Marine Operation Nightingale & HMS Montagu – achieving heritage protection & therapeutic outcomes
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2019-07-30

Full title: Marine Operation Nightingale & HMS Montagu – achieving heritage protection and therapeutic outcomes from work on historic wreck sites

In 2018 Historic England, Help for Heroes and Wessex Archaeology funded a well-publicised archaeological investigation of the pre-Dreadnought battleship wreck of HMS Montagu at Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel. Supported by Heritage Minister Michael Ellis, it was carried out by diving teams of professional archaeologists and volunteer military veterans.
Historic England’s Chief Executive Duncan Wilson summarised the aims of the project:
“We are delighted to be working with wounded veterans to record what remains of the wreck of HMS Montagu. These dives help to develop the personal strengths and capabilities of all those taking part and will provide Historic England with the vital information that we need to determine how best to protect the wreck.”
The paper will examine how successful the project was in delivering its objectives of heritage protection, training and therapeutic benefit. It will also consider how the lessons learnt might inform similar collaborations.

Toby Gane & Graham Scott (Wessex Archaeology)