Divers in UK’s Plymouth have been investigating a wreck site that is believed to be hundreds of years old. Called the Mewstone Cannon site, the wreck is located just off the coast of Wembury. Though this old shipwreck was discovered in 1968, archaeologists are now digging deeper and sharing their finds with the public.
Shipwrecked at Mewstone Ledge
Many harbors, bays, inlets, and sounds have their fair share of potential hazards to navigation. Plymouth Sound is no different; here, a pair of small, rocky islands called Great and Little Mewstone sit atop a rocky outcrop that extends toward the southwest for a distance of about 400 meters. This ridge is barely covered by water in some places, and over the years, it has claimed more than its fair share of unsuspecting ships.
In 1968, a diver named Dick Middlewood discovered a pair of six-foot cannons nestled lengthwise in a gully on the ledge. A third cannon was lying nearby. As the guns are heavily concreted, and as the ridge is the site of a verdant kelp forest, Middlewood thought they were logs. In 1969, he took a Nautical Archaeology course and suddenly, it clicked. He realized that he had discovered cannons while exploring the ridge – not old logs as he had initially supposed.
Mewstone Ledge is steep, with numerous gullies. The area where the wreck is located is about 75 meters long by 50 meters wide, so it took archaeologists quite some time to map the shipwreck. As they worked, they located additional cannons, along with anchors. Heaps of coarsely broken pink pottery discovered at the site have been identified as fragments of bi-conical jars that would have been covered in wicker jackets for easy transport and insulation. These jars are presumed to have carried about 25 gallons of oil apiece. Many of these fragments have been recovered from the site and were placed on display at Fort Bovisand. Similar oil jars have been found at other wreck sites in Plymouth Sound, including one near Penlee Point, and another at Ramscliff.
In all, ten cannons were found at the site, and all were discovered lying upside down, which archaeologists say is normal, due to the way in which the wooden carriages that would have originally supported the cannons tend to erode underwater. Six of the guns are six-pounders, and the other four appear to be three-pounders. The guns are of the type used between 1743 and 1780.
The anchors located at the site are typical Admiralty anchors. The main anchor is three meters long and weighs approximately 460 kilograms, while the smaller anchor is just under two meters long and weighs about 200 kilograms.
Unfortunately, some discoveries that may have helped archaeologists uncover the wreck’s identity have gone missing. One was a bronze plate dated sometime in the 1700s, and the other was a bell bearing the name Nillus on it. No other clues have been unearthed.
Though mystery still surrounds this wreck, it is open to recreational divers. The cannons and anchors are still on site, and in some areas, you’ll find heaps of concreted cannonballs. The heavy kelp cover proves a challenge to visibility, however it does shelter a wide array of marine life. Divers investigating the wreck advise others to move slowly and carefully while looking for the guns and anchors, as they are not immediately obvious. Depths vary with the tide; ranging from about 5 to 18 meters. Tours can be arranged for via the Plymouth Diving Centre, which also offers a variety of courses and trips to other dive sites in the area, including the wreck of the Ajax, which nearly overlaps the mysterious 18th century shipwreck.