The Pin Wreck, an ‘exceptionally rare’ shipwreck off the Dorset coast, has been granted protected status by Historic England after surveys by maritime archaeologists at BU.
The wreck is named after hundreds of metal bolts which lie around it and was discovered off the coast of St Albans Head in 1990.
Last year, BU archaeologists, led by Professor Dave Parham, identified the wreck to be a 19th Century admiralty mooring lighter which sank in 1903. This led to the BU team applying to Historic England for the wreck to be designated as a protected site.
Mooring lighters were specialised working vessels that laid and recovered heavy moorings and anchors that allowed ships to secure safely in harbours. They could handle the enormous chains and equipment needed to maintain port operations.
Only 47 mooring vessels operated across 20 naval dockyards during the late Victorian period and just four were steam-powered mooring lighters. The Pin Wreck is the only known surviving example.
Speaking after solving the mystery of the wreck’s identity, Professor Parham explained why he felt protected status was needed:
“This is a rare example of a type of service vessel which was essential for maintaining the operations of Britain’s ports in the nineteenth century, so it is vital that we preserve it.
“The fact it appears to have been lost in service and was carrying substantial haulage equipment means it could offer valuable insight into the role these craft played in our maritime and industrial history,” he added.
Historic England said it was celebrating the site as one of nineteen "remarkable and unusual historic buildings and places that have been granted protection in England over the past year.”
Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, Co-CEOs of Historic England, said: "These newly protected places demonstrate the remarkable diversity of England's heritage. They connect us to the people and events that shaped our communities. From ancient burial sites to shipwrecks and wartime defences to post-modernist buildings, street furniture and Arts and Crafts gardens, these sites reveal the fascinating history that surrounds us all.”
