The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (1996) 25.3 & 4: 267–270

News Report

Maritime Archaeology in Britain and Ireland 1995

This compilation is formed from individualsubmissions, extracts from longer reportsand news items. Contributors for MaritimeArchaeology in Britain and Ireland 1996should submit reports by the beginning ofJanuary 1997.

IndexBarge 8Boat 5;13Boat slip 11Bridge 4;13Bronze Age 16Cannon 2;9;14Castor 12Clinker 6;8Clipper 7Coble 8Crannog 16Dartmouth 2Dock 8Fish trap 13Fort 10Iron Age 10Mail boat 8Medieval 4;6Mulberry 15Pilot 8Post-Medieval 1;2;3;9;11;13;14Saltern 11Ship 5;13Shipyard 10;13Sloop 1Steamer 12Steel 8Tees 8Temeraire 13Venetian 9Warship 1;2World War II 15

ScotlandSound of Mull1. Duart PointSurvey work by the Scottish Institute ofMaritime Studies on the site of a 17th-century Cromwellian wreck continued in1995. The wreck is probably a small armedvessel, possibly a sloop. During 1995 avisitor trail was also established on the siteto allow sports divers to watch work inprogress.For further information contact; Dr

Colin Martin, Scottish Institute of Mari-time Studies, University of St Andrews,Fife KY16 9AJ, UK.

2. HMS DartmouthNautical Archaeology Society membersconducted a survey of remains of the 17th-century wreck HMS Dartmouth which waspartially excavated in the 1970s. Sevencannons, an anchor, the shot locker andmany cannon balls remain on the site.Reports on the project, submitted as

part of the Society’s Training programmeare lodged at: NAS Training, 19 CollegeRoad, HM Naval Base, PortsmouthPO1 3LJ, UK.

3. Slate WreckSurvey of this 18th-century wreck contin-ued in 1995 as part of the Sound of MullArchaeological Project (SOMAP) led byPhil Robertson in conjunction with theNautical Archaeology Society.Reports on the project, submitted as

part of the Society’s Training programmeare lodged at: NAS Training, 19 CollegeRoad, HM Naval Base, PortsmouthPO1 3LJ, U.K.

1057–2414/96/030267+04 $25.00/0 ? 1996 The Nautical Archaeology Society

IrelandOffaly4. ClonmacnoiseA team of divers from the Irish UnderwaterArchaeological Research Team (IUART)led by Donal Boland, working in co-operation with the Office of Public Works,discovered the remains of a wooden bridgeacross the River Shannon at the medievalmonastery of Clonmacnoise.Source: Boland, D et al., 1995, Clonmac-

noise bridge project. Report of pre-disturbance survey. Irish UnderwaterArchaeological Research Team.

WalesDyfed5. PembreyThree vessels have been found along thePembrey coast. Two were small oak trad-ing boats, between 12·5 and 20 m long.The third was a large pine ship, approxi-mately 70 m long, with permanent ballastcemented between its inner and outerplanking. This latter vessel was probably aNorth American or Canadian vessel en-gaged in exporting grain to southern Walesin return for coal and iron.Source: John Buglass, 37 St Helens

Road, Harrogate HG2 8LD.

Gwent6. Magor PillDuring 1995 Glamorgan Gwent Archeo-logical Trust excavated and lifted a 12th-century clinker-built vessel initiallydiscovered in August 1994 in a palaeo-channel of the River Severn offshore fromMagor Pill. Approximately 7·5 m of thevessel survived. She was carrying a cargoof iron ore that had been stowed on ahurdle overlying the ceiling planking.The vessel is being held temporarily in aholding tank in Cardiff pending furtherrecording and conservation.The project was supported by CADW

(Welsh Historic Monuments) and theNational Museum of Wales. Further infor-

mation may be obtained form NigelNayling, Project Manager, GlamorganGwent Archaeological Trust, FerrysideWarehouse, Bath Lane, SwanseaSA1 1RD, UK.

7. AvonmouthThe remains of a vessel, possibly a clipper,were surveyed by the Glamorgan GwentArchaeological Trust in the intertidal zoneat Shick Pill, near Avonmouth on theSevern Estuary. The remains extended forsome 21 m along a softwood keelson and5 m across the beam of the boat.A full report on the project is lodged

with the Royal Commission on theHistorical Monuments of England: NMR(Marine Sites), RCHME, Kemble Drive,Swindon, SN2 2GZ, UK.

EnglandCleveland8. Middlesbrough Dock NZ50582076Members of the Nautical ArchaeologySociety, led by John Buglass, conducted asurvey of two vessels buried in mud inMiddlesbrough Dock. The first was a 20-mlong discharge barge lying in mud banksparallel to the north entrance jetty. Mostof the deck and fittings of the steel-platedbarge were still in situ. The appearance ofthe vessel together with documentary evi-dence suggest that it was abandoned earlythis century, between 1910 and 1950. Thebarge may lie over the remains of thedredger Tees which was lost in the samearea in 1908. The area is due to be clearedin advance of the construction of a newberth and repair facility during 1996 and itis hoped that there will be an opportunityto investigate the site further at that time.Lying upside down in the mud house

some 4 m from the dam wall of the dockwas the second vessel, a pine clinker-builtboat. The strakes were fastened by 2·5 mmsquare-sectioned copper nails with hollowdomed roves 12 mm in diameter. Set intothe keel was a copper alloy plate measuring

NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 25.3 & 4

268

2 m by 0·10 m with a central slot for adagger board, or similar. The boat is prob-ably a coble, traditionally used in this areaas pilot or mail boats.Source: John Buglass, 37 St Helens

Road, Harrogate HG2 8LD, UK.

Devon9. TeignmouthChannel 4’s Time Team investigated thesite of what was believed to be a 16th-century Venetian ship off Teignmouth.Cannon and other artefacts have pre-viously been lifted from the site, designatedand known as the Church Rockswreck-site.

Hampshire10. Beaulieu RiverA number of sites were investigatedby students from the University ofSouthampton as part of an on-goingproject co-ordinated by the Departmentof Archaeology in conjunction with theBeaulieu Estate, Hampshire and WightTrust for Maritime Archaeology and theNautical Archaeology Society to researchthe geomorphology, history and archaeol-ogy of the river basin.In 1995 work focused on excavation at

Buckler’s Hard and Bailey’s Hard, ship-yards to the Royal Navy in the 18thcentury. In addition topographical andgeophysical surveys were conducted on apromontory at the mouth of the river atLower Exbury. This may be the site of anIron Age promontory fort.For further information contact: Jon

Adams, Department of Archaeology,University of Southampton S09 5NH, UK.

11. New ForestDuring the Autumn of 1994 theHampshire and Wight Trust for MaritimeArchaeology was commissioned by NewForest District Council to conduct acoastal survey between Hurst Spit andCalshot to identify sites at risk from

coastal change. The coast is strewn withremains from Post-Medieval salt works:channel markers, wooden hards, disusedponds and saltern buildings and at PittsDeep boat slips, possibly dating from asearly as the 16th century were discovered.Many of these sites are under threat.Source: Garry Momber, NAS Training,

19 College Road, HM Naval Base,Portsmouth PO1 3LJ, UK.

Kent12. ShepwayDivers retrieved two sculpted marble headsand five marble inscriptions from thewreck of the Castor, a Scottish-builtsteamer which was transporting the an-tiquities from Turkey to the Netherlandsvia Dover in 1894 when it was wrecked.The site was visited by the ArchaeologicalDiving Unit working with CanterburyArchaeological Trust.For further information contact:

Archaeological Diving Unit, ScottishInstitute of Maritime Studies, Universityof St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AJ, UK.

London13. Thames Archaeological SurveyIn 1995, English Heritage funded a pilotstudy of selected areas of the Thames fore-shore to determine the archaeologicalpotential of the inter-tidal zone. The sur-vey was co-ordinated by Mike Webber(Survey Officer, Museum of London) andGustav Milne (University College London)and was undertaken by teams from theInstitute of Archaeology and also fromlocal societies in Richmond, Wandsworth,and the City of London. Extensivepalaeo-environmental features includingprehistoric peats and silts were recorded,as well as fish traps and other pile features,the remains of river stairs, an 18th-centurybridge abutment at Putney, several boathulks with further work on the reused shiptimbers on the foreshore shipyard at

NEWS REPORT

269

Bermondsey, close to the site where theTemeraire was broken up in 1838. Anotherfull season is planned for 1996.Source: Gustav Milne, Institute of

Archaeology, University College London,31 Gordon Square, London WC1 0PY,UK.

Suffolk14. Dunwich, LowestoftSuffolk Underwater Studies recoveredartefacts from a wreck-site off Dunwich in1994 including a bronze demi-culverin can-non with dolphin lifting rings and a secondbronze gun. Small fragments of wood werealso discovered. Following the discoverythe site was designated. The team has beengranted a licence to survey the site.

Sussex15. Selsey Bill, East SussexDivers participating in the NauticalArchaeology Society’s Training Pro-gramme surveyed part of a Mulberryharbour sunk off the coast. The harbour isone of many constructed to support theD-Day landings during World War II. Theremains are thought to belong to a Phoenix

type D caisson which was probably lost orabandoned in the holding area where theharbours were tested and kept before beingshipped across the Channel.Copies of reports by project members

detailing the survey results and site historyare lodged at NAS Training, 19 CollegeRoad, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth,Hants PO1 3LJ, UK. The survey wasdirected by Garry Momber.

16. EastbourneA late Bronze Age lakeside settlementwas discovered during development workon the lake at Shinewater Park nearEastbourne. The remains include align-ments of posts, causeways, platforms andclay hearths. The site has been dated byassociated finds including pottery andbronzes.Source: Woodcock, A, 1995, Water-

logged site at Eastbourne. NewsWarp, 18:7–9.

Anne AllenUniversity of Newcastle

Registrar’s OfficeNewcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K.

NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 25.3 & 4

270