In 2021 MSDS Marine awarded two MSDS Marine grant awards to licensees. Ian Cundy from the Malvern Archaeological Dive Unit (MADU) was one of the recipients. In this blog, Ian shares how he has spent his award producing a bi-lingual information leaflet for the Bronze Bell protected wreck.
The Bronze Bell (or Tal-y-Bont) wreck lies to the south of the Sarn Badrig Reef (St. Partick’s Causeway) between Barmouth and Harlech in Cardigan Bay, West Wales. The wreck is named after the bell that was found on the site bearing the date 1677. Along with cannons and anchors on the site were found 43 blocks of Italian Carrara marble.
The site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973), and many of the artefacts recovered from the site are now on display at a museum dedicated to the wreck in Barmouth. One of the marble blocks recovered from the site has also been carved and is on display on the quay side in Barmouth.
As part of an exercise carried out by the Malvern Archaeological Diving Unit (MADU) in 2017, a leaflet was designed to provide information about the wreck and the site together with helping to promote the Bronze Bell Shipwreck Museum.
During September 2021, MSDS Marine were commissioned to carry out a re-evaluation and survey of the site as part of the on-going CHERISH Project, during which, MADU provided introductions and background assistance. Following a suggestion from MSDS Marine, MADU re-submitted a copy of their 2017 information leaflet to Cadw, to see if there was any interest in taking this forward.
Cadw’s response was favourable, indicating that they were supportive of the idea, and expressed their interest in seeing the leaflet expanded to include additional information. To assist with the re-design and provision of new bi-lingual leaflets, MSDS Marine, very kindly provided MADU with a grant of £500 as part of their Marine Protected Wreck Award Scheme, and the leaflets below are the result.
Full versions of these leaflets can be found at:
English:
http://www.madu.org.uk/Images/Bronze%20Bell%20Leaflet%20-%20English%20version%205.pdf
Welsh:
http://www.madu.org.uk/Images/Bronze%20Bell%20Leaflet%20-%20Welsh%20version%205.pdf
