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Gelliswick Bay Wrecks

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NPRN406638
Map ReferenceSM80NE
Grid ReferenceSM8856005390
Unitary (Local) AuthorityPembrokeshire
Old CountyPembrokeshire
CommunityMilford Haven
Type Of SiteWRECK
PeriodPost Medieval
Description

The archaeological remains of two, or possibly three, ships are located on the beach at Gelliswick Bay. They are situated on the western side of the beach, adjacent to the low rocky point that defines the western end of the bay, and they straddle the low spring tide mark. The site was photographed during RCAHMW aerial reconnaissance on 1st August 2007 (image refs: AP_2007_2263-5, and AP_2007_2267-70), following information from ground observation by Pete Crane, Cambria Archaeology. The site was visited by RCAHMW on the 24th of January 2023 during a spring low tide (LW at 14:23, height 0.46 relative to chart datum) to allow a more detailed inspection and photogrammetric survey of any visible remains. A 3D model of the resulting survey can be viewed here

English: https://skfb.ly/oD6Rp

Cymraeg: https://skfb.ly/oDZwt

The hulls are orientated roughly northwest-southeast overall and comprise visible wooden framing and outer planking, along with internal wooden longitudinal elements and iron reinforcement framing. The westernmost wreck, designated as Wreck 1, is around 30m in visible length and c.4.5m in width. Wreck 2 lies around three metres to the east, and its northern end is marked by a timber that is likely to be the bottom of a stem or stern post. It extends for at least 35m and is c. 3.8m in width. A further set of remains lie to the east of Wreck 2, albeit with no clear gap between them. This may be a third ship, or it may be the side and upper parts of Wreck 2 that have collapsed and fallen to the east.

The visible archaeological remains are very consistent across the site. The ships are seemingly quite flat-bottomed, although this may be a product of how they have settled and then subsequently collapsed on the beach. Visible floor timbers are 270mm sided (wide). Outer planking, where visible, runs fore-and-aft and was 200-250mm in width, visible inner planking (ceiling planking) was 220mm in width. Planking was observed as secured to frames using wooden treenails 32mm in diameter. The external heads of the treenails could not be seen. Several iron reinforcement frames are present on the site, distributed across Wreck 1 and 2. These are likely to be knee riders (see Cundy 2020: 51), and their fastening position above the ceiling planking, along with their general shape and size would support this identification. They are gently curved along their length of c.3.8-3.9m and there is a short, flat return of 0.5m to form the head (top). The head of the knee rider would have stood c. 3.3m vertically above the foot (bottom) giving at least some indication of the overall original height of the sides of the ship. The shape of the knee riders, namely the gentle curve of them, indicates that the sides of the ships were not straight up and down, and that the overall hull-form, even if fairly flat-bottomed, was not box-like.

The vessels are not likely to be older than the mid-19th century, as indicated by their combination of wooden construction and the nature of the iron knee riders. Archive aerial photos from 1946 show the remains of the vessels to be in a similar overall state as today. Their location and general disposition on the beach is more likely to indicate deliberate beaching, followed by breaking up to salvage useable materials, than it does out-and-out shipwreck. Whatever their means of arrival on the beach, it must have taken place prior to 1946.

Sources

Cundy, I., 2020. An Illustrated Glossary of Wooden Ship and Boat Terminology. Malvern: Malvern Archaeological Diving Unit.

Dyfed Archaeological Trust HER PRN 129356 https://archwilio.org.uk/her/chi3/report/page.php?watprn=DAT129356

J.Whitewright, RCAHMW, February 2023

CHERISH PROJECT 2017. Produced with EU funds through the Ireland Wales Co-operation Programme 2014-2020.