Teeswood: Skerry Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Craft (20th Century), Steamship (20th Century)
Site Name Teeswood: Skerry Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Classification Craft (20th Century), Steamship (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Britannia; Westwood; Churchill Causeway; Churchill Barrier No. 2; North Sea; Teeswood; Teeswood (Ex. Westwood, Britannia)
Canmore ID 102967
Site Number ND49NE 8021
NGR ND 48378 99930
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/102967
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Maritime - Orkney
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
ND49NE 8021 4828 9993
N58 53.0417 W2 53.8333
NLO: Lamb Holm [name: HY 485 003]
Glimps Holm [name: ND 472 991]
Glimpsholm Skerry [name: ND 482 995]
Stromness [name: HY 253 090]
Scapa Flow [name centred HY 36 00].
Formerly entered as Site no. 8933
For adjacent (and successor) Churchill Barrier No. 2, see ND49NE 15.
For other blockships in this group, see HY40SE 8002, ND49NE 8014-20 and ND49NE 8023-4.
For plan indicating the relative locations and orientations of blockships in this group, see Macdonald 1990, 125.
Horizontal Datum = OGB
General water depth = 2
Circumstances of Loss Details
-----------------------------
The TEESWOOD was a steamer, built in 1882 and sunk as a blockship.
Sources: Ferguson 1985; MacDonald 1990
Surveying Details
-----------------------------
9 June 1926. A dangerous wreck is reported at 58 52 57N, 002 53 51W. The ELTON, ALMERIA and REINFIELD are reported in the same position.
14 March 1972. The TEESWOOD is located at 58 53 02.5N, 002 53 50W, or bearing 225.5 degrees, 472 metres from Lamb Holm trig station (61). The only remains are the engines, part of the shaft, and some girders. No hull structure was in evidence, although there is always some metal showing.
Report by Undermarine Operations, 5 March 1972.
20 August 1992. Most of her has been salvaged and removed. Only her engines remain.
Sources: D M Ferguson 1985; R MacDonald 1990
Hydrographic Office, 1995.
(Classified as iron steamship: no cargo specified, but former names cited as Westwood and Britannia, and date of loss as 19 September 1914). Teeswood: this vessel was scuttled as a blockship in Skerry Sound.
Registration: Middlesborough. Built 1882. 1589grt. Length: 85m. Beam: 11m.
(Location of loss cited as N58 53.03 W2 53.83).
I G Whittaker 1998.
Skerry Sound is not noted as such on the 1998 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map, but it lies between Lamb Holm [name: HY 485 005] and Glimps Holm [name: HY 473 993].
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 8 October 2002.
Length: 279 ft (85m): date of sinking 19 September 1914.
'Unballasted. Moved to present position while being sunk. Two fathoms over her at L.W. No use.' (Report dated 28 June 1915 and accompanying panoramic sketch dated 8 December 1915).
The accompanying panoramic drawing (of Skerry Sound, looking E from close to the location of the Rosewood) depicts the midships and stern of what appears to have been a cargo ship of 'three island' form with a minimal superstructure amidships; the bow is missing. The vessel is depicted from the starboard beam and as settling towards the bow; the after mast (with derrick spars fore and aft) and funnel remain erect.
The accompanying map depicts this vessel as lying N-S in shallow water just off Lamb Holm, and to the N of the rest of the group of blockships.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 30 January 2004.
PRO [Kew] ADM116/2073A: dated 17 December 1919.
Skerry Sound is not noted as such on the 1998 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map. The name apparently applies to the ill-defined sound leading E from St Mary's Bay {name centred ND 473 002] into Holm Sound [name centred ND 500 992] between Lamb Holm [name: HY 485 003] to the N and Glimps Holm [name: ND 473 992] to the S. It is now closed by Churchill Barrier No. 2 (ND49NE 15: ND 4822 9999 to ND 4785 9952).
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 18 August 2005.
Skerry Sound is not noted as such on the 1998 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map, but the current edition of the OS (GIS) notes the name around ND 4814 9995, between Glimps Holm and Glimpsholm Skerry.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 28 March 2007.
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 2558
Name : TEESWOOD (EX. WESTWOOD, BRITANNIA)
Latitude : 585302
Longitude : 25350
Date Built : 1882
Registration : MIDDLESBOROUGH
Type : SS (IRON)
Tonnage : 1589
Tonnage Code : G
Length : 85
Beam : 11
Draught : 5m
Position : Exact Position
Loss Day : 19
Loss Month : 9
Loss Year : 1914
Comment : Scuttled as a blockship in Skerry Sound
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 001266
Feature Class : Wreck
State : LIVE
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 58.88403,-2.89722
Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.88361,-2.89884
WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)
Position Quality : Unreliable
Depth Quality : Depth unknown
Water Depth : 2
Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name : TEESWOOD
Type : BLOCKSHIP
Flag : BRITISH
Tonnage : 1589
Tonnage Type : Gross
Date Sunk : 19/09/1914
Contact Description : Notable debris
Original Sensor : Reported Sinking
Last Sensor : None reported
Original Detection Year : 1914
Last Detection Year : 1972
Original Source : Other
Last Source : Other
Circumstances of Loss : **STEAMER, BUILT 1882, SUNK AS A BLOCKSHIP. (WKS OF SCAPA FLOW, DIVE SCAPA FLOW).
Surveying Details : **H3875/26 9.6.26 DWP IN 585257N, 025351W. (ELTON, ALMERIA, & REINFIELD IN SAME POSN). INS AS DWP. BR STD.
**H7308/56 13.5.59 INS CAUTION NOTE ON 35. - NM 1924/
**H2496/72 14.3.72 POSN 585302.5N, 025350W, OR 225.5DEG, 1550FT FROM LAMB HOLM TRIG STN (61). ONLY REMAINS ARE THE ENGINES, PART OF THE SHAFT, SOME GIRDERS. NO HULL IN EVIDENCE. ALWAYS SOME METAL SHOWING. (UNDERMARINE OPERATIONS, 5.3.72). INS AS DWP. BR STD.
**4.7.80 NOT SHOWN ON NC 35 (AREA BLUED OUT).
**11.12.81 COVERED BY LEGEND WKS ON NC 2250.
**20.8.92 MOST OF HER HAS BEEN SALVAGED & REMOVED. ONLY HER ENGINES REMAIN. (WKS OF SCAPA FLOW, DIVE SCAPA FLOW).
Charting Comments : POSN FOR FILING ONLY
Date Last Amended : 09/02/2005
Project (2013 - 2014)
The Scapa Flow 2013 Marine Archaeology Survey Project, commissioned by Historic Scotland, undertook remote sensing surveys and archaeological diving evaluations at some of the sites within Scapa Flow, Orkney and at the Churchill Barriers.
The project aimed to establish or confirm the identification, extent of survival, character and condition of around 28 known but mostly poorly recorded First and Second World War wreck sites, 8 salvage sites, several sites thought to be associated with Second World War Boom Defences, and a limited sample of geophysical features identified in previous studies (Project Adair).
The work built on that of previous surveys including those completed as part of the ScapaMap Project (2001 and 2006) and by Wessex Archaeology Scapa Flow Wrecks Survey (2012), amongst others.
The project was completed by ORCA Marine and SULA Diving
Diver Inspection (2013)
58 53.017 N 2 53.833 W The remains lie on a sand and rock bottom in 1m – 8m of water. The submerged remains have a light coverage of short animal turf and are well corroded. The remains can be affected by storm swells but are generally sheltered from tide. The wrecks in Skerry Sound are subject to coastal accretion with an increase in sedimentation caused by the construction of the barriers.
Although the stern of the vessel is broken up, the propeller, the rudder shaft and remains of the steering quadrant are still present. These are in very shallow water and as such parts are visible at low tide. Iron plates and ribs from the stern section cover a large area near shore.
Moving forward, along the starboard side there are more broken down sections of iron hull plating, ribs and associated wreckage. A hawse pipe and portions of piping were noted in the debris. Along the centre line of the vessel the propeller shaft overlays portions of ribs and iron plating confirming the interpretation of the linear feature on the side scan image. The remains appear to be lying on the starboard side.
Valves and pipework were observed midships. These are associated with a two cylinder compound engine lying on its starboard side, and parts of the gear mechanism. A porthole aperture was noted on one of the sections of hull plating.
While there is some wreckage forward of the engine room, the boilers are missing. It is possible that these have moved or were salvaged. Rocks noted within the wreckage are thought to have been brought in during recent storms as they are not present in sufficient quantities to be considered as ballast.
The wreckage ends abruptly appearing to disappear into the sand. The forward remains have considerably less marine growth, which could suggest they have only recently been exposed.
There is evidence of an abandoned creel within the remains.
Analysis
Historical sources presented in ADM report X96-3 provide conflicting descriptions of the wreck noted in this position. In the drawings of the blockships in the hydrographic record of Skerry Sound (X96-3) (Plate 9) – the remains in this location are noted as SS Teeswood; however the descriptions of the wrecks in the same document based on ADM 1-8428-216 mis-assign the names of the wrecks confusing the description of the SS Teeswood with the description of the SS Rosewood.
Surveys completed during this project can confirm these to be the remains of the SS Teeswood based on the presence of the two cylinder compound engine – which the Lloyds report confirms the SS Teeswood was built with. If the wreck at this site had been the SS Rosewood we would have expected to find a triple expansion engine.
The ADM report based on ADM 1-8428-216 also confirms that the SS Teeswood was unballasted.
The UO surveys from 1972 describes far less of the remains than are actually present – surveys completed during this project noted the presence of a propeller, propeller shaft, large sections of hull and ribs, in addition to the engines which were further offshore. The location of the vessel is unspecified in the UKHO reports, recorded as being in the same location as SS Elton, SS Almeria and SS Reinfield – which is inaccurate.
A British iron steamship, built in 1882 by Short Brothers Ltd., Pallion (Sunderland) for the United Kingdom SS. Co., Ltd. (Short & Dunn), Cardiff, the SS Teeswood was originally named the SS Britannia. In 1892 the vessel was purchased by the Norwegian company A/S Westwood (Chr. Klaveness, mgrs.), Christiania and was renamed SS Westwood. Renamed SS Teeswood in 1913 when purchased by Constantine & Pickering SS. Co., Middlesbrough, the vessel was bought by the Admiralty and was scuttled as a Blockship in Skerry Sound on 19th September 1914.
Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014
Side Scan Sonar Survey (2013)
58 53.017 N 2 53.833 W The site was assessed by side scan surveys using a pole-mounted towfish and diver ground-truthed.
The side scan images show the remains of a vessel measuring 51m long by 8m beam. The remains are oriented north northwest to south southeast with the bow to the south southeast. Well broken down, and situated on a shallow slope, sections of the stern, including part of the propeller are visible above the water at low tide. The wreckage offshore visible in the images includes plates and ribs overlaid by a strong linear feature interpreted as the propeller shaft. This is connected to another strong
contact, possibly the engine. The bow is not visible on the image, suggesting the wreck is either very broken up forward of midships or it is buried under sand.
Information from Annalisa Christie, Kevin Heath and Mark Littlewood (ORCA) March 2014
