Admiral Gardner , Goodwin Sands, Kent
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Wessex Archaeology The Admiral Gardner , Goodwin Sands, Kent Designated Site Assessment Full Report Ref: 83800.18 March 2013 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES IN RELATION TO THE PROTECTION OF WRECKS ACT (1973) ADMIRAL GARDNER, GOODWIN SANDS, KENT DESIGNATED SITE ASSESSMENT Prepared by: Wessex Archaeology Portway House Old Sarum Park Salisbury WILTSHIRE SP4 6EB Prepared for: English Heritage Fort Cumberland Fort Cumberland Road Eastney Portsmouth PO4 9LD March 2013 Ref: 83800.18 © Wessex Archaeology Limited 2013 Wessex Archaeology Ltd is a company limited by guarantee registered in England, company number 1712772. It is also a Charity registered in England and Wales, number 287786; and in Scotland, Scottish Charity number SC042630. Our registered office is at Portway House, Old Sarum Park, Salisbury, Wilts SP4 6EB. Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) Site: Admiral Gardner .: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES IN RELATION TO THE PROTECTION OF WRECKS ACT (1973) ADMIRAL GARDNER, GOODWIN SANDS, KENT DESIGNATED SITE ASSESSMENT Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) Title: Admiral Gardner, Goodwin Sands, Kent: Designated Site Assessment Principal Author(s): Hanna Steyne Managed by: Toby Gane Origination date: 11/2012 Date of current version: 04/04/2013 Version number: v.3 Wessex Archaeology QA: Graham Scott Status: Final Includes results of secondary objective desk- based research, undertaken at client request since Summary of changes: submission of v.1 dated November 2012. Client comments addressed. Associated reports: 83801.01 Client Approval: EH i Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) Site: Admiral Gardner .: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES IN RELATION TO THE PROTECTION OF WRECKS ACT (1973) ADMIRAL GARDNER, GOODWIN SANDS, KENT DESIGNATED SITE ASSESSMENT REF: 83800.18 Summary Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by English Heritage to undertake a Designated Site Assessment of the Admiral Gardner: a designated wreck site located in the Goodwin Sands, Kent. The work was undertaken as part of the contract for Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973). No diving operations and only limited geophysical survey were possible on the site due to burial and limited water depth. The site appears to have been deeply buried in May 2012 by one of the mobile sandbanks which are typical of sediment migration regimes in the Goodwin Sands area. The cycle of sediment burial and exposure of wrecks in the Goodwin Sands is not well understood. Little is known about the sand movement in and around the Admiral Gardner site and it is not therefore possible to predict when the wreck is likely to become re-exposed. Risk is assessed as low whilst the site is buried, medium if not. A re-examination of the evidence that led to the identification of the site as being the wreck of the Admiral Gardner will require a comprehensive examination of the finds and documentary archives that have resulted from the investigation and salvage of this site, together with a thorough examination relating to all of the surviving contemporary evidence concerning the ship’s cargo and those of the EEIC ship Britannia. This difficult exercise lies well beyond the scope of the assessment. However, very limited assessment of readily available documentary evidence has not indicated that any significant reason to doubt the identification that has already been made exists. ii Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) Site: Admiral Gardner .: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES IN RELATION TO THE PROTECTION OF WRECKS ACT (1973) ADMIRAL GARDNER, GOODWIN SANDS, KENT DESIGNATED SITE ASSESSMENT REF: 83800.18 Acknowledgements This investigation was commissioned by English Heritage as part of the contract for Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973). The assistance provided by Mark Dunkley and Alison James of the English Heritage Maritime Team is gratefully acknowledged. The fieldwork was carried out by Graham Scott, Daniel Pascoe, Hanna Steyne and Kevin Stratford. The report was compiled by Hanna Steyne, with contributions by Kevin Stratford. The report was edited by Toby Gane and Graham Scott. Karen Nichols prepared the illustrations. The project was managed for Wessex Archaeology by Toby Gane. Data Licences The chart used in Figure 1 was obtained from the UKH Hydrographic Office. The following notice applies: This product has been derived, in part, from Crown Copyright Material with the permission of the UK Hydrographic Office and the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (www.ukho.gov.uk). All rights reserved. NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION. WARNING: The UK Hydrographic Office has not verified the information within this report and does not accept liability for the accuracy of reproduction or any modifications made thereafter. The material derived from the UKHO is subject to licence 820/020220/11 and the conditions on End- Users and Third Parties contained therein. iii Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) Site: Admiral Gardner .: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES IN RELATION TO THE PROTECTION OF WRECKS ACT (1973) ADMIRAL GARDNER, GOODWIN SANDS, KENT DESIGNATED SITE ASSESSMENT REF: 83800.18 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 2. OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................. 1 3. EXISTING SITE DATA .................................................................................................. 3 4. RESULTS ........................................................................................................................ 3 4.1. DIVING FIELDWORK ......................................................................................................... 3 4.2. GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY ..................................................................................................... 4 4.3. DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH .............................................................................................. 4 5. CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................ 13 6. RISK ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................................... 14 7. RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................ 14 8. ARCHIVE ..................................................................................................................... 15 9. BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................... 15 9.1. PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED SOURCES ........................................................................ 15 9.2. WEB SOURCES ................................................................................................................ 15 APPENDIX I: STATEMENT OF IMPORTANCE .................................................................. 17 APPENDIX II: SITE RISK ASSESSMENT ............................................................................ 19 Figures Figure 1: Site location iv Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) Site: Admiral Gardner .: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES IN RELATION TO THE PROTECTION OF WRECKS ACT (1973) ADMIRAL GARDNER, GOODWIN SANDS, KENT DESIGNATED SITE ASSESSMENT 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1.1. This document presents the results of the Designated Site Assessment undertaken by Wessex Archaeology (WA) on behalf of English Heritage (EH) as part of the contract for Archaeological Services in Relation to the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973). The document comprises a designated assessment of the Admiral Gardner, a designated wreck located on the Goodwin Sands, Kent (Figure 1). 1.1.2. The work was conducted in accordance with a brief provided by EH. The site was inspected in May 2012. The field team comprised WA archaeologists Graham Scott, Hanna Steyne, Daniel Pascoe, and Kevin Stratford on board the vessel Shogun. 2. OBJECTIVES 2.1.1. The primary objectives for the site were defined in the brief (EH 2012) as: • Contact Admiral Gardner Licensee Ted Westhead and others in the contact list in Section 4 and offer participation in the designated site assessment. • EH maritime archaeologists will assist with the designated site assessment. Liaison with Mark Dunkley (EH) is therefore required. • Using Sidescan and Magnetometer geophysical survey establish if the site is buried and if any areas appear to have been disturbed. The survey should include at least a 50m buffer zone around the designated area. • Based upon the results of the geophysical survey locate and accurately position (plotted by tracked diver survey) any visual archaeological material confirming if any areas of the site appear to have been disturbed. • Undertake an updated Risk Assessment with reference to English Heritage’s Risk Management Handbook (November 2008) and extant site monitoring points. • Produce an integrated structured record of desk- and field observations; preferably including a photographic record of the site and a basic site plan. Key artefacts are to be subject to examination and recording (position by tracked diver survey, taped measurements, photographs and video and written database entries). 2.1.2. Recording was required to Level 2a Level Character Scope 2a Non- A limited