The Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) designates a wreck to prevent uncontrolled interference. These wrecks are recognised as containing the remains of a vessel, or its contents, which are of historical, artistic or archaeological importance. The Stirling Castle is a Protected Wreck, Designation Order: [No 1} No 645,1980. The 'Statutory Instrument' (an Act of Parliament) identifies the location of the site and the extent of the restricted area to ensure the site is protected. A notice is can be seen at Ramsgate Harbour along with information giving a brief explanation of why the wreck is important and a description of the site.
All protected wrecks are listed in the annual Admiralty Notices to Mariners and are marked on appropriate UK Hydrographic Office charts. Anyone wanting to dive to visit, salvage or deposit anything at the site will need a licence to do so, granted by the appropriate Secretary of State. Diving the site without a licence is a criminal offence. Anchoring on the site is only permitted for licensed activities or in cases of maritime distress.
If you wish to visit the site you need to apply for a licence. Applications are handled by Historic England on behalf of the Secretary of State. Please see Historic England’s information on Applying for Marine Licences, or use the following links to gain more information:
historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/protected-wreck-sites/
historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/accessing-englands-protected-wreck-sites-guidance-notes/
All illustrations, paintings, prints or photographs within the introductory sections of Building, Commissioning, and The Great Storm are the copyright of:
or are works in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.
The black and white archaeological illustrations of artefacts have been kindly supplied by:
This website acknowledges Richard Endsor's support. Richards’s distinctive and colourful illustrations are scattered throughout this website illustrating the Stirling Castles history and artefacts. They can be found in; The Cook room, The Steering Wheel, The Gunners table, The officers Chest, The history of the Stirling Castle. Copies of his paintings and coloured illustrations can be found here.