The 'Wheels Wreck' as it is known, is the wreckage of an unknown vessel which was lost off of the Isles of Scilly carrying a cargo comprising of mining equipment. The site was discovered in June 2005 by two local divers when investigating a magnetometer hit recorded during their survey.
The local Islands Maritime Archaeological Group produced drawings of the wreck and recovered several small finds from the site and also located an anchor which lies 60 metres south-west of the mound. However whether or not the anchor is consistent with the rest of the wreck is unknown.
The various small finds that were recovered suggest a late 18th Century date, which would be suitable for a wooden sailing vessel with wooden fittings, however the mining equipment itself is unlikely to have been forged prior to the mid 19th Century which shows the problems caused by the lack of ships structural remains.
The site consists of a discrete mound of articulated ship's cargo, the majority of which are deposited together in recognisable group layers. The cargo includes wheels, clack valves, boiler tubes, rising mains and cylinders. From the cargo it has been concluded that the mound contains mining equipment, most likely to have originated in a Cornish foundry.
Wessex Archaeology's Diving Investigation
The local Islands Maritime Archaeological Group produced drawings of the wreck and recovered several small finds from the site and also located an anchor which lies 60 metres south-west of the mound. However whether or not the anchor is consistent with the rest of the wreck is unknown.
The various small finds that were recovered suggest a late 18th Century date, which would be suitable for a wooden sailing vessel with wooden fittings, however the mining equipment itself is unlikely to have been forged prior to the mid 19th Century which shows the problems caused by the lack of ships structural remains.
The site consists of a discrete mound of articulated ship's cargo, the majority of which are deposited together in recognisable group layers. The cargo includes wheels, clack valves, boiler tubes, rising mains and cylinders. From the cargo it has been concluded that the mound contains mining equipment, most likely to have originated in a Cornish foundry.
Wessex Archaeology's Diving Investigation
Wessex Archaeology was asked by English Heritage to undertake an undesignated site assessment in 2006. 
15 dives with a total bottom time of 748 minutes were completed on the site. During the dives a photographic survey of main features of the site along with a photo-mosaic of the mound were completed. The site was subsequently designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973), and is now administered by English Heritage and the site licensee monitors the site.