Underwater Archaeology Centre
Encyclopedia
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 casemate
s. Since it was opened in 1990 the museum has been used to display exhibits recovered from several local shipwreck
s and the submerged landscapes of the Solent
. These include the wrecks of HMS Pomone, HMS Invincible
, the Yarmouth Roads Wreck and Bouldnor Cliff. The museum also houses an exhibition about the history of Fort Victoria itself.
Like most attractions in the fort the museum only operates from spring to autumn, during which time it opens daily and holds regular activity and community events.
in 1969, the Isle of Wight Council
funded a team to research and excavate the site. In 1984 another wreck was discovered immediately offshore of Yarmouth
and work began excavating that site as well. In 1990 the Isle of Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology was founded and began operating a museum at Fort Victoria
called the Maritime Heritage Exhibition. Several finds from the excavations were displayed in the museum, whilst others went to the Royal Naval Museum
in Portsmouth and Bembridge Maritime Museum.
In 1991 the Trust expanded into the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology
, a charity which went on to investigate more maritime archaeology in the local area and discovered the site of Bouldnor Cliff in 2004. The Trust refurbished the museum which was re-opened in 2006 as the Underwater Archaeology Centre.
.
Submerged landscapes: The submerged landscapes exhibits explain the history of the Solent as a dry river valley before rising sea levels flooded it and created the strait
that exists today. It focuses on the Trust's excavations at Bouldnor Cliff and includes underwater video footage and numerous artifacts recovered from the sea bed.
History of Fort Victoria: Fort Victoria does not have a museum of its own, but an exhibition within the Underwater Archaeology Centre details its history and its role in the defence of the Needles Passage.
The museum also contains a children's discovery area and information about the actual practice of maritime archaeology.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
located in 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
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The museum is run by the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology
Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology
The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology is a charitable trust that researches and excavates maritime archaeology and heritage in Great Britain...
and is housed in five of the fort's former casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s. Since it was opened in 1990 the museum has been used to display exhibits recovered from several local shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s and the submerged landscapes 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...
. These include the wrecks of HMS Pomone, HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible (1747)
The Invincible was a 74-gun French ship of the line, later a third-rate of the Royal Navy.During the early part of the 18th century British ship designers had made few significant advances in design, whereas French shipbuilding benefited from a remarkably creative period. At the time of the capture...
, the Yarmouth Roads Wreck and Bouldnor Cliff. The museum also houses an exhibition about the history of Fort Victoria itself.
Like most attractions in the fort the museum only operates from spring to autumn, during which time it opens daily and holds regular activity and community events.
History
After the wreck of HMS Pomone was discovered 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, 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....
funded a team to research and excavate the site. In 1984 another wreck was discovered immediately offshore of Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
Yarmouth is a port and civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of mainland England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river...
and work began excavating that site as well. In 1990 the Isle of Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology was founded and began operating a museum 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....
called the Maritime Heritage Exhibition. Several finds from the excavations were displayed in the museum, whilst others went to the Royal Naval Museum
Royal Naval Museum
The Royal Naval Museum is the museum of the history of the Royal Navy in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard section of HMNB Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. Its current Acting Director is Graham Dobbin....
in Portsmouth and Bembridge Maritime Museum.
In 1991 the Trust expanded into the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology
Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology
The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology is a charitable trust that researches and excavates maritime archaeology and heritage in Great Britain...
, a charity which went on to investigate more maritime archaeology in the local area and discovered the site of Bouldnor Cliff in 2004. The Trust refurbished the museum which was re-opened in 2006 as the Underwater Archaeology Centre.
Exhibits
Shipwrecks: The shipwrecks exhibition explores why there are so many wrecks in the Solent area, how wrecks act as time capsules of the past, and displays many finds from Trust excavations. It includes the stories of HMS Pomone, HMS Invincible, the Yarmouth Roads Wreck (believed to be the Spanish Galleon Santa Lucia), and other wrecks at the Needles and Alum BayAlum Bay
Alum Bay is a bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within sight of the Needles. Of geological interest and a tourist attraction, the bay is noted for its multi-coloured sand cliffs.-Geology:...
.
Submerged landscapes: The submerged landscapes exhibits explain the history of the Solent as a dry river valley before rising sea levels flooded it and created the strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
that exists today. It focuses on the Trust's excavations at Bouldnor Cliff and includes underwater video footage and numerous artifacts recovered from the sea bed.
History of Fort Victoria: Fort Victoria does not have a museum of its own, but an exhibition within the Underwater Archaeology Centre details its history and its role in the defence of the Needles Passage.
The museum also contains a children's discovery area and information about the actual practice of maritime archaeology.