yarmouth but landed in Holland.

Their discovery gives decisive proof for a submerged landscape that experts thought had been destroyed. It was thought that rising sea levels had swept away all traces of this Ice Age world. The discovery of the hand axes, announced earlier this year, surprised the experts and caught the public imagination around the world.

The international collaboration that ensured the axes were reported was acknowledged by the judges who awarded the prize jointly to Jan Meeulmeister, the amateur archaeologist and fossil hunter who identified the finds; the British Marine Aggregates Producers Association who run the scheme for reporting archaeological remains found in dredging for sand and gravel at sea; and Hanson Marine Aggregates Ltd who promptly stopped dredging in the area the finds came from. The judges also praised the collaboration between the Dutch and English government archaeology services.

Awarding the prize Alison Taylor said ‘The find was reported across the world on TV, radio and in newspapers, while the thousands of online hits demonstrate that this find really engaged with the public’s fascination with archaeology. Overall this was, and continues to be, an excellent archaeological project.’

Dr Antony Firth of Wessex Archaeology who run the reporting scheme for the British Marine Aggregates Association and who nominated the find commented ‘This award is thoroughly deserved. It recognises the vision of the industry in introducing and supporting this voluntary scheme. Having the scheme in place meant that the significance of the hand axes was recognised and action was taken internationally and promptly. As a result a find of crucial importance was saved.’

The aim of this course is to provide participants with an overview of marine development-led archaeology and the range of solutions that can be applied to investigating possible impacts.

Staff from WA Coastal and Marine are contributing many of the course components, and discussion will be led by English Heritage and ALGAO.

Follow link to find details of the course, or download the course leaflet: marine-development-led-leaflet-new-jl-v

Documentary evidence suggests that this is the wreck of a wooden steamship, built no later than 1862. The results from Wessex Archaeology’s geophysical and dive surveys have narrowed the identification of the vessel and suggest that it is either the Lioness or the Florence: both steamships with single boilers. The wreck of the vessel includes a scotch boiler, a four-bladed iron propeller, and a dish reportedly found on the site marked with, “made exclusively for the United States Line”. This artefact is likely to be intrusive to the site since none of the 53 ships of the United States Lines were of composite or wooden construction, or sank off the English coast.

The wreck is located 634m NE of the Nab Tower in the deep draught vessel approach to the Nab Channel; the main shipping lane to Portsmouth and Southampton. It lies in 13.6m deep water (CD) on a sandy seabed.

In August 2002 Wessex Archaeology carried out a geophysical survey of the site, using sidescan sonar and magnetometer. Two brief assessment dives were also undertaken that month, detailing the condition of the wreck site and the visible components of the wreck.

In June 2003, further geophysical surveys were conducted using multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer. No dive survey was completed that year due to the site’s location in the shipping channel, Wessex Archaeology being advised not to dive by Southampton VTS (Vessel Traffic Services).

View the Wessex Archaeology web page for more about this wreck site.

The Princes Channel Wreck is a medium-sized armed merchant ship found in the Thames in 2003. We carried out a series of investigations that resulted in the recovery of the surviving hull structure and a range of artefacts in 2004.

A pdf of the published article is available for download.

You can also download our Phase III report, which was prepared following recovery of the hull structure.

The main Wessex Archaeology website has more details of our investigation of the Princes Channel Wreck.

The remains of an unidentified wreck broken in two parts and lying on the port side.

The dimensions of the wreck and surrounding debris scatter measures 76m x 16m. The shipwreck is lying in 27m of water and is located to the SW of Littlehampton, West Sussex.

In August 2002 the site was surveyed with sidescan sonar and magnetometer. The strength of the magnetometer results suggested that the vessel was constructed from wood but with ferrous components associated with it, such as ship fittings or cargo. The site was not dived due to adverse weather conditions.

The programmes examine a series of wrecks within the main navigation channels looked after by the Port of London Authority (PLA). The port is very busy, with major plans for expansion that include new dredging in existing channels.

Since 2003, Wessex Archaeology’s Coastal and Marine section has been advising the PLA on how best to safeguard the archaeological and historical interest in wrecks that lie in these channels. We have carried out an extensive range of investigations, including desk-based research, marine geophysical surveys, and archaeological diving. Each programme of work has been agreed with English Heritage and includes provision for reporting, handling of recovered material, and publication. Further archaeological work is being planned to accompany future wreck clearance and dredging.

Here on Splash, Wessex Archaeology’s Coastal and Marine website, you can find out more about our shipwreck investigations.

This wreck is situated 7.18nm ESE of Selsey Bill in the Outer Owers, at a general depth of 19.7m (CD). The dimensions are 14m in length and 6m in breadth.

In August 2002 a geophysical survey of the wreck was completed by Wessex Archaeology, using sidescan sonar and magnetometer. The site was not dived during this year’s fieldwork due to poor weather conditions.

In June 2003, the site was re-surveyed using multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer. The site was only dived once, again due to adverse weather conditions. However, the dive results confirmed that the magnetic anomaly returned by the geophysics survey corresponded with the large cargo of iron pipes.

Finally, in the summer of 2005, a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) was used to obtain live recordings of the wreck site that would go towards the site archive. Examples of the video footage together with underwater photos, a site plan and more information about the Bottle Wreck (including its construction, fittings and cargo) can all be viewed here.

For further information about some of the objects retrieved from this site over the years, visit the Littlehampton museum webpage.

]]> http://splash.wessexarch.co.uk/2008/08/22/the-bottle-wreck-site-5013/feed/ 0 50.6820 -0.6093 http://splash.wessexarch.co.uk/2008/08/22/the-bottle-wreck-site-5013/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/splasharchaeology/~3/-50ZbafdH58/ http://splash.wessexarch.co.uk/2008/08/12/unknown-steam-trawler-off-worthing-east-sussex-site-5008/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:33:50 +0000 Wessex Archaeology http://splash.wessexarch.co.uk/?p=185 This is the wreck of an unknown steam trawler, probably dating to the first quarter of the 20th century. The vessel is lying on the starboard side and although most of its structure is absent, part of a funnel is visible on the seabed, together with an iron propeller and winch.

The site is situated due south of Worthing, East Sussex and lies at a depth of 23m. The dimensions of the wreck are 42.1m long, 17.5m wide and it stands 4.4m proud of the seabed.

In August 2002, Wessex Archaeology surveyed the wreck site using sidescan sonar and magnetometer. A month later the site was dived confirming the elements of the wreck that remain, together with a description of their current state of preservation.

The site is situated 7.5nm SSE of Littlehampton, West Sussex between the Outer Owers and Kingmere Rocks. It lies in 10.7m (CD) of water on a sandy/gravelly seabed. The dimensions of the wreck are 66m in length and 7-10m in width.

In 2002 the site was geophysically surveyed by Wessex Archaeology, using sidescan sonar and magnetometer. The sidescan image shows the vessel upright on the seabed and largely unburied, and the magnetometer results indicate a large metal anomaly associated with the wreck; presumably a combination of the iron ore cargo and metal hull. Technical problems meant that no diving survey of the wreck was completed that year.

In 2003, the area was re-surveyed using multibeam, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer, confirming the results collected from 2002.

Most recently, in the summer of 2005, WA used a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) to survey the site, and obtain a video archive of the wreck site. Examples of the video footage together with underwater photos, a site plan and more information about the Concha (including its construction, fittings, machinery, cargo and artefacts) can all be viewed here.

A list of the Concha’s vessel specifications from Lloyds Register can be viewed here.

This site is thought to be the remains of a World War II B-24 Liberator bomber.

It is located close to the Sussex coast, near Eastbourne.

In August 2002, Wessex Archaeology surveyed the site using sidescan sonar, although the results produced were not consistent with the wreck of a plane.

This wreck is the remains of the Umba, an early 20th century merchant vessel that was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1918. The wreck is also commonly known as the “Gun Wreck” after a Russian 6 pounder gun was found mounted on the poop.

The site is located 5.5nm south of Hastings, just to the east of Hastings Shingle Bank. It is lying at a general depth of 22m (CD).

In 2002 the wreck was surveyed using sidescan sonar and magnetometer. The geophysics results confirmed that the vessel was built of either steel or iron, and although largely buried, its dimensions are 96m x 13m. Sidescan images show the wreck is lying on an even keel and standing about 4.5 metres high. The site was not dived during this year’s fieldwork due to hazardous dive conditions.

In the summer of 2005, the site was surveyed using a ROV (remotely operated vehicle). Most of the original wooden decking still remains on the poop, showing how well preserved the wreck is. Examples of the ROV video footage together with underwater photos, a site plan and more information about the Umba (including its construction, vessel type, fittings and machinery) can all be viewed here.

The site is part of the side of an unknown vessel, with frames, ceiling and outer planking, possible knees and a fragment of decking, together with other miscellaneous features. It appears that a substantial section of the top timbers, including circular ports and railings, survives in very good condition.

The site was designated as a protected historic wreck site in 2004. English Heritage now administers the wreck and Bournemouth University are actively investigating the site.

Wessex Archaeology’s Diving Investigations

Following the site’s discovery it was subject to an initial diving assessment on behalf of Poole Harbour Commissioners. Subsequently Wessex Archaeology was asked by English Heritage to investigate the wreck as part of our work under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) in 2005.

The divers produced a photographic survey of the exposed site, prepared a georeferenced plan of the main exposed archaeological features, and made detailed measurements of the features on the site. Wessex Archaeology was then commissioned to carry out sandbagging of the areas of the wreck deemed under threat and to remove various vulnerable finds from the existing channel slope, in advance of dredging. An ambiguous dendrochronological date was obtained, following the sampling of two pieces of wood from within the ship’s structure, which indicated that the timber had been felled in or after 1585 and that the tree grew in Germany or Holland.

From the study of the structure it is thought that the vessel may be longer than 40 metres in length, the large size of the guns supports this view. Pottery from the site implies a date later than 1630 while the limited number of guns suggests it may have been a merchant ship.

In August 2002, Wessex Archaeology carried out a sidescan sonar and magnetometer survey of this unnamed site, south of Hastings, East Sussex. The site was located using data obtained from the UKHO. There was no dive survey due to adverse weather conditions.

The wreck has a significant magnetic signature, suggesting it is constructed from a ferrous material.

Sidescan data shows it to be 75m long and 15m wide, standing 4.8m proud of the seabed. Two masts are evident protruding from the wreck, about 25m in length.

No further work has been carried out to identify the site.

This is the wreck of the Devon Coast, an early 20th century three-masted steamer that sank in 1908 after a collision with another steamer, Jeanie. Locally the site is known as the “Stone Boat” due to the cargo of cement it was transporting. However it has now been identified as the Devon Coast after a diver discovered a builders plate that was inscribed with ‘Harkess and Sons Ltd No. 163′.

The wreck lies in 16m of water (CD) south of Cuckmere Haven in East Sussex. It consists of two separate sections; the full extents of which measure 80m x 18m. A large mound between the two sections is thought to be the remains of the cement cargo. A mast measuring 4.8m still protrudes vertically from the wreck.

In August and October 2002 Wessex Archaeology completed a sidescan sonar survey and two dive surveys in order to test the methodology of rapid survey and assessment, and obtain details about the Devon Coast’s construction and appearance.

In June the following year, WA returned to the site and completed further surveys, including multibeam, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer. The main aim was to confirm the identification of the vessel as that of the Devon Coast and to complete a reconstruction of the vessel, since no plans survive. The magnetometer results indicated the site is one large metal anomaly; presumably from the metal hull. The multibeam data provided much more evidence of the surviving structural elements of the vessel including the engine, boiler and frames. Diving fieldwork was carried out in August 2003 and comprised cleaning the site, removing anchor tackle, and identifying and recording the wreck remains.

Underwater photos can be viewed by clicking the red spots on the multibeam image here, together with a link to further information about the vessel’s specifications.

Although the dive results showed there was no noticeable change of the condition of the wreck, this site is much more vulnerable to seabed processes due to its close proximity to the shoreline. It is also greatly affected by fishing trawlers – as evidenced by tackle and gear found entwined around the structural elements of the wreck during the diving surveys.

From the available evidence, the “Portland Stone Wreck” was a carvel built, single masted sailing vessel with a fairly flat bottom, approximately 15-16m long and 5.5m wide. The wreck lies in 7.7m of water (CD), east of Selsey Bill in an area called “The Park”.

In August 2002 Wessex Archaeology surveyed the site using a number of geophysical methods, including sidescan sonar, magnetometer and multibeam sonar. Several dive assessments were also carried out on the site, recording the visible remains of the wreck and noting their condition.

In June 2003, the site was revisited for further geophysical surveying, which included multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer. There was also ten dives to the site during the fieldwork, and involved completing a plan of the wreck site using offset and triangulation measurements, sketches and dimensions of vessel features together with underwater photography and video footage (which can be viewed by clicking the red spots on the multibeam image here).

Comparison of the geophysical and dive data from both years showed that the site was not deteriorating markedly and that no major changes were evident.

]]> http://splash.wessexarch.co.uk/2008/06/19/the-portland-stone-wreck-site-5011/feed/ 0 50.7159 -0.6876 http://splash.wessexarch.co.uk/2008/06/19/the-portland-stone-wreck-site-5011/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/splasharchaeology/~3/0HQwKgTc_ow/ http://splash.wessexarch.co.uk/2008/06/16/tal-y-bont/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:51:29 +0000 Wessex Archaeology http://splash.wessexarch.co.uk/?p=245 The true name of the Tal-Y-Bont wreck is unknown, but it was probably a 700-ton Genoese merchant ship lost in 1709 while carrying a cargo that included carrara marble blocks and paper. The wreck takes its name from the Tal-Y-Bont beach area in Cardigan Bay where it was found in 1978 by a group of local divers, later known as the “Cae Nest Group”.

As well as a large mound of marble blocks, the site is made up of 26 iron guns, including 25 muzzle loading guns of various sizes and a probable breech loading iron swivel gun.

The site was designated as a protected historic wreck site in 1979. Cadw now administers the wreck and the site licensee, monitors the site.

Wessex Archaeology’s Diving Investigations

Wessex Archaeology was asked by Cadw to investigate the wreck as a “designated site assessment” as part of our work under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) in 2004.

Wessex Archaeology divers made a detailed photographic survey of the wreck site, prepared a georeferenced plan of the main exposed archaeological features of the site and made detailed measurements of the features on the site.

Wessex Archaeology obtained a large amount of photographic data of the wreck site and produced a georeferenced site plan that can now be used to monitor the condition of the site.

Based on existing knowledge of the wreck site, the exact circumstances of its loss cannot be established with any confidence based on the present remains. The vessel certainly ran aground in the bay, but it is not clear whether this was an accident caused by the crews’ unfamiliarity with this coastline or done deliberately to prevent an already damaged vessel sinking in deeper open water.

A copy of the full report of Wessex Archaeology’s investigations can be downloaded as a .pdf below.

Tal-Y-Bont, Designated Site Assessment, Full report

The wreck is situated SE of Hastings, East Sussex and lies at a depth of 16m. The dimensions of the vessel are 85 metres in length and 15 metres in width.

In August 2002 the wreck site was surveyed using sidescan sonar and magnetometer. The magnetometer data indicates that the vessel was made of a ferrous metal. When the site was dived a month later, it became apparent that the vessel had been disturbed after it sank. The UKHO (United Kingdom Hydrographic Office) report for the wreck site noted that the vessel had been swept and dispersed in 1956, confirming the dive results.

We are please to announce that this project report is now available online. To download a copy please click here.

It lies in 16m of water, 2.4nm SSW of Newhaven, East Sussex.

As an aircraft lost in military service, the site is protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. Reports from a dive investigation in 1975 indicate that the tail section and wings were visible on the site and therefore it is assumed that the plane was ditched and sank intact, rather than crashed. The Royal Navy removed the wings later that year after a diver died on the site; a tragedy believed to have been caused by the hazardous nature of the site.

In 2002 a geophysical and diving assessment of the site was completed by Wessex Archaeology to confirm the aircraft type and establish the remaining extent of the site. The geophysical information consisted of sidescan sonar and magnetometer data. The site was dived twice, in September 2002, to ground truth the sidescan anomalies. This survey observed that only three engines and some scattered debris remained at the wreck site, most of which are largely buried.

In June 2003, the site was surveyed again using magnetometer, sub-bottom profiler and multibeam sonar. Later that year, further diving fieldwork was carried out on the site which mainly comprised visual recording (photographs, video, site plan, feature dimensions) and some light cleaning of one of the engines. Underwater photos and video can be viewed by clicking the red spots on the multibeam image here.

A comparison of the survey results concluded that the site had not changed greatly over the year and was therefore in a generally stable condition.

Further information about B-17 bombers can be found here.

The wreck site is situated 5.56nm SE of Beachy Head in East Sussex, just south of the Royal Sovereign Shoals, in 15.2m of water (CD). The dimensions of the wreck are approximately 65m x 12m.

In August 2002 Wessex Archaeology surveyed the site using sidescan sonar and magnetometer. The sidescan data showed that the wreck was lying on an even keel and was largely buried. The amidship section of the vessel was broken up, which may be due to a salvage operation. The site was not dived during the 2002 fieldwork season due to adverse weather conditions.

In June 2003 WA carried out further geophysical investigation of the site using multibeam sonar, and this corresponded with the previous year’s results. No dive survey was carried out in 2003 due to time constraints and adverse weather.

Click here to view geophysical images from both years’ fieldwork, together with more information about the Talis and a link to find out the vessel specifications.

In the summer of 2005, the site was subject to both ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and diver survey. Examples of the video footage together with underwater photos, a site plan and information regarding the construction, vessel type, fittings and machinery of the Talis can all be viewed here.

Wessex Archaeology has just processed and interpreted sidescan and multibeam data from the wreck of the troopship Mendi, which sank with the loss of 649 lives after a collision off the Isle of Wight on 21 February 1917. The project was jointly funded by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and English Heritage.

Geophysical Survey of the Mendi

During the summer of 2007 a Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC) survey was conducted along the south coast of the United Kingdom as part of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Marine Environment Protection Fund (MEPF) programme of regional seabed mapping.

One of the planned survey lines was to pass within a mile or two of the Mendi, and at the request of Wessex Archaeology and English Heritage the REC Steering Group agreed to an adjustment of the line to allow the collection of data over the site of the wreck.

What the Data Shows

The geophysical data shows the wreck oriented approximately east to west – with the bow in the west and the stern in the east. The hull appears fairly coherent, but with a chaotic internal structure and some outlying debris. Most of the collapsed wreckage from the superstructure seems to be concentrated within the hull. This confirms diver descriptions which indicate that with the exception of the bow and stern, the wreck has collapsed in many areas. Within the general collapse, the bow and stern remain relatively intact, as does the amidships section where the boilers and engine are clearly visible in the data.

The bow appears to have broken away from the rest of the wreck and a large amount of scattered debris is present in this area. This may be the mark of the fatal damage suffered when the Mendi was rammed by the Darro. The break is in the area where survivors’ accounts describe the bow of the Darro cutting deeply into the Mendi’s hull – to within a couple of feet of her midline.

What the geophysical data also appears to show is that when compared to diver reports about the condition of the wreck, the bow and stern have seen a marked deterioration in last 3-5 years, and this may be indicative of a more general, rapid degradation of the wreck as a whole.

Previous Work

The geophysical assessment builds on previous work conducted by Wessex Archaeology in 2007. To coincide with the 90^th anniversary year of the sinking of the Mendi, funding was provided by English Heritage to undertake a desk-based appraisal of the wreck and its story.

This appraisal drew together a huge amount of information about the events surrounding the loss of the ship. It gathered, for the first time, available information about the wreck itself, and allowed us to start creating a picture of the wreck site – its layout, condition and state of preservation. Perhaps most importantly, the desk-based work showed that the wreck of the Mendi is an important physical focus for investigating a little known and largely forgotten aspect of World War I history – the story of the British and Foreign Labour Corps. Of the men who died when the Mendi sank, most were non-combatant black South African labourers, en route to France to support British operations on the Western Front.

Future Surveys

The recent geophysical assessment has identified a range of target areas for investigation during a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) survey that Wessex Archaeology hopes to carry out on the wreck in the near future.

We would like to gather better evidence of the condition and relative stability of the wreck, the possible impacts of human intervention on the site since its discovery, and the information relevant to its future survival. We’re also interested in a non-intrusive investigation of the artefacts that survive on the wreck which speak for the presence of more than 800 South African servicemen on the Mendi when she sank.

To help let aggregate companies know where prehistoric remains might be found, and to target new surveys, Wessex Archaeology has been looking again at old records of artefacts found at sea and on the coast.

Often, little of the information about such discoveries was recorded at the time because people were not so interested in marine archaeology. Today, this information can be very valuable, once it has been tidied up in a way that can be easily accessed through computerised records.

Wessex Archaeology’s ALSF project Artefacts from the Sea concentrated on making information about old discoveries more easily available through the National Monuments Record (the NMR, maintained by English Heritage) and through Historic Environment Records (HERs, maintained by local authorities).

Our project looked at two areas: the Yorkshire coast between the Humber and the Tees, and the Solent in southern England. Records of hundreds of discoveries were added or improved in each area.

As well as re-examining finds made at the coast, the project also catalogued a very important collection of prehistoric finds held by fisherman Michael White. Almost 300 finds from 59 different places in the Solent were catalogued, ranging from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age.

The Artefacts from the Sea project successfully demonstrated the value of re-examining previous discoveries as a cost-effective way of improving our knowledge of the likely presence of prehistoric material offshore.

Our new pages detailing the methods and results of the project can be found here.

The reports set out details of marine geophysical, geoarchaeological and palaeo-environmental studies.

There are eight volumes covering five study areas, plus an Introduction and Results and Conclusions.

Further details of the Seabed Prehistory project can be found here.

To see the online reports, click on the links below:

Seabed Prehistory: Gauging the Effects of Marine Aggregate Dredging

Volume I: Introduction (Ref: 57422.31, February 2008)

Volume II: Arun (text and graphics) (Ref: 57422.32, February 2008)

Volume III: Arun Additional Grabbing (Ref: 57422.33, February 2008)

Volume IV: Great Yarmouth (Ref: 57422.34, February 2008)

Volume V: Eastern English Channel (Ref: 57422.35, February 2008)

Volume VI: Humber (Ref: 57422.36, February 2008)

Volume VII: Happisburgh and Pakefield Exposures (Ref: 57422.37, February 2008)

Volume VIII: Results and Conclusions (Ref: 57422.38, February 2008)

It is quite rare for all WA Coastal & Marine staff to be in one place at one time, so we took a recent opportunity to get a photograph of us all together outside our offices near Salisbury.
From left to right: Cristina, Antony, Jack, Kevin, Niall, Euan, Paul, Gemma, Steph, Dee, Matt, Stuart, John, Graham, Andrea, Moura, Vicki, Louise, Steve (hiding), Dan and Nic.

The EPPIC scheme has been established since 2003, and after a succesful application and interview, I was selected for one of the six placements organised for this year. I’m delighted to have the opportunity of joining the C&M department and look forward to working with everyone and being involved in the various projects through the year!

More information about the EPPIC scheme and the placements from this year and previous years can be found here.

The find was made by a Dutch amateur archaeologist who regularly searches for mammoth bones and fossils in marine sand and gravel delivered by Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd to a wharf at Flushing, near Antwerp.

For full story, click here.

The paper – Working alongside the Historic Environment: an aggregate dredging industry perspective – has been published digitially and can be downloaded here (2.09Mb):
CEDA24: Russell and Firth 2007

CEDA – the Central Dredging Association – is the professional society for those involved in activities related to dredging and who live or work in Europe, Africa or the Middle-East. Its ‘Dredging Days’ conference in 2007 focussed on environmental aspects of dredging.

The BMAPA / WA presentation set out the benefits to industry and to archaeology of taking a pro-active approach to the historic environment.

More information about BMAPA can be found here.

Details of WA’s work with the marine aggregates industry can be found here.

In this, the second podcast relating to the Aircraft Crash Sites at Sea project the author of the report, Graham Scott, discusses the importance of these sites and some case studies of actual UK marine crash sites and what these tell us about the types of sites are on the seabed and their importance for aviation archaeology and management of aggregate dredging licences.

In this podcast you will hear the Project Manager, Euan McNeill, discussing the origins of the project, through material found by aggregate dredging and reported through the English Heritage and British Marine Aggregate Producers Association Protocol for Reporting Finds of Archaeological Interest.

Euan discusses the origin of the protocol and the ongoing Implementation Service which is operated by Wessex Archaeology and administers the scheme. He also discusses the role the aggregate industry is playing in bringing to light archaeological finds, and pieces of aircraft in particular, and what impact this has on aggregate dredging.

Through school visits, presentations to community groups, appearances at events and a new website, Time Travelling by Water will show that there’s far more to underwater archaeology than shipwrecks!

Over the next six months, newly appointed Education Officer Gemma White will be gathering resources, writing lesson plans and dusting off the finds ready for the active phase of the project to begin in July.

Initially the project is being launched in the South-West and covers the counties of Wiltshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Dorset.

For further information, or to book a free workshop for your school or community group, please email Gemma White at g.white@wessexarch.co.uk or phone on 01722 326 867.

The principle aim of the contract is to supply advice to English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Cadw, and the Environment and Heritage Service Northern Ireland to enable them to advise their respective Secretary of State, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland Ministers, as appropriate, about issues of designation and licensing under the PWA 1973.

We are really pleased to have been re-appointed, and we’re looking forward to working with the heritage agencies, licensee teams and other stakeholders over the next three years.

More information about designated sites can be found here. News of WA investigations on wreck sites can be found on our shipwrecks page.

These are some of the questions that Wessex Archaeology hopes to answer in the exciting new ‘Wrecks: Ecology’ project.

The project will investigate whether archaeological information from wrecks can also provide information about the plants and animals that inhabit them, and from this, say something about the environmental processes at work off the East Sussex coast.

Understanding the ecology of wrecks will improve the management, conservation and monitoring of these heritage sites. It will also improve archaeologists’ ability, when considering seabed developments, to better assess their potential positive and negative impacts on historical wrecks.

Visit the project website for more information.

The ‘Wrecks: Ecology’ project is funded by the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) through English Heritage.

The project is called ‘Timetravelling by Water’ and it aims to improve people’s access to the huge amount of information that is now being generated by archaeological projects at the coast and underwater.

The new appointee will organise and carry out school visits and community projects in South West England, as well as developing web-based resources.

It is essential that applicants have excellent communication skills and a background in either archaeology or education. At least two years appropriate experience, preferably of working with children from Key Stage 2 onwards, is expected.

The post is initially part time and for a fixed term but there may be scope to develop a full time and/or permanent post for the right candidate.

Further details can be found here.

It was my job to visit aggregate wharves in Antwerp, Flushing and Amsterdam to give dredging company staff an opportunity to see samples of finds already made from dredging activities, including a mammoth leg bone, cannonballs and aircraft parts. The visits also provided advice to staff on what sort of finds they can expect from dredged aggregates, how to conserve fragile finds and how to report anything of interest.

I got more than I bargained for when Paul Verheul at Hanson’s Flushing wharf made a quick dash home and returned twenty minutes later with a large machine gun. Had I unwittingly insulted our Dutch hosts with my poor language skills?

Fortunately, I had managed to avoid an offensive language blunder, and the machine gun was just one of many new finds that came to light from the continental visit. The MG 15 machine gun was a common armament on Luftwaffe aircraft at the onset of WWII, and it seems likely this gun came from a German aircraft lost over the North Sea, perhaps quite early in the war. Unfortunately, the gun was found over 5 years ago, before the reporting scheme had begun, so its exact finding place is not clear.

Happily, many of the new finds have been traced to specific aggregate areas, including a sixteenth century coin, boat and ship fittings, a British aicraft part, two anchors and numerous mammoth teeth. Wessex Archaeology, who run the reporting scheme for English Heritage and the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association, are looking forward to seeing what else will turn up from participating wharves on the Continent, now that the wharf staff have promised to keep their eyes peeled for more finds.

We are seeking, in particular, to strengthen our capacity in the following areas:
- Archaeological diving (minimum qualification HSE III/Surface Supplied);
- Desk-based studies, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA);
- Marine and coastal geoarchaeology;
- Publication.

We are recruiting across a wide range of pay scales with a view to appointing a number of posts drawn from archaeologists in early stages of their careers as well as archaeologists with well-established track records.

We welcome applications from people who have relevant qualifications and experience in disciplines other than archaeology, but have the aptitude and aspiration to develop their career in coastal and marine archaeology.

Further details can be found here.

The construction of HMS Drake did not run entirely smoothly. Captain John Jellicoe commanded the ship while it was fitted out, and letters from him to the Captain Superintendent of the dockyard describe his concerns about doors not closing below decks and numerous leaks. In one passage Jellicoe mentioned how his description of the problems with the ship to the Commander in Chief made “… his hair stand on end”.

HMS Drake was finally completed in 1902, and following trials and home duties it was finally commissioned by the King at Portsmouth in March 1905. It then travelled to various destinations in the Mediterranean and elsewhere for ceremonial duties, receiving the Kings and Queens of Spain, Portugal and Greece, and it also hosted a ball by Prince Louis in New York.

HMS Drake was variously the Flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet, then the Flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron, before being transferred to the 5th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet. By 1913 HMS Drake was nearly a decade old, which during this period of rapid naval development made her as good as obselete, and so the cruiser was reduced and placed on the reserve list.

The outbreak of World War One however, put so much pressure on the Royal Navy for capital vessels that HMS Drake was recommissioned in 1914, just in time for test mobilisation and the Fleet Review. HMS Drake was given escort duties and its first escort run was taking the Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic into Liverpool after the Olympic had travelled from New York.

HMS Drake joined the 6th Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet in 1915, and was refitted in October. from 1916 the ship continued its escort duties but it still required another refit. A major design flaw of the Drake Class cruisers were their 6-inch lower casement guns. The guns were so low on the side of the vessels that they could only be fired in the calmest sea conditions. The 1916 refit removed the lower 6-inch guns, and replaced them with four 6-inch guns in shields on the shelter deck, port and starboard.

On October 2nd 1917 HMS Drake had just finished escort duties for convoy HH24 from America, near Rathlin Island off the north coast of Ireland. The convoy dispersed at 08.03 am , but just over an hour later HMS Drake was torpedoed under the second funnel by U-79 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Otto Rohrbeck. The U boat was on patrol in the area and had laid a string of 11 mines between Rathlin Island and the mainland only a few days before.

HMS Drake’s Captain, Captain Radcliffe, reported that the torpedo hit the ship by the number two boiler room on the starboard side. The boiler room was instantly flooded, killing everyone there except one man who was blown onto the upper deck and landed there unhurt, and another who climbed up through the stokehold hatch. The crew man who was fortunate to be blown unhurt from the boiler room, immediately reported for duty in the number three boiler room where he remained until the ship was abandoned.

From surviving naval records, details of the last hours of the cruiser can be pieced together. We know Captain Radcliffe initially thought he might be able to take the stricken vessel into Belfast where the ship could be repaired at the Harland and Wolff Shipyards, but after a discussion with his engineer, he realised that this was impossible, so he decided instead to make for the nearest anchorage at Church Bay, Rathlin Island.

HMS Drake had lost the use of its steam steering gear in the attack and had to try to steer using only propellers, until this could be repaired. With such limited manoeuvrability however, HMS Drake collided with the cargo ship Mendip Range at 10.37 am. HMS Drake it seems did not receive much damage from the collision, but the Mendip Range was forced to beach at Ballycastle Bay on the mainland.

HMS Drake and the Mendip Range were not the only casualties of the day, at 11.30 am HMS Brisk, one of the escorting destroyers of the convoy was either torpedoed by U-79, or more likely struck one of the U boat’s recently laid mines. Another ship from the convoy, the Lugano, also sank at around this time, probably after hitting another mine.

HMS Drake managed to anchor in Church Bay by 11.46am. Most of the men on board were taken off by launched from the destroyers and sloops that were laying a submarine screen around the ship. Captain Radcliffe now hoped to keep the ship afloat until salvage vessels could arrive, but the list of the ship continued to increase. At this point HMS Martin and HMS Delphinium then came alongside to remove the remaining crew. Captain Radcliffe wrote of HMS Drake’s final hours that ‘Nobody but the dead remained on board the Drake when I left her for HMS Delphinium, the mess decks, boiler rooms, Engine room had all been searched and reported clear. Ship was abandoned at 2.05 pm.”

Captain Radcliffe ordered HMS Delphinium to anchor close to HMS Drake, so he could go back aboard when the salvage vessels arrived, but the ship continued to list and finally capsized at 2.35 pm with part of its port side out of the water.

Salvage of the wreck began in the 1920s and continued sporadically over the years. In 1962 a Fleetwood steam trawler the Ella Hewett, en route for the cod fishing grounds off Iceland collided with the remains of HMS Drake and sank on top of it. Then in the 1970s divers from the Scottish and Northern Ireland Bomb and Mine Disposal Team started clearance operations on HMS Drake. When the clearance operation was completed, both the remains of HMS Drake and the Ella Hewett were ringed with depth charges. These were exploded with the intention of blowing down the upstanding parts of both wrecks, to reduce the possibility of more vessels running aground on them. By 1978 fuel oil was leaking out of the vessels causing pollution problems in Church Bay, so another salvage operation was made to remove the remaining fuel oil from the wrecks.

HMS Drake is now one of the most popular dive sites in Northern Ireland, thanks to its relatively shallow depth of less than 20 metres and the good visibility in the waters of Church Bay.

Wessex Archaeology’s Diving Investigations

In 2006 Wessex Archaeology was asked to carry out an undesignated site assessment of HMS Drake for the Environment and Heritage Service of Northern Ireland. The undesignated survey was intended to examine the condition of the wreck, assess if it was under threats in any way and see whether the wreck was a good candidate for protection under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

Before diving fieldwork in the summer of 2006, Wessex Archaeology staff sought out records relating to the loss of HMS Drake and found detailed records of the court martial that followed the loss of the ship in the Public Records Office at Kew and letters and documents relating to its construction at the at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. The examination of the records raised an important question about the wreck. Captain Radcliffe’s report on the sinking makes it clear that 18 men died in the torpedo attack and were left on the ship when he abandoned it, but dive guides to the wreck say that the bodies were removed although none give any reference to when this occurred. To date Wessex Archaeology has not found any record of the bodies being removed. The final resting place of the 18 crew is still unclear.

Wessex Archaeology divers visited the wreck in July and August 2006. Despite the obvious damage done to HMS Drake by the torpedo attack and the blasting of the ship with depth charges in the 1970s, the wreck is still in a reasonable condition and our divers were able to identify many different features on the wreck.

The distinctive ram bow of HMS Drake is still visible, although the hull plating has come off it in places, and attached to the bow is a paravane skeg, an attachment fitted to many ships to allow them to drag mine sweeping wires from their bows. Just south of the surviving bow structure, the divers found the remains of the Ella Hewett, heavily broken up, but still lying on HMS Drake on the north east part of the site.

Divers also recorded part of a propeller shaft showing signs that the propeller had been blasted off, probably during salvage on the ship. Some remarkable features were found towards the stern of the ship, including the rudder and part of the steering gear, and at the stern a central hawse hole was found along with a large section of the gallery on the stern of the ship. Wessex Archaeology divers also made searches of the seabed around the main wreck to see what kind of material lay away from the main wreck site, and during one of these dives found a large Martin type anchor from HMS Drake.

Wessex Archaeology’s assessment of the wreck showed that while HMS Drake is extensively damaged, some parts of the vessel are remarkably intact and recognisable. HMS Drake is clearly an important ship as it represents a period of rapid naval development when vessels often became obsolete very quickly as new designs and advances were made. No cruisers of this period are afloat today, all were either lost in action or scrapped. The HMS Drake is the only vessel of its class easily visited by divers.

While investigating the wreck our divers discerned few obvious threats to the wreck apart from the occasional pilfering of material by irresponsible divers. In some cases this has included ordnance not already salvaged from the site. Due to the absence of major threats to the wreck and its clear popularity among divers, the wreck has not been designated, but instead it is hoped it can be managed with the help of the diving community so that any changes to it are noted and people are made aware of the dangers of the remaining munitions on the site.

A full copy of Wessex Archaeology’s investigation of HMS Drake can be downloaded as a .pdf below.

HMS Drake, Undesignated Site Assessment, Full Report

Among other finds he found a fifth gun lying to the north west of the other guns, a stoneware Bellarmine jug, a copper kettle and a possible lead vent apron with what appeared to be the date 1638 inscribed on it. Unfortunately, once it was discovered, there was an immediate threat to the site from possible looting.

As the evidence seemed to point to a 17th century wreck, of possible historical, archaeological or artistical importance. As a result any artefacts still undiscovered at the site could prove invaluable to identifying the site. As a result the Mingary Castle site was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) in 2000.

The site was featured in the Channel Four series ‘Wreck detectives’. Research carried out for the programme suggested that the site is the remains of a Dutch ship that was lost near the Castle in 1644, based on an account of the event written in the diary of John Weir, a puritan who was being held in the castle at the time.

Wessex Archaeology’s Investigations
Historic Scotland requested Wessex Archaeology visit the site to record and position any exposed remains using simple tracked diver and metal detector surveys. We were also asked to find the full extent of the site and to carry out a topographic survey. To inform the ongoing management of the site, we offered an assessment as to whether a Visitor Scheme would be appropriate and whether a nearby fish farm was having any visible effect on the site environment.

Results
Wessex Archaeology divers noted a number of small finds from the area such as pieces of lead sheeting and brick which strengthen the hypothesis that this is a ship wreck site, rather than an area where a ship may have jettisoned its guns.

The local igneous rock produced several of natural metal detector hits, making it difficult to locate metal artefacts using this method. However, the distinct seabed types identified and the plant life resident on this site are indicative of a relatively dynamic seabed environment and few artefacts remain which are visible on the seabed surface. However, some wood has been found beneath the guns or within pockets of sediment and other artefacts may remain buried in places.

You can download the full report of Wessex Archaeology’s investigations as a.pdf below.

Mingary Castle, Designated Site Assessment, Full Report

Map showing the location of the protected wreck at Mingary Castle

In 1893, after an impressive maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York, the Campania broke the record for the passage from New York to Queenstown (now Cobh in the Republic of Ireland), making the journey in 5 days 17 hours and 27 minutes. Later that year it took the Liverpool to New York record. Intense rivalry meant these records did not stand for long and the Campania’s sister ship Lucania took the record for itself not long after.

After little more than a decade of Atlantic crossings the Campania was due to be scrapped, but the First World War (1914-1918) saw the ship brought back into service to replace the more modern Aquitania, which had been requisitioned by the Admiralty. After three more return crossings, the Campania was sold to a breaker’s yard in 1914, its working life seemingly at an end.

However, the pressures of the war led the Admiralty to buy the ship, and they converted the liner into a seaplane carrier and armed merchant cruiser. After a conversion at Cammell Laird’s in Birkenhead, HMS Campania was commissioned in February 1915.

The first of the Royal Navy’s large carriers, the original passenger accommodation was converted into a huge hold to carry 14 folded-wing seaplanes. The planes were hoisted out of the hold using cranes, their wings unfolded and they were then placed in the sea.

Shortcomings were noted with the ship after manouevres in Scapa Flow, and it was returned to Cammell Lairds where it had a forward flightdeck fitted. The flightdeck allowed the Campania to launch an aircraft directly from the ship into a headwind. In May 1915, back in Scapa Flow, the Campania successfully launched a Sopwith Schneider seaplane from its deck into a force 4 wind. This was the first time this had been done, and the event heralded the advent of the modern aircraft carrier.

After further trials the ship underwent a third refit to lengthen the flight deck. The forward funnel was replaced with two smaller funnels and its after-deck was was cleared to carry an observation balloon. The ship was now ready to join the war.

The Campania sailed with the Grand fleet for Jutland, where it was intended to provide spotting aircraft for the Fleet. However, the ships age now began to tell and it was unable to keep up with the 27 knot speed of the Fleet, HMS Campania was ordered to turn about, and so missed possible destruction at the Battle of Jutland.

The Campania was mostly stationed in Scapa Flow for the remainder of the war, but only six days before the armistice it was anchored off Burntisland with several other warships in the Firth of Forth. A gale struck the anchored ships early on the 5th November, and one of Campania’s anchor chains broke. The ship began to drag along the Firth out of control and it struck some of the other vessels anchored nearby. The bow of HMS Revenge pierced the port side of the Campania and slowly it began to settle by the stern.

All of the crew were able to abandon ship, but at 08:35 am one of the ship’s boilers exploded and Campania sank. The ship’s masts were visible for the next five years, until the Admiralty decided the ship presented too great a navigational hazard. A salvage company placed charges on the wreck of the ship and it was blasted to a safe clearance depth.

For a long time after the wreck was cleared, it was thought the Campania lay broken in two on the seabed, but a survey of the wreck in 1999 showed the wreck has remained in one piece and survives as a large upstanding structure.

HMS Campania was designated as a protected wreck under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) in 2000.

Wessex Archaeology Investigations

In 2004 Historic Scotland asked Wessex Archaeology to undertake a new geophysical survey of the Campania. Wessex Archaeology geophysicist Paul Baggaley, working with a team from St Andrew’s University, surveyed the wreck with sidescan sonar equipment to produce a single properly positioned image of the wreck and any material from it that lay on the seabed around it.

The team also used sub-bottom profiling survey equipment on the wreck site to see what the seabed around the wreck was like.

The sidescan survey showed that despite the clearance of the wreck to make it safe for navigation, the wreck has survived in a good condition. The images obtained from the survey showed that some of the upstanding features removed from the wreck during clearance like the main mast now lie at an angle from the deck to the seabed. The experimental and distinctive lobe shaped forward flight deck still survives on the vessel and parts of the ships cranes are still in place.

You can download the full report of Wessex Archaeology’s investigations as a .pdf below.

HMS Campania, Designated Site Assessment, Full Report.

Map showing the location of the protected wreck HMS Campania

The Iona II started life as a fast ferry paddle steamer for the Clyde. When it was built in 1863 it was fitted with a specially designed twin cylinder oscillating engine that was reputed to have given it a top speed of 24 knots.

The ship was bought by Charles Hopkins Boster of Richmond, Virginia, but on its way to cross the Atlantic it sank east of Lundy on the 2nd February 1864. Following its loss the wreck was reported to have been heavily salvaged, although it is still unknown what the salvors were looking for and what they may have recovered.

The Iona II was discovered in 1976 by John Shaw, a local dive operator, who had been looking for another wreck, MV Robert, which lies nearby. Shaw undertook some small-scale excavation at the site.

The wreck site sits upright on the seabed, and it is thought that a large amount of the hull may survive buried in the seabed. The bow and stern sections of the vessel now lie mostly flush with the seabed although the boilers and paddle wheel crankshaft amidships stand approximately 1.5m above the seabed.

The site was investigated by the Archaeological Diving Unit in 1989, and the site was subsequently designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) in 1990, the wreck also lies within the Lundy Marine Nature Reserve.

A number of individuals hold visitor licences for Iona II.

Wessex Archaeology’s Diving Investigations
In 2004 English Heritage commissioned Wessex Archaeology carry out a designated site assessment of the Iona II as part of our contract for archaeological services in relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973). Our divers measured the wreck and its key features in detail and made a photographic survey of the wreck that can now be used to monitor the condition of the wreck for the future.

Wessex Archaeology divers also identified a number of key areas around the wreck site that can be used to monitor sediments around the wreck and the structure of the wreck itself. Together with information gathered by other divers who have permission to dive the wreck, any deterioration of the wreck can be identified.

During our work Wessex Archaeology found that parts of the Iona II lay outside the area afforded statutory protection. Our observations of the Iona II were used to alter the restricted area to ensure the whole of the wreck lies within the protected zone.

You can download the full report of Wessex Archaeology’s Investigations as a .pdf below.

Iona II, Designated Site Assessment, Full Report.

Map showing the protected wreck Iona II’s location