A 90-year-old ship’s bell will go on display in Sunderland having been discovered during work on the 353MW Galloper offshore wind farm off the Suffolk coast of England.
The bell was recovered from a shipwreck near the project site in 2016 following geophysical surveys of the export cable route to identify anomalies that could impact construction.
Galloper senior consents manager Colin McAllister said: “Selected geophysical anomalies were assessed further to find out what they were, for instance whether they were archaeological remains, unexploded ordnance or even lost fishing gear.
“A remotely operated vehicle was then used to carry out this ‘ground-truthing’ exercise and the ship’s bell was discovered on the seabed during a survey undertaken in June 2016.”
The bell originally came from the SS Carica Milller, a merchant ship built in 1928 on the banks fo the River Wear in Sunderland by William Doxford & Sons.
On 18 November 1939, laden with coal from Newcastle upon Tyne, the vessel struck a mine laid by a German U-boat and sank off the Suffolk coast with all 26 crew rescued.
The bell has been undergoing extensive renovations by Wessex Archaeology to extract damaging marine salts and put it through a controlled drying process before adding a layer of protective wax to its surface.
Wessex Archaeology geoservices director Louise Tizzard said: “This has been a fascinating project to be involved in – from when the geophysical anomaly was identified and ROV video footage reviewed, through to historical research, recovery and conservation for future display so that the people of Sunderland will be able to see it and learn about its long, eventful journey from Newcastle to the seabed in Suffolk and back to the North East again.”
Secretary of Sunderland Maritime Heritage Ian Murray said: “It is apt to think that after 77 years on the seabed the bell from the SS Carica Milica will return to the city where the vessel was built.
“We will ensure the bell, which has been so expertly conserved, will have pride of place in its display case within our visitor centre.”
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