Isle of Wight Shipwreck Centre & Maritime Museum

22/06/2026

Commemorating 86 years since the sinking of HMY Campeador V!

HMY Campeador V was built in Dartmouth in 1938 as a private motor yacht for a Mr. MacAndrew Esq. The Following year, at the outbreak of WW2, Mr. MacAndrew Esq. offered up the Campeador V for Admiralty patrol work where he and 2 other members of the Royal Dart Yacht Club volunteered to crew the vessel.

On the 23rd February 1940, the Campeador V was requisitioned for war service and harbour patrol duties at a lease rate of £60 per month (about £2,988 today).

On the 22nd June 1940, whilst patrolling the waters just off of Bembridge, HMY Campeador V struck a magnetic mine and sunk. As many as twenty lives were lost, with only two crew members picked up by emergency response vessels.

You can read much more about HMY Campeador V on our blog here, or come down and see our real pieces from the yacht at our museum in Arreton! https://museum.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/2025/09/30/luxury-yacht-to-anti-submarine-group-auxiliary-patrol-vessel/

27/05/2026

This week at Arreton Barns, Dragon Week is well underway!

Join us at the Shipwreck Centre this Friday from 11:00 till 15:00, where we're hosting our very own exciting "Paint Your Own Dragon Boat" model ship workshop! Open to children of all ages! Workshop participation is included free with standard museum entry. We look forward to seeing you there!

Find out more here on the Arreton Barns website https://arretonbarns.co.uk/events/dragon-week/, or check out their page https://www.facebook.com/ArretonBarns/

26/05/2026

The most dived shipwreck in England! Built in 1903, the HMHS Kyrra was an Australian ocean liner that served as a hospital ship bringing aid to soldiers during WW1. On the 26th May 1918, it began passage to Sydney, Australia from Tilbury, England. It was carrying 2,600 tonnes of general cargo and Australian post, including medical supplies. It was also carrying 1,000 wounded soldiers home to Australia.

Just off of the coast of Devon, HMHS Kyrra was struck by a German torpedo from U-Boat UB-57. Ultimately, it sank - killing 6 crew members. Just three months later, UB-57 sank after colliding with a mine in the North Sea, killing 34 of its crew.

If you found this short tale fascinating, stop by our museum or check out our website and read more tales just like this one on our blog!
https://museum.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/

26/05/2026

Arghh you aware that this week is the Chillerton and Gatcombe Scarecrow Festival?

Say "Ahoy matey!" to Jackie Sparrow, our museum's entry into the competition! Here at the Shipwreck Centre, we have spent the past 3 weeks assembling our plundering scarecrow as a team, bringing piracy back into the 21st Century!

Make sure you leave a vote and share your support for our scarecrow, #69 at The Gallybagger Inn or Aunt Sally's Tea Room. It's free to vote but we invite you to come and support local businesses and show your appreciation for the annual festival.

07/05/2026

Today, we are comemmorating 111 years since the tragic sinking of the RMS Lusitania. On the 1st May 1915, the RMS Lusitania, a passenger liner with 1,959 souls on board, was sailing from New York to Liverpool during the height of WW1. On 7th May 1915, as she entered into St. George's Channel just off of the Irish coast, she was torpedoed by a German U-Boat who presumed she was carrying armaments and weapons for the British war effort. She was not.

The RMS Lusitania sank in no more than 18 minutes, giving her crew and passengers next to no time to escape. Ultimately, 1,198 people were killed. The U-Boat that sank her, U-20, was ran aground and blown up by Danish forces shortly after.

At our Shipwreck Centre, we have 3 bronze medals designed by a German artist in 1915 as a propaganda tool. You can read more about them here: https://www.theworldwar.org/learn/about-wwi/spotlight-lusitania-medals

If you found this short tale fascinating, stop by our museum or check out our website and read more tales just like this one on our blog!
https://museum.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/

06/05/2026

The Shipwreck Centre & Maritime Museum will open at 12.00pm rather than our usual time of 10.00am on Thursday 7th May.

Thank you for your understanding, and we apologise for any inconvenience.

30/04/2026

We're commemorating 109 years since the sinking of the SS Gorizia. The SS Gorizia was originally built in 1907 as the Glenmount SS, a 1,957 ton cargo steamer built in Montreal, Canada. She passed through several hands in her lifetime, finally ending up in the hand of the Oriental Naval Company, operating out of Montevideo, Uruguay where she was renamed to the SS Gorizia.

On the 30th of April 1917, the SS Gorizia was sailing from New York to Le Havre, France - carrying ordance and arms to be used in WW1. As a result, the SS Gorizia was torpedoed relentlessly by a German U-Boat in the English Channel. Amazingly, all crew on board were able to flee the sinking ship in lifeboats and survived. The UC-61 U-Boat that sank the SS Gorizia would go on to be sank by French naval forces just 3 months later.

In 1970, divers discovered the wreck just 17 miles south of the Weymouth coastline. They retrieved the unexploded ordnance - where you can see it pictured here. If you found this short tale fascinating, stop by our museum or check out our website and read more tales just like this one on our blog!
https://museum.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/

24/04/2026

Commemorating 273 years since the sinking of the HMS Assurance!

The HMS Assurance was a grand frigate ship of the Royal Navy, built in 1747. One fateful day on the 24th April 1753, whilst HMS Assurance was sailing to Spithead from Jamaica, she struck submerged rocks just off of the Needles coastline. She was carrying a very rich cargo indeed, with £60,000 worth in coins - worth nearly a staggering £12 million today!

Fortunately, all 282 passengers and crew safely made their way to shore - with the majority of their riches in tow. When Isle of Wight police interrogated the ship's crew, the ship's pilot blamed unchartered rocks for having run the ship aground. Whilst police agreed with the pilot, they argued he shouldn't have sailed so close to shore. Ultimately the ship's pilot, a David Patterson, was sentenced to 3 months for his neglect in Marshalsea Prison, which is now a historical ruin in London.

If you found this short tale fascinating, stop by our museum or check out our website and read more tales just like this one on our blog! https://museum.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/

20/04/2026

We’re excited to be featured in this BBC News article all about the shipwrecks hidden along the south coast!

If it’s sparked your interest, you can dive in further: explore the stories behind these wrecks at The Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum, or have a browse of the Forgotten Wrecks interactive map to see what’s lying beneath the waves 👀

📖 Take a look at the article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2991mnp8zo
🎟️ Visit the Shipwreck Centre: https://museum.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/planning-your-visit/
🗺️ Check out the Forgotten Wrecks map: https://maritimearchaeologytrust.org/projects-research/forgotten-wrecks-of-the-first-world-war/

The Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War was a Heritage Lottery Funded (HLF) project from 2014-2018, coinciding with the centenary of the Great War.

14/04/2026

The SEND project has finished up this year, but all the benefits of the programme are still integrated into the museum! This initiative focused on making the museum accessible to all visitors, with activity kits, family days, and sensory backpacks.

✍️The funders of this project, Museum Development South West, have released a blog talking about the outcomes of our project along with the other recipients of the grant.

🛝Check out the blog here: https://southwestmuseums.org.uk/2026/02/unlocking-potential-success-stories-from-the-2025-small-open-grants/ ! And come down to the Shipwreck Centre to experience the resources yourself.

This project was made possible thanks to a grant awarded by Museum Development South West, with thanks to support from Arts Council England.