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CATTEWATER

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DESCRIPTION

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Remains of armed cargo vessel which appears to have been wrecked at Cattewater sometime in the 1530s. From the associated artefact assemblage she may have been carrying leather and textiles. Constructed of wood, she was a sailing vessel.

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DESIGNATED WRECK SITE - THE CATTEWATER WRECK

Summary:

Site of wreck, probably early 16th century merchantman.

Designation History:

Statutory Instrument: No 1, 1973/1531, 05-SEP-1973; amended 1975/262,
25-MAR-1975
Protected Area: Amended from 100m radius to within 50m radius of position 50 21'41.4"N., 04 07'37.5"W.

Protected area, amended from 100m radius to within 50m radius of position 50 21' 41.4"N 004 07'37.5"W. (8)

Visit by Government Diving Contractor:
University of St Andrews - Archaeological Diving Unit (ADU) April 1986 - April 2003

1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998 (8)

Wessex Archaeology 1st May 2003 -

Documentary History:

The Calendar of State Papers of 1637 mentions the removal of a ship 'long since sunk' in the harbour and there is an account of a number of vessels lost in the harbour at about the same time. However, the information that can be gained from primary sources is sketchy and often no name or details are given. (3)(4)

Positive identification has not been possible, although
archaeological evidence strongly suggests an early 16th century merchantman, of between 200 and 300 tons burden, lost circa 1530. (8)

Archaeological History:

20-JUN-1973: The site was discovered after HOLLAND XVII, an Anglo-Dutch bucket dredger, brought up timber and the fragments of two guns whilst working in the Cattewater, the last reach of the River Plym.

The remains were described as the keelson of the wreck. (8)

1976 - 1978: The site was partially excavated, surveyed and recorded by a team led by Mark Redknap, and the findings suggested that the ship was a merchantman of between 200 and 300 tons burden lost circa 1530. (8)

1998: ADU bathymetric survey. (8)

Environment and Archaeological Remains:

The site lies on a bed of fine silt and mud in the estuary of the
River Plym, at an average depth of 8 metres, a low energy environmnet with little sediment movement. (8)

Finds include a number of wrought iron stave-built guns on sledges along with animal bones, worked wood, a brass pin and buckle, various lead objects, leather work and textiles. (3)

The wreck comprises about 10 metres of coherent structure, with an associated artefact assemblage including composite iron guns on carriages/sledges, animal bones, leather, textiles, and a pewter syringe. (8)

The finds and site records were deposited with Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. (3)(8)

Finds:

2 pieces of bottle, a pewter syringe, and fragments of pewter from an unknown wreck, possibly this wreck, Cawsands, Plymouth. (Droit A/4244)

Additional sources:
Bax, A. 1976, The Tudor Shipwreck in the Cattewater, Plymouth.

Potten, C.M. 1998 ' A pre-disturbance Survey of the Cattewater Wreck Site, the first survey using remote sensing. BSc Project, Institute of Marine Studies, University of Plymouth.

CSP.Dom Charles I, Vol. CCCLXXXII, p269; CSP.Dom Charles I, Vol. CLXXXIII, p465

SOURCE TEXT

(1) International journal of nautical archaeology

No.3, 1978 7 Page(s)195-204

(2) Austin C Carpenter, K H Ellis and J E G McKee 1974 The Cattewater wreck

Maritime monographs and reports BAR Brit Ser No 131, NMM Arch Ser No 8, 1984 8

(3) National Maritime Museum Maritime monographs and reports

Maritime Monographs and Reports 1974 13

(4) United Kingdom shipwreck index [pre publication typescript]

(5) International journal of nautical archaeology

No.4, 1976 5 Page(s)346

(6) International journal of nautical archaeology

No.3, 1977 6 Page(s)248-251

(7) edited by Mark Redknap 1997 Artefacts from wrecks : dated assemblages from the late Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution

Oxbow monographs Reconstructing 16th century ship culture from a partially excavated site: the Cattewater wreck. Redknap M. 84 Page(s)73-85

(8) Cattewater Site Designation

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