In 1973 a Tudor wreck was discovered in the Cattewater, the lower estuary of the River Plym, during dredging.
This became the first wreck to be designated under the recently passed Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. The site was surveyed and partially excavated between 1976–78 and published as a British Archaeological Report in 1984. The wreck is probably the most complete and best preserved early Tudor merchant ship yet discovered. A substantial portion of the remains of the wooden hull should still be present, buried beneath anaerobic sediments.
In 2006, Martin Read was given a licence from the UK government to investigate the site, leading to students from the University of Plymouth carrying out geophysical surveys, with physical surveys of the site being carried out by a team of local divers. This has revealed a more precise location for the shipwreck and the possibility of further parts of the ship remaining unexcavated beneath the seabed. Work on the excavation archive in The Box, Plymouth, and scientific examination of some of the finds has enabled a reinterpretation of aspects of the site, such as the dating of the wreck and associated scour pits.
Speaker biography
Martin Read was brought up in Plymouth and was at school less than a mile away when the wreck was discovered. He started as an archaeological conservator working for English Heritage, York Archaeological Trust and the Mary Rose Trust. He has worked on various offshore wreck sites such as the Mary Rose and the Dutch East Indiaman Vliegant Hart, and has lectured in aspects of maritime archaeology at the University of Plymouth and the University of Bristol. He has been a licensee of the Cattewater wreck since 2006.
Martin Read was brought up in Plymouth and was at school less than a mile away when the wreck was discovered. He started as an archaeological conservator working for English Heritage, York Archaeological Trust and the Mary Rose Trust. He has worked on various offshore wreck sites such as the Mary Rose and the Dutch East Indiaman Vliegant Hart, and has lectured in aspects of maritime archaeology at the University of Plymouth and the University of Bristol. He has been a licensee of the Cattewater wreck since 2006.
This free online talk is open to all and no booking is required. Visit the Royal Museums Greenwich webpage shortly before 17:15 to join the event.