Wrecks of Bridgwater Bay: a review of their status, history and significance

Abstract

Analysis of the extant archaeological and historic wreck record, as well as c 480 km2 of marine and terrestrial survey data (aerial photographs, lidar, swath bathymetry and side scan sonar), has allowed a re-appraisal of both the record and the implications of our understanding of the maritime history of the Inner Bristol Channel region. A total of 111 recorded wreck sites (97 shipwrecks and 14 recorded aircraft losses) were investigated and compared with the recently acquired datasets collected as part of the Hinkley Point C environmental assessment. Of these 111, 75% were covered by the new data but only six wreck sites were clearly identified. This clearly shows the vagaries of wreck searches as a result of a combination of the quality of the oral histories recorded in the archive data (particularly in relation to positional information); the actual process of wrecking and associated salvage; and the capacity for post-depositional burial or erosion. Despite this low identification count, a review of the extant record still provides invaluable information on the maritime history of the area, in particular the potential dominance of local trade associated with the Welsh coalfields (trade in both commodities and infrastructure materials) from the 19th Century all the way through to the middle of the 20th Century.

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ORCID for Justin K. Dix: orcid.org/0000-0003-2905-5403

ORCID for Fraser Sturt: orcid.org/0000-0002-3010-990X

ORCID for Michael J. Grant: orcid.org/0000-0002-4766-6913

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