Wheel Wreck facts for kids
The Wheel Wreck is the remains of a sunken ship found near the Isles of Scilly. It lies in a place called Crow sound, close to Little Ganinick. This wreck is special because it holds a lot of old equipment.
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Discovering the Wheel Wreck
The Wheel Wreck was found by local divers in 2005. Experts then explored the site in 2006. They were working for the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, which helps protect important shipwrecks. Even today, no one knows the exact name of this ship.
What Was on Board?
The wreck site is mostly a large pile of cargo. This cargo includes many iron wheels, cogs, and different kinds of pipes. There are also lead pipes and other small items from the ship. Not much of the ship itself remains today.
About 60 meters away from the main site, there is a special anchor. This type of anchor, called a Trotmann anchor, was invented after 1835. This helps experts guess when the ship sank.
Some people thought this might be the Padstow ship, which sank in 1804. However, that's not possible. The anchor and the boiler pipes found at the Wheel Wreck were not invented until after 1835.
Why Is This Wreck Important?
Experts have figured out that the cargo on the Wheel Wreck is equipment used for tin mining. They believe it came from a factory in Cornwall. This discovery was very exciting! It happened just after the Cornish tin mining areas became a World Heritage Site.
A Glimpse into History
The mining equipment found on the Wheel Wreck is very important. This is because such old mining tools no longer exist on land. The wreck gives us a rare look at the tools and technology used in mining long ago. It helps us understand how people worked in the past.
Protecting the Wheel Wreck
Because of its historical importance, the Wheel Wreck was officially protected on April 5, 2007. It is now managed by Historic England. This means the site is carefully looked after to preserve it for the future.
