Wheel Wreck
Encyclopedia
The Wheel Wreck is the remains of a shipwreck lying in Crow sound off Little Ganinick in the Isles of Scilly
. The wreck site consists of a discrete mound of cargo, that appears to consist of numerous sizes of different iron wheels, cogs, clack valves and tubes and boiler pipes. Lead scupper pipes and other small artefact material show the ship was once present, however, not much remains of this vessel today. A Trotmann style anchor lies some 60m from the site and this along with the cargo date the site into sometime just after 1835. It has been publisised that this may be the wreck of the Padstow,however, being lost in 1804 this can not be so as neither boiler tubes or Trotmann anchors were invented back then. The wreck was discovered by local divers Todd Stevens & Phillip Roberts in 2005 and investigated by the archaeological contractor for the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973
in 2006. It still remains unidentified.
The archaeological contractor has however, identified that the cargo consists of tin-mining equipment and is presumed to have been from a foundry in Cornwall. This archaeological identification fortuitously came just after the designation of the Cornish tin mining areas
as a World Heritage Site
. The cargo find is considered particularly important, because such mining equipment no longer exists on land.
The site was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act
on 5 April 2007.
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
. The wreck site consists of a discrete mound of cargo, that appears to consist of numerous sizes of different iron wheels, cogs, clack valves and tubes and boiler pipes. Lead scupper pipes and other small artefact material show the ship was once present, however, not much remains of this vessel today. A Trotmann style anchor lies some 60m from the site and this along with the cargo date the site into sometime just after 1835. It has been publisised that this may be the wreck of the Padstow,however, being lost in 1804 this can not be so as neither boiler tubes or Trotmann anchors were invented back then. The wreck was discovered by local divers Todd Stevens & Phillip Roberts in 2005 and investigated by the archaeological contractor for the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973
Protection of Wrecks Act 1973
The Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which provides protection for designated shipwrecks. Section 1 of the act provides for wrecks to be designated because of historical, archaeological or artistic value. Section 2 provides for designation of...
in 2006. It still remains unidentified.
The archaeological contractor has however, identified that the cargo consists of tin-mining equipment and is presumed to have been from a foundry in Cornwall. This archaeological identification fortuitously came just after the designation of the Cornish tin mining areas
Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape is a World Heritage Site which includes select mining landscapes across Cornwall and West Devon in the south west of the United Kingdom...
as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. The cargo find is considered particularly important, because such mining equipment no longer exists on land.
The site was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act
Protection of Wrecks Act 1973
The Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which provides protection for designated shipwrecks. Section 1 of the act provides for wrecks to be designated because of historical, archaeological or artistic value. Section 2 provides for designation of...
on 5 April 2007.