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HMS B2 Dover Approaches: Archaeological Report

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HMS B2 Dover Approaches: Archaeological Report ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES IN RELATION TO MARINE DESIGNATION HMS B2 DOVER APPROACHES ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT Prepared for: English Heritage Prepared by: Wessex Archaeology Portway House, Old Sarum Park Salisbury WILTSHIRE SP4 6EB www.wessexarch.co.uk October 2014 Ref: 83803.32 © Wessex Archaeology Ltd 2014, all rights reserved Wessex Archaeology Ltd is a Registered Charity No. 287786 (England & Wales) and SC042630 (Scotland) 83803: Archaeological Report HMS B2 Quality Assurance Project Code 83803 Accession n/a Client EH Code Ref. Planning n/a Ordnance Survey latitude: 51°07,151' N Application (OS) national grid longitude: 01°27,596' E Ref. reference (NGR) system: WGS84 Version Status* Prepared by Checked and Approver’s Signature Date Approved By v01 I Paolo Croce 26-09-2014 File: \\MCISERVER\Wessex\Projects\PWA\Projects\83803\10 Reports\B2\Draft V02 E Paolo Croce Toby Gane 18-12-2014 File: \\MCISERVER\Wessex\Projects\PWA\Projects\83803\10 Reports\B2\Draft v03 F Paolo Croce Toby Gane 11-03-2015 File: \\MCISERVER\Wessex\Projects\PWA\Projects\83803\10 Reports\B2\Final File: File: * I = Internal Draft; E = External Draft; F = Final DATA LICENSES This product has been derived in part from material obtained from the UK Hydrographic Office with the permission of the UK Hydrographic Office and Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright, 2014. Wessex Archaeology Ref. HA294/007/316-01. The following notice applies: NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION WARNING: The UK Hydrographic Office has not verified the information within this product and does not accept liability for the accuracy of reproduction or any modifications made thereafter. This product has been derived in part from material obtained from the UK Hydrographic Office with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office and UK Hydrographic Office (www.ukho.gov.uk). NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database rights 2014. DISCLAIMER THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT WAS DESIGNED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A REPORT TO AN INDIVIDUAL CLIENT AND WAS PREPARED SOLELY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THAT CLIENT. THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT DOES NOT NECESSARILY STAND ON ITS OWN AND IS NOT INTENDED TO NOR SHOULD IT BE RELIED UPON BY ANY THIRD PARTY. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW WESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY WILL NOT BE LIABLE BY REASON OF BREACH OF CONTRACT NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE (WHETHER DIRECT INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL) OCCASIONED TO ANY PERSON ACTING OR OMITTING TO ACT OR REFRAINING FROM ACTING IN RELIANCE UPON THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT ARISING FROM OR CONNECTED WITH ANY ERROR OR OMISSION IN THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THE REPORT. LOSS OR DAMAGE AS REFERRED TO ABOVE SHALL BE DEEMED TO INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS DAMAGE TO REPUTATION OR GOODWILL LOSS OF BUSINESS OR ANTICIPATED BUSINESS DAMAGES COSTS EXPENSES INCURRED OR PAYABLE TO ANY THIRD PARTY (IN ALL CASES WHETHER DIRECT INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL) OR ANY OTHER DIRECT INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS OR DAMAGE. 83803: Archaeological Report HMS B2 HMS B2 Dover Approaches ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT Contents Summary ........................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... iv 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Assessment Background ................................................................................................... 1 2 ASSESSMENT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ........................................................................ 1 Primary Objectives ................................................................................................... 1 Secondary Objectives .............................................................................................. 1 3 METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................................. 2 3.1 General ............................................................................................................................. 2 3.2 Stage 1: Geophysical Survey ............................................................................................ 2 Geophysical Data – Technical Specifications ........................................................... 2 Geophysical Data – Data Quality ............................................................................. 2 Geophysical Data – Processing ............................................................................... 3 Geophysical Data – Anomaly Grouping and Discrimination ...................................... 4 3.3 Stage 2: Diving Survey ...................................................................................................... 4 Existing data ............................................................................................................ 5 4 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 6 4.1 Summary of Progress against Objectives .......................................................................... 6 4.2 Geophysical Survey Results .............................................................................................. 6 4.3 Data Audit ......................................................................................................................... 7 4.4 Site position....................................................................................................................... 8 SITE CO-ORDINATES WGS 84 ..................................................................................................... 8 4.5 Operational Summary ....................................................................................................... 8 4.6 Seabed and Ecology ......................................................................................................... 9 4.7 Archaeological Results ...................................................................................................... 9 General description .................................................................................................. 9 Bow ........................................................................................................................ 10 Forward section ...................................................................................................... 10 Conning Tower ....................................................................................................... 11 Aft Section .............................................................................................................. 12 Stern ...................................................................................................................... 12 i 83803.32 83803: Archaeological Report HMS B2 5 DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................. 13 5.1 Type and Size of Site ...................................................................................................... 13 5.2 Circumstances of Loss .................................................................................................... 13 5.3 Identification .................................................................................................................... 14 5.4 Overall Characterisation .................................................................................................. 14 5.5 Summary ......................................................................................................................... 15 6 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................... 16 7 ARCHIVE ........................................................................................................................ 16 8 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 16 9 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................. 18 APPENDIX I: ANOMALIES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL ............................................. 18 APPENDIX II: DIVE LOG ............................................................................................................. 20 Figures Figure 1: Site Location Figure 2: Sidescan Sonar mosaic and Gridded Magnetometer data Figure 3: Diver tracks and anomalies of Potential Archaeological Interest Figure 4/Plate 1: WA1139 Figure 5a/Plate 2: Technical drawings of HMS B2 Figure 5b/c: HMS B2 features Plate 3: WA1142 – Anomaly 7003 Plate 4: WA1024 Plate 5: B-Class Submarine in Plymouth Plate 6: WA1187 Plate 7: HMS B2 stranded at Sandown, Isle of Wight ii 83803.32 83803: Archaeological Report HMS B2 HMS B2 Dover Approaches ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT Summary Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by English Heritage (EH) to undertake an Undesignated Site Assessment of the wreck site of HMS B2, lost off Dover on 4th October 1912. The work was undertaken as part of the Heritage at Risk (HAR) contract for archaeological services in relation to marine designation. The assessment of the site was undertaken as part of a two stage investigation. Stage
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