The three ingots, weighing around 70kg each, the same as an average washing machine, will be housed at the Peak District Mining Museum in Matlock, Derbyshire. This marks a return home for the ingots as the lead from which they were made was potentially mined in the same area.
Each is stamped with a different mark, ‘IS’, ‘EB’ and ‘H’, similar to those on the Dutch East Indiaman Kennemerland wreck (1664) discovered off the coast of the Shetland Islands. The ones at the Hornsea 3 site were found on board a vessel which may have been Dutch en route to the Netherlands. At the time, England produced vast quantities of lead, in particular from mines in Derbyshire and the Peak District and there was a healthy trade in lead shipped from Hull and London to Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the form of ingots. The wreck found at Hornsea 3 lies directly on the route from Hull to the Netherlands.
Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 team has worked closely with site investigators MSDS Marine, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Historic England to ensure the wreck and its cargo were analysed and preserved before being safely rehomed.
Lead was an important material in historic times due to its versatility and use in the fabrication of products as diverse as pipes for plumbing to weaponry. It was formed into ingots so it could be more easily transported.
Luke Bridgman, Managing Director, Hornsea 3, said: “In creating the future with the Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm, we’re also careful to acknowledge and preserve the past. There’s so much rich history attached to our onshore and offshore sites that’s a valuable part of the UK story. We want to ensure that is protected and celebrated.”
Alison James, Director of Heritage Services at MSDS Marine, said: “These ingots are a direct link to the past. As a landlocked maritime archaeologist based in Derbyshire, I love the thought that these ingots, potentially made from Derbyshire lead, have gone to sea and are now available for public view in the Peak District Lead Mining Museum. Further research will hopefully confirm where the lead used in the ingots came from’’.
Andrea Bailey, Deputy Receiver of Wreck at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "The waters off the UK are full of objects with fascinating histories that reveal more about the country's story.
“Registering maritime finds with the Receiver of Wreck mean objects can be reunited with their owners or be placed with a museum. By doing so, you can help share that history and ensure artefacts end up in the right place.”
Christopher Pater (Head of Marine Planning) from Historic England said: "It has been fascinating to see this story unfold, from the point of discovering the ingots through to seeing them being put on display at the Peak District Mining Museum. There's so much to learn from historic shipwrecks and cargos which are discovered during offshore development and this shows the positive way we’ve all worked together to explore and study this shipwreck.”
When constructed, Hornsea 3 will be the world’s single largest offshore wind farm, capable of generating 2.9 GW of clean energy, enough to power more than 3.3 million UK homes.
Hornsea 3 is jointly owned by Ørsted and Apollo-managed funds.
