Pricing Change
New pricing for orders of material from this site will come into place shortly. Charges for supply of digital images, digitisation on demand, prints and licensing will be altered.
Upcoming Maintenance
Please be advised that this website will undergo scheduled maintenance on the following dates:
Thursday, 9 January: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday, 23 January: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday, 30 January: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
During these times, some functionality such as image purchasing may be temporarily unavailable. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Lorne: Water Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Craft (20th Century), Steamship (20th Century)
Site Name Lorne: Water Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Classification Craft (20th Century), Steamship (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Churchill Causeway; Churchill Barrier No. 4; North Sea; Lorne
Canmore ID 102353
Site Number ND49NE 8009
NGR ND 47997 95219
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/102353
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Maritime - Orkney
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Maritime
- Former County Not Applicable
ND49NE 8009 4799 9522
N58 50.5 W2 54.0667
NLO: Water Sound [name centred ND 460 950]
Stromness [name: HY 253 090]
Scapa Flow [name centred HY 36 00].
Formerly entered as Site no. 8898.
For adjacent (and successor) Churchill Barrier No. 4, see ND49NE 17.
For other blockships in this group, see ND49NE 8002-8 and 8022, and ND49SE 8001.
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 iron single-screw steamship LORNE, built in 1873, was sunk as a blockship.
Source: Ferguson 1985
Surveying Details
-----------------------------
The given position is 58 50 28N, 002 54 00W in Water Sound.
9 July 1926. The wreck is now charted as a dangerous wreck.
1928. A request has been received for the removal of the blockships in Water Sound, but the prospects are remote.
1930. The sanction of the Treasury has acquired to pay ?6800 for the removal of the LORNE and THAMES. The Royal Air Force coast of Scotland is to watch proceedings.
10 July 1931. The work of dispersal is to be taken in hand.
24 July 1931. The LORNE is to be dispersed by explosives. A temporary notice to Mariner's has been issued.
27 October 1931. The least depth over the wreck is 3.2 metres.
Report by the Kings Harbour Master, Cromarty.
14 March 1972. The wreck's position is 58 50 30N, 002 54 04W, or bearing 195 degrees, 548 metres from the spot height (107) on Burray. The vessel lies parallel to the barrier, and about 12 metres of the hull still exists. Thereis no sign of the bows and stern. All the engine fittings have been removed. The wreck is covered in weed and breaks the surface at low water. The remains are in a very strong condition.
Report by Undermarine Operations, 5 March 1972.
1 September 1992. The wreck lies to the east of the CLIO. Explosives were used to disperse the remains some time ago. The vessel is now broken up, although a large section of the hull still exists.
Source: MacDonald 1990
Hydrographic Office, 1995.
(Classified as iron steamship: date of loss cited as 17 September 1915). Lorne: this vessel was scuttled as a blockship, but dispersed in September 1931.
Registration: Southampton. Built 1873. 1186grt. Length: 73m. Beam: 9m.
(Location of loss cited as N58 50.50 W2 54.07).
I G Whittaker 1998.
Length: 241 ft (73.5m): date of sinking 17 September 1915.
'Concrete Ballasted. In good condition and likely to last.' (Report dated 26 September 1916 and accompanying panoramic sketch dated 8 December 1915).
The accompanying panoramic drawing (of Water Sound, looking E from Burray Pier) depicts this vessel from the port beam. The vessel appears to have been a flush-decked cargo vessel with minimal poop and fo'c'sle; the masts and funnel remain erect. The vessel lies low in the water, apparently sinking towards the stern.
The accompanying map depicts this vessel in hatched outline as lying N-S close to the Burray shore. The bow is to the N and this is the most northerly blockship of the group.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 30 January 2004.
PRO [Kew] ADM116/2073A: dated 17 December 1919.
Water Sound is the most southerly of the four sounds that pierce the Eastern side of Scapa Flow. It formerly separated the islands of Burray (to the N) and South Ronaldsay (to the S), but is now crossed by Churchill Barrier No. 4 (ND49NE 17), which blocks it near the E (North Sea) end.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 2 April 2007.
Desk Based Assessment (August 1997)
Throughout the two World Wars Scapa Flow served as the base of the British Home Fleet. Access to these waters was guarded by a series of coastal batteries, booms and blockships. The blockships comprised old and damaged vessels which were deliberately sunk in position so as to form a submarine obstacle to deter enemy incursions. By 1943, the completion of the Churchill barriers, which cut off the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow, rendered the blockships obsolete. After 1945 some of the blockships were dispersed by explosive to clear the shipping lanes while many others were salvaged for parts and metal. The wrecks of several blockships remain on the sea bed and in the inter tidal zone.
(i) The Pontos (ND 49 NE 8002), a 3, 265 ton steel single-screw steamer was built in Glasgow in 1891. She was sunk in 1914 and now rests c.12m offshore to the SE of Water Sound.
(ii) The Clio (ND 49 NE 8006), a 2,733 ton steel single-screw steamer was built in Hartlepool in 1889. She was sunk in 1914 and is visible to the centre of Water Sound at low tide.
(iii) The Lorne (ND 49 NE 8008), a 1,186 ton single-screw steamer was built in Hull in 1873 and sunk in 1915. The wreck was later dispersed by explosives and only fragments now survive.
(iv) The Naja (ND 49 NE 8008), a concrete barge, was sunk in 1939 and lies to the centre of Water Sound.
(v) The Carron (ND 49 NE 8004), a 1, 017 ton single-screw steel steamer, was built in Dundee in 1894. She was sunk as a blockship in 1940 and now lies, partially buried under sand, to the NE side of Churchill Barrier #4.
(vi) The Juniata (ND 49 NE 8022), a twin-screw steel motor tanker, was built in Sunderland in 1918. Sunk in 1940, she now lies to the NE side of Churchill Barrier #4.
(vii) The Gondolier (ND 49 SE 8001) was a 173 ton paddle steamer built in Glasgow in 1866. Sunk in 1940, she now lies on the SE side of the barrier.
(viii) The Collingdoc (ND 49 NE 8005), a 1,1780 ton steel single-screw steamer was built in 1925 in Hill-on-Tees. She was sunk in 1942 and lies partially buried under the sand to the SE end of the barrier.
(ix) Unidentified wreckage (ND 49 NE 8003) stands above HWM.
Reference (2011)
Whittaker ID : 2536
Name : LORNE
Latitude : 585030
Longitude : 25404
Date Built : 1873
Registration : SOUTHAMPTON
Type : SS (IRON)
Tonnage : 1186
Tonnage Code : G
Length : 73
Beam : 9
Draught : 5m
Position : Exact Position
Loss Day : 17
Loss Month : 9
Loss Year : 1915
Comment : Scuttled as a blockship. Dispersed in Sept 1931
Reference (19 April 2012)
UKHO Identifier : 001252
Feature Class : Wreck
State : LIVE
Classification : Unclassified
Position (Lat/long) : 58.84167,-2.90111
Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)
WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.84126,-2.90272
WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)
Position Quality : Unreliable
Depth Quality : Depth unknown
Water Depth : 2
Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide
Name : LORNE
Type : BLOCKSHIP
Flag : BRITISH
Tonnage : 1186
Tonnage Type : Gross
Date Sunk : 17/09/1915
Contact Description : Notable debris
Original Sensor : Reported Sinking
Last Sensor : Other
Original Detection Year : 1915
Last Detection Year : 1972
Original Source : Other
Last Source : Other
Circumstances of Loss : **IRON SINGLE-SCREW SS. BUILT 1873, SUNK AS A BLOCKSHIP. (WKS OF SCAPA FLOW).
Surveying Details : **H2998/22 POSN 585028N, 025400W IN WATER SOUND.
**H3875/26 9.7.26 NOW CHARTED AS DWP IN 585028N, 025400W ON 3729.
**H2655/28 REQUEST FOR REMOVAL OF BLOCKSHIPS IN WATER SOUND. PROSPECTS REMOTE.
**NL 2149/31 10.7.31 WORK OF DISPERSAL TO BE TAKEN IN HAND.
**H6650/30 24.7.31 TO BE DISPERSED BY EXPLOSIVES. - TNM ISSUED.
**H6650/30 27.10.31 LEAST DEPTH OVER WK 1.75FMS. (KHM CROMARTY). - NM 2022/31.
**H5465/57 5.3.58 AMEND TO WK 1FM 3FT. NC 2162.
**H7308/56 13.5.59 INS CAUTION NOTE & DELETED WK FROM 35,2581 - NM 1924/58.
**H2496/72 14.3.72 POSN 585030N, 025404W, OR 195DEG, 1800FT FROM SPOT HEIGHT (107) ON BURRAY. LIES PARALLEL TO BARRIER, ABOUT 40FT OF HULL STILL EXISTS. NO SIGN OF BOWS & STERN. ALL ENGINE FITTINGS REMOVED. COVERED IN WEED. BREAKS SURFACE AT LW. IN VERY STRONG CONDITION. (UNDERMARINE OPERATIONS, 5.3.72). INS DWP ON 35. BR STD.
**3.7.80 NOT SHOWN ON NC 35 (AREA BLUED OUT).
**19.8.80 COVERED BY 'BLOCKSHIPS SEE NOTE' LEGEND ON NC 2162.
**11.12.81 COVERED BY WKS LEGEND ON NC 2250.
**1.9.92 LIES TO E OF 'CLIO'. EXPLOSIVES USED TO DISPERSE SOME TIME AGO, & NOW BROKEN UP ALTHOUGH A LARGE SECTION OF HULL STILL EXISTS. (DIVE SCAPA FLOW).
Charting Comments : POSN FOR FILING ONLY
Date Last Amended : 09/02/2005
