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Summary

Hulls of four 19th century carvel-built vessels outside the embankment. They are visible on arial photographs between 1965 and 2010 and appear to become gradually more visible as sand cover disperses.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Archaeological Record: 832360
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS42NE/254

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HULK (XVIII to XXI - 1751 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1420, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1420 4235-4236 15-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349553.

No hulks are visible in this location.

Meridian Airmaps Limited, 1965, MAL/65061, NMR MAL/61065 166-167 01-JUL-1965 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349624.

Three sand filled hulks are clearly visible, two with keelsons showing, and the possible outline of a third.

Hughes, B. D., 1995, Three Old Wooden Shipwrecks at Westward Ho! (Correspondence). SDV9880.

Hulls of wooden vessels outside the embankment:
1. 'Emma Louise'; schooner/ketch; built Barnstaple 1883.
2. 'Bessie Clark'; ketch; built Bideford 1881.
3. 'Hobah'; ketch; built Mylor 1873.
4. 'M. A. James'; schooner; built Fairlie 1894. Other details: Letter + Plan.

Bell, A. + Dick, A. M., 1996, Untitled Source (Photograph). SDV9903.

Carvel built vessels lying on silt, which obscures keelson details. M. A. James is best preserved, although timbers springing away from knees on ?starboard side. Max surviving depth c.2m. Remaining 3 vessels survive primarily as knees, with timbers presumably surviving below silt. Overgrowth of seaweed suggests near total immersion at high tide

Next Perspectives, 2010, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS4628 08-APR-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349899.

Three hulks are visible, all with keelsons and ribs showing, and a possible fourth is visible in partial outline only.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

Three hulks on the foreshore are visible on aerial photographs between 1965 and 2010, ranging in width from 5 to 6 metres and in length from 15 to 28 metres. In 1965 only two keelsons were visible, with most detail obscured by sand, but by 2010 the ribs and three keelsons were visible. No trace of the hulks was seen on aerial photographs taken in the 1940s, indicating that erosion of the foreshore has been significant and is ongoing, resulting in increased exposure of the hulks. The stern or keel of a fourth may be visible in outline. They are likely to be the four nineteenth century vessels documented and visited in the 1990s.

Unknown, post 1980, Annotated Plan Showing Torridge and Westward Ho! Hulk Locations (Plan - sketch). SDV358902.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349553	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1420. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/1420 4235-4236 15-APR-1946.
SDV349624	Aerial Photograph: Meridian Airmaps Limited. 1965. MAL/65061. Meridian Airmaps Limited Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR MAL/61065 166-167 01-JUL-1965.
SDV349899	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS4628 08-APR-2010. [Mapped feature: #94700 ]
SDV358902	Plan - sketch: Unknown. post 1980. Annotated Plan Showing Torridge and Westward Ho! Hulk Locations. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV9880	Correspondence: Hughes, B. D.. 1995. Three Old Wooden Shipwrecks at Westward Ho!. Letter. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV9903	Photograph: Bell, A. + Dick, A. M.. 1996. Slide.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV1218 - Unnamed Event
• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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