Protected Wreck Sites at Risk
There are more than 37,000 known wrecks and recorded losses in England's territorial sea, a legacy of more than 6,000 years of maritime trade, exploration and warfare. At present, a relatively small number are protected by law in England and there are currently 4 on the Heritage at Risk Register.
To see which wreck sites are protected by law as either scheduled monuments or protected wreck sites search the National Heritage List for England – using the search term ‘wreck’.
To see which are designated as ‘protected wreck sites’ use the search term ‘wreck’ under ‘heritage category’ in the advanced search section.
Wrecks are threatened by both natural elements and commercial exploitation of the seabed. Their survival depends on sound management and the shared commitment of all the users of the seabed.
Wrecks are affected by both environmental and human factors. Because they are often in remote locations, their management can be challenging and changes to their condition are difficult to predict.
We regularly audit and assess all designated wreck sites to better understand their condition and vulnerability.
Historic England is funding ongoing monitoring work and will continue to ensure sites are prevented from becoming at risk. This will then allow them to be removed from the Heritage at Risk Register in the future.
The site numbers shown in red are 'at risk' and on the Heritage at Risk Register 2023. A *SS Richard Montgomery is designated as a Dangerous Wreck under Section 2 of the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. Due to the large quantity of munitions contained in it, the wreck is a potential danger to life or property. Responsibility for the management of such sites lies with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Challenges for protected wreck sites
Historic England has a statutory power to allocate funds to help preserve and maintain protected wreck sites. However, our financial resources can only solve a small fraction of the problems.
Other partners also play a vital role in stabilising these important sites and prevent more being added to the Register. Concerted efforts by owners, local government, national government departments and agencies and the organisations that make decisions about our environment can all help to make a real difference.
There are inherent difficulties with caring for this type of site. Despite these, careful management must be maintained if we are to pass them on to future generations in as good a condition as reasonably possible.
