Name 68A01 Nillus Bell
Layer Artefacts Recovered
Latitude 50° 18.343 N
Longitude 004° 06.434 W
Depth 5m
Accuracy 50m
Object Class Ship Fittings
Object Type Bell
Description Bell inscribed 'Nillus'
Date Recovered 1968
Collect Method Recovered

Nillus Bell (68A01)

From - Dive South Devon p182

'On the south side of the Great Mewstone, among the gullies on the ledge. The seabed is all steep-sided gullies and mounds and over a dozen iron cannon lie on them, among heavy growth. The site was discovered by Dick Middlewood of Croyden BSAC in 1968. Two huge anchors - one nearly 10ft long - and much broken pottery were found later in a combined survey of the site by the Croyden Divers and Slough Sub-Aqua Club in under 10m. Dating the cannon, the anchors and the red pottery, possibly from spanish oil jars, point to a ship of the middle to late 18th century.

Divers from the Chester Sub-Aqua club found a ship's bell in the area which could be 17th or 18th century. It bore just one word 'Nillus'. The Ajax wreckage encroaches on this site.'

The bell was stored at Fort Bovisand but was stolen from there some time ago.

email If you have any more information about these finds then please contact us.

Images

References

McDonald K., 1987, Dive South Devon, Underwater World Publications, ISBN 0 946020 11 6