Seaton Carew Wreck facts for kids
The Seaton Carew Wreck is the remains of an old ship. It lies on the beach at Seaton Carew in a special area. This area is called the intertidal zone. It means the wreck is sometimes covered by the sea and sometimes uncovered.
Before 1996, the ship was completely hidden by sand. But storms started to uncover it in 1996 and 2002. Since 2004, it has appeared more often. This ship is a type called a collier brig. These ships were very common in the 1700s and 1800s.
What makes this wreck special is how well it has been kept. It is very well preserved for its age. The wreck is a Protected Wreck. This means it is looked after by Historic England.
Contents
Discovering the Old Ship
On August 4, 1996, two local people found the ship. Their names were Derek Hodgson and Joe Howey. They saw the wreck on Seaton Carew beach. They had never seen it before in their lives.
A big storm had happened a few days earlier. This storm moved a lot of sand from the beach. That is how the wreck became visible. Derek and Joe told Tees Archaeology about their discovery.
Tees Archaeology quickly started to check out the wreck. Volunteers from the Nautical Archaeology Society helped them. The wreck was in the intertidal zone. This meant they only had about six hours to work between tides. The sea was slowly covering the wreck with sand again.
What the Wreck Looks Like
The wreck is lying with its front part pointing towards the shore. It is about 25 meters (82 feet) long. It is also about 7 meters (23 feet) wide. The ship's main wooden parts, called frames, are made of oak. They are held together with wooden pegs called treenails.
It seems to be a collier brig. This was a strong type of ship. Famous explorer Captain James Cook liked to use these ships. He used them for his long voyages around the world.
It looks like parts of the ship were taken away a long time ago. This is called salvage. The frames were cut off at the same height. Only the bottom part of the hull and the remains of the masts are left. There is damage on the left side near the back. This might have happened when people tried to remove its cargo. The cargo was probably coal. A photo from 1898 shows the same wreck. It was taken by a local priest, James Pattison. It shows the hull salvaged, but the stern post was still there.
Why the Wreck is Protected
People quickly understood how important this wreck was. So, on August 8, 1997, it became a protected site. This was done under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. This law helps to protect important shipwrecks.
A sign was put up near the site in August 2000. It helped people learn about the wreck. A new, updated sign replaced it in 2005.
When the Wreck Reappears
Tees Archaeology is in charge of watching over the wreck site. The wreck was mostly uncovered for a short time in 2002. It appeared again in 2004. This allowed experts to record more details about it.
In 2004 and 2005, parts of the wreck were visible most of the time. But in 2006 and 2007, it was rarely seen. Sometimes it was not seen at all. The sand covers and uncovers it depending on storms and tides.
