The Bottle Wreck (Site 5013)

Commonly known as the "Bottle Wreck", this site mainly consists of a mound of cargo, since the vessel itself is badly deteriorated. Secondary sources have characterised this wreck as a small sailing coaster or barge with at least two masts. It carried a cargo of cast-iron pipes, beer (in barrels and bottles), and a general cargo (including pottery, cutlery, razors and guns). The pottery assemblage has dated the sinking of the vessel to between 1833 and 1835. The "Bottle Wreck" may also have traded overseas, presumably to the United States since the decoration on the razor handles includes images of George Washington and the Liberty Bell. It is believed that the vessel may have sank on its way from London, where the brewery was located, to a south coast port such as Southampton or Portsmouth.

This wreck is situated 7.18nm ESE of Selsey Bill in the Outer Owers, at a general depth of 19.7m (CD). The dimensions are 14m in length and 6m in breadth.

In August 2002 a geophysical survey of the wreck was completed by Wessex Archaeology, using sidescan sonar and magnetometer. The site was not dived during this year's fieldwork due to poor weather conditions.

In June 2003, the site was re-surveyed using multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiler and magnetometer. The site was only dived once, again due to adverse weather conditions. However, the dive results confirmed that the magnetic anomaly returned by the geophysics survey corresponded with the large cargo of iron pipes.

Finally, in the summer of 2005, a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) was used to obtain live recordings of the wreck site that would go towards the site archive. Examples of the video footage together with underwater photos, a site plan and more information about the Bottle Wreck (including its construction, fittings and cargo) can all be viewed here.

For further information about some of the objects retrieved from this site over the years, visit the Littlehampton museum website.