Condition

1
Maritime craft (diving bell barge)
Post-Medieval
Renfrewshire

Description

The hulk of a metal vessel at the edge of the group of mud punts at 12679. This is thought to be the remains of a diving bell barge that was used to excavate the Clyde riverbed when the channel was being improved for shipping during the 19th century. The cutout at the stern of the barge housed a diving bell in which workers were lowered to the riverbed to excavate by hand the harder areas of the channel. More detail at https://scharpblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/the-newshot-ship-graveyard-part-2-a-very-special-vessel/. Part of the boat graveyard recorded by the Newshot Island ShoreDIG project, and visible in the orthorectified photomosaic at http://scharp.co.uk/shoredig-projects/newshot-ship-graveyard/. May 2018: Evidence of post-abandonment salvage activity noted: hull has been cut down with gas cutter, with molten drips of metal around bow and stem post, removal of hull on port side, and cutting of square plates from stern area adjacent to cut out which housed bell, then left next to hull

Location

247966.00
670396.00
27700
55.9025917
-4.4333611

Submitted photographs

Image Date Caption User
May 2018: Salvage around bow of barge 08/05/2018 May 2018: Salvage around bow of barge EllieSCHARP
May 2018: Salvage around bow of barge
May 2018: Stern area of barge 08/05/2018 May 2018: Stern area of barge EllieSCHARP
May 2018: Stern area of barge
May 2018: Salvage around stern of barge 08/05/2018 May 2018: Salvage around stern of barge EllieSCHARP
May 2018: Salvage around stern of barge
Detail of diving bell barge from aerial survey 27/05/2016 Detail of diving bell barge from aerial survey training1
Detail of diving bell barge from aerial survey
Bow of diving bell barge 27/05/2016 Bow of diving bell barge training1
Bow of diving bell barge
Diving bell barge 27/05/2016 Diving bell barge training1
Diving bell barge
Stern of diving bell barge 27/05/2016 Stern of diving bell barge training1
Stern of diving bell barge
Detail of cutout at stern for diving bell 27/05/2016 Detail of cutout at stern for diving bell training1
Detail of cutout at stern for diving bell

Submitted updates

Update id Date User
3333 08/05/2018 EllieSCHARP
Tidal state Low
Description 08/05/2018 As described Evidence of post-abandonment salvage activity noted: hull has been cut down with gas cutter, with molten drips of metal around bow and stem post, removal of hull on port side, and cutting of square plates from stern area adjacent to cut out which housed bell, then left next to hull
2653 27/05/2016 training1
Tidal state Low
Site located? Yes
Proximity to coast edge Intertidal
Coastally eroding? accreting
Visibility above ground Highly visible (substantial remains)
Local knowledge has local associations/history
Description The hulk of a metal vessel at the edge of the group of mud punts at 12679. This is thought to be the remains of a diving bell barge that was used to excavate the Clyde riverbed when the channel was being improved for shipping during the 19th century. The cutout at the stern of the barge housed a diving bell in which workers were lowered to the riverbed to excavate by hand the harder areas of the channel. More detail at https://scharpblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/23/the-newshot-ship-graveyard-part-2-a-very-special-vessel/. Part of the boat graveyard recorded by the Newshot Island ShoreDIG project, and visible in the orthorectified photomosaic at http://scharp.co.uk/shoredig-projects/newshot-ship-graveyard/.
Assign priority 1 and survey in detail

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