Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology
Encyclopedia
The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology is a charitable trust
that researches and excavates maritime archaeology and heritage in Great Britain
. Their core activities are focused around Hampshire
, the Isle of Wight
and the Solent
, but they also work in other parts of the country and on international projects.
in 1969 led the Isle of Wight Council
to fund and organise a team to research and excavate the site. As more wrecks were discovered in the following decades, the Isle of Wight Maritime Heritage Project was formed. The project originally focused on the Yarmouth Roads Protected Wreck Site but also began to identify Mesolithic
sites on the seabed of the Solent
. When central government funds were withdrawn, the project was re-organised as the Isle of Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology in 1990. The Trust managed the excavation of several sites and became the licensee
for many of them. In 1991, with support from Hampshire County Council
, the Trust's scope expanded and it became the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology.
and the Farasan Islands
.
, cataloguing the wide range of hulks there. The project was designed to raise local awareness and foster a sense of local pride and ownership amongst nearby residents in Gosport
.
in the Solent, as part of a case study to see if land based legislation can be used to protect maritime archaeology.
. As well as fully recording the vessel's remains, the Trust replicated the process of wreck research and identification in a teaching pack for children.
at Fort Victoria
on the Isle of Wight.
In 2011, the Trust was awarded a Europa Nostra
award for Category 4: Education, Training and Awareness Raising, for "raising the profile of maritime heritage and archaeology", recognising the numerous ways in which the Trust teaches audiences of all types about maritime heritage.
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
that researches and excavates maritime archaeology and heritage in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Their core activities are focused around Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
, but they also work in other parts of the country and on international projects.
History
The discovery of the wreck of HMS Pomone at The NeedlesThe Needles
The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, England, close to Alum Bay. The Needles lighthouse stands at the end of the formation...
in 1969 led the Isle of Wight Council
Isle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
to fund and organise a team to research and excavate the site. As more wrecks were discovered in the following decades, the Isle of Wight Maritime Heritage Project was formed. The project originally focused on the Yarmouth Roads Protected Wreck Site but also began to identify Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
sites on the seabed of the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
. When central government funds were withdrawn, the project was re-organised as the Isle of Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology in 1990. The Trust managed the excavation of several sites and became the licensee
Licensee
A licensee is someone who has been granted a licence.- Tort law :The term is used in the USA law of torts to describe a person who is on the property of another, despite the fact that the property is not open to the general public, because the owner of the property has allowed the licensee to enter...
for many of them. In 1991, with support from Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
, the Trust's scope expanded and it became the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology.
Projects
The charity has since investigated a great deal of maritime archaeology around the Solent, including shipwrecks, submerged landscapes and inter-tidal foreshore sites. They have also conducted projects as far away as GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and the Farasan Islands
Farasan Islands
Farasan Islands is a large coral island group in the Red Sea, belonging to Saudi Arabia. It is located some 40 km offshore from Jizan, in the far southwestern part of the country. It is located at around . It is a protected area and was home to the extinct Arabian gazelle and, in winter, migratory...
.
Bouldnor Cliff
In 1999 divers from the Trust discovered the Mesolithic settlement site of Bouldnor Cliff. The site is offshore of Bouldnor on the Isle of Wight and about 11 metres below the surface of the Solent. Attention was first drawn to the site when divers observed a lobster discarding worked flint tools from its burrow. Since then, regular fieldwork has revealed that Bouldnor was almost certainly a settlement site about 8,000 years ago, at a time when lower sea levels meant that the Solent was just a river valley. The work done so far has already revealed that the technology of Mesolithic settlers was probably 2,000 years ahead of what had previously been believed.Forton Lake
Between 2006 and 2009, the Trust ran a community archaeology project at Forton Lake, with the Nautical Archaeology SocietyNautical Archaeology Society
The Nautical Archaeology Society is a charity registered in England and Wales and in Scotland and is a company limited by guarantee.The charitable aims and object of the company are to further research in Nautical Archaeology and publish the results of such research and to advance education and...
, cataloguing the wide range of hulks there. The project was designed to raise local awareness and foster a sense of local pride and ownership amongst nearby residents in Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
.
Centaur Tanks
In a joint project with Southsea Sub Aqua Club, the Trust has investigated two Centaur tanks from a capsized Landing Craft TankLanding craft tank
The Landing Craft, Tank was an amphibious assault ship for landing tanks on beachheads. They were initially developed by the British Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II in a series of versions. Initially known as the "Tank Landing Craft" by the British, they later...
in the Solent, as part of a case study to see if land based legislation can be used to protect maritime archaeology.
The Mystery Wreck
The Trust investigated a 'mystery wreck' on Horse Tail Sands in the Solent between 2003 and 2011. It was not until 2011 that the Trust was able to confirm the vessel's identity as the Flower of Ugie, a 19th century barqueBarque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
. As well as fully recording the vessel's remains, the Trust replicated the process of wreck research and identification in a teaching pack for children.
Dissemination and education
The Trust runs an active outreach and schools programme and operates a "Maritime Bus" to make maritime archaeology more accessible to the general public. The bus attends regular events in the south coast, including school, community and other public events. The Trust also runs the Underwater Archaeology CentreUnderwater Archaeology Centre
The Underwater Archaeology Centre is a museum located in Fort Victoria on the Isle of Wight, England.The museum is run by the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology and is housed in five of the fort's former casemates. Since it was opened in 1990 the museum has been used to display...
at Fort Victoria
Fort Victoria (Isle of Wight)
Fort Victoria was a single tier battery with defensible barracks west of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, England, built in the 1850s, later used as a submarine mining centre and training area for military purposes....
on the Isle of Wight.
In 2011, the Trust was awarded a Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is the representative platform of 250 heritage NGOs active in 45 countries across Europe...
award for Category 4: Education, Training and Awareness Raising, for "raising the profile of maritime heritage and archaeology", recognising the numerous ways in which the Trust teaches audiences of all types about maritime heritage.