North Cornwall survey of historic shipwrecks and submerged landscapes

Project summary

This project will investigate the maritime heritage of the North Cornwall coast, an under-researched landscape with significant potential to improve understanding of shipwrecks, submerged landscapes and long-term coastal change. Using advanced marine survey technologies through the RICHeS Coastal and Inland Waters Heritage Science facility, the project will investigate several key heritage assets, including potential wreck sites associated with internationally significant maritime histories, historically important vessels whose identities remain uncertain, and buried prehistoric coastal landscapes preserved beneath intertidal and shallow-water environments. High-resolution marine geophysical techniques will be used to locate, characterise and map these vulnerable remains, providing new evidence about their condition, extent and archaeological potential.

The project will create essential datasets to support future research, heritage protection and coastal management, helping to identify sites at risk from erosion, environmental change and development pressures. By improving understanding of previously inaccessible maritime heritage, the project will contribute to public engagement with coastal histories while demonstrating the value of innovative survey approaches for investigating and safeguarding fragile underwater and intertidal archaeological resources. The findings will support the assessment and protection of nationally important heritage assets while providing a foundation for future archaeological investigation along the North Cornwall coast.