Excavating the (Marina Camrose Shipwreck) Collection
We are relieved and delighted in equal measure to have saved the country’s most important collection of artefacts from shipwrecks in the UK for the Nation.
Thanks to a generous donation the shipwreck artefact collection from Cornwall is renamed the Marina Camrose Shipwreck Collection. It is now a Deed of Trust, and as a result, can never be split or sold.
We have recently completed a full archaeological assessment of what needs conservation and for how long. We are working with our key longterm partners Bournemouth University to develop funding applications to carry out this work.
Meantime we have recently established our conservation laboratory in Poole to care for some of the smaller finds. This now includes a freeze drier: a D6/14, with a new semi-automated control system (1.7m H, 1.1m W, 2m L).
You will be able to view the HMS Anson collection close-up at Chatham Dockyard in spring next year. Of these there are some delicate objects from the surgeon’s quarters!
We have 8.5 tonnes of artefacts - 10,358 individual objects! One third of the total collection is actively decaying/corroding.
Eastfield Gun
One of our most fascination pieces is the gun off the SS Eastfield:
The most at-risk artefact is a WW1 gun – one of only a few known to survive. In 1917 Britain was within weeks of starvation; Germany’s U-Boats were torpedoing merchant ships carrying vital fuel and food supplies. The government responded by arming merchant ships – including the SS Eastfield (a steamship which was carrying vital supplies of coal). There were no spare guns, however, so an old 19th century French land artillery gun was repurposed and a recoil system was added. It was basically a piece of scrap and obsolete, but the country had to use everything it could. SS Eastfield was sunk in November 1917 off the coast of Cornwall by a U-Boat, ending her WW1 service.
The gun was recovered as salvage with little commercial value in the 1970s and held in the collection. WW1 artefacts are now, however, recognised for their archaeological and sociological value. This gun represents an important part of British history, but one which is largely unknown.
The gun suffered physical damage during the sinking and now exhibits active corrosion to both iron and copper alloy components. In addition, small flakes have dropped off the barrel during removal from the museum. A temporary frame and covering are currently being fabricated to enable dry storage prior to the start of the conservation programme. This will help stabilise the gun in the short-medium term.
The collection was put together principally by Richard Larn and other divers during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Historic England identified the collection as the largest and most important collection of artefacts from shipwrecks in the UK. It was at risk of being dispersed following the museum’s announcement that it would be selling the collection at auction.
Before…and after. John Lethbridge’s model diving apparatus. He built his in 1715 and became a prolific shipwreck salvor. We’ve rebuilt our model now.
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Among many hundreds of items, it includes material from 13 Designated Protected sites which have the same status as the Mary Rose. Artefacts saved include those retrieved from multiple Royal Navy warships including HMS Ramillies, HMS Association and English and Dutch East India Company wrecks. We have just now enhanced the collection with other wreck material.
We are planning local and national opportunities with museums around the country, including support from The National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Mary Rose, and Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, to share and learn from this important resource that not only tells the story of the development of maritime archaeology in the UK but also the history and archaeology of the Royal Navy and the development of international trade.
We have now started a blog which you can just above.
