Since records began, at least two hundred ships have been wrecked around Lundy's hazardous coastline. The systematic recording of these archaeological sites can provide information about people's relationship with the sea over time. It is possible that this evidence may stretch back to the earliest occupation on the island in the mesolithic (about 10,000 years ago) when the island may have been joined to the mainland. Most of the sites known are, however, much more recent.
This chapter presents an overview of the known and potential resource, and of survey work undertaken to date. The Marine Nature Reserve's two wrecks designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 are considered in further detail. The value of shipwrecks as 'artificial reefs' is also discussed and some innovative approaches to managing the underwater heritage suggested.