Diving Projects
West Bay Designated Wrecksite
The West Bay wreck lies on the approaches to West Bay Harbour in Dorset, to the west of the Outer Pollock Reef. The site, discovered by local divers, Richard Edmonds, Andy Schmidt and Mark Doxey in 2004 lies at a depth of 10-12 metres in a fine sandy seabed environment, overlaying a gravel layer.
Following preliminary report on the site was produced by Wessex Archaeology (WA) in July 2005, confirming the presence of a bronze gun as well as a large quantity of iron bars, a small iron gun and a small anchor, the site was designated as a Historic Wreck under the United Kingdom Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 in the summer of 2005 under Statutory Instrument 1997/2536. A potential date of pre-1750 has been suggested based primarily on the presence of a decorated bronze cannon on the site.
Bournemouth University have been partly funded by English Heritage since 2006 to complete the survey of the West Bay wreck, which requires considerable further investigation to establish sufficient understanding of the site for the re-assessment of the designation and the development of a future management strategy.
The project combines academic research with student training by meeting research priorities while offering students the opportunity to build experience in a wide range of project management and underwater skills. Both diving and non-diving students are involved in all phases of the project, providing them with an understanding of the different tasks and responsibilities involved in running a field project, from the
preparation of equipment to the production of a client report. They are actively encouraged to think about management issues as well as their own tasks on the site.
The first season of work has proved to be a great success, expressed not only by staff and students but also by both English Heritage and the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites.
