The Cattewater Tudor wreck in Plymouth: excavation and reinterpretation of the first protected wreck in the UK

In 1973 a Tudor wreck known as the Cattewater was discovered in the lower reaches of the River Plym in Plymouth. This became the first wreck to be designated under the recently passed Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. The site was surveyed and partially excavated between 1976-8 and published as a British Archaeological Report in 1984. 

In 2006, Martin Read was given a licence from the UK Government to investigate the site, leading to students from the University of Plymouth carrying out geophysical surveys and a local team carrying out diver surveys. This has revealed a more precise location for the wreck and the possibility of further parts of the wreck remaining unexcavated beneath the seabed.

Work on the excavation archive in The Box, Plymouth, and scientific examination of some of the finds has enabled a reinterpretation of aspects of the site, such as the dating of the wreck and associated scour pits.

About the speaker: Martin Read

Martin Read started as an archaeological conservator working for English Heritage, York Archaeological Trust and the Mary Rose Trust. He has worked on various offshore sites such as the Mary Rose and the VOC Vliegant Hart, and has lectured in aspects of maritime archaeology at the University of Plymouth and the University of Bristol. He has been a licensee of the Cattewater wreck since 2006. 

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