Press release: UKAHT partners with Historic England on the future protection of Shackleton’s Endurance
21/11/2022
Work is due to begin on a Conservation Management Plan for the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance. It will be devised by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT), a charity responsible for the conservation of a number of heritage sites in Antarctica, in partnership with Historic England, the public body which champions and protects England’s historic places, including shipwrecks in waters around England.
The wreck of the Endurance, the vessel used by Sir Ernest Shackleton during his 1914-16 Antarctic Expedition, was designated as a protected historic site and monument HSM No.93 under the Antarctic Treaty System in 2019. A British-led expedition Endurance22, organised and managed by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT), discovered the ship 3,008 metres below sea level in the Weddell Sea on 5 March 2022; one hundred years to the day after the burial of Sir Ernest Shackleton at Grytviken, South Georgia.
Image courtesy of Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust/National Geographic
The Conservation Management Plan which has been commissioned by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will take two years to develop and will be presented to the Committee for Environmental Protection at the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative meeting. The plan will aim to communicate the importance of the site, identify the unique challenges and opportunities in conserving the wreck and recommend measures and guidance to secure its protection.
Camilla Nichol, CEO, UKAHT comments: “The remarkable story of the Endurance is universally known and the ship’s association with Shackleton gives it global significance. Its story is one of the greatest feats of endeavour and survival ever told. Now the location is known, it is our responsibility to make sure that Endurance is protected. I am delighted that we are able to announce this partnership with Historic England which brings together our shared expertise in Antarctic heritage and the protection of shipwrecks. Our aim is to ensure that future human activity serves only to benefit and protect Endurance and the stories associated with the ship continue to inspire and inform us in the future.”
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England adds: “We are excited to be partnering with UKAHT on this project. This is a unique opportunity to work on an internationally important shipwreck, which captured the attention of the world when it was discovered earlier this year deep in the Weddell Sea. We look forward to devising a plan to ensure its protection for future generations.”
To mark the beginning of the partnership, a free online webinar will take place on Monday 21 November 2022 at 6pm ‘Enduring Discoveries: finding and conserving Shackleton’s Endurance’ as part of UKAHT’s Antarctica In Sight: Live! series. Joining UKAHT’s Camilla Nichol are Dr John Shears, expedition leader with Endurance22, and Historic England’s maritime archaeologist Hefin Meara, who will be leading on the project for Historic England.
Many historic expeditions and explorers, including the men of Operation Tabarin (a top secret mission to Antarctica during World War II) have followed this same route to Antarctica. Whilst I set sail on a modern ship, the 14 men of Operation Tabarin left Stanley on 2 small ships, one of which was not ice strengthened. Not only did they have the dangers of a polar expedition in front of them, but also the potential threat of enemy forces during WWII.
This film captures the 134ft HMS William Scorseby at sea in Feb 1944 (Reproduced courtesy of BAS Archives, Ref AD6/16/1944/1.1).We, like our polar ancestors, are now heading South through the furious 50°'s and eventually to the screaming 60°’s, where the winds batter the Southern Ocean, with terrifying intensity. I cannot begin to imagine what it would have been on The Scorseby, with the men of Operation Tabarin in such weather. I am hoping to experience some of the beauty and wonder of Antarctica's wildlife on my journey there. With perhaps a small bit of Antarctic adventure thrown in. Although perhaps I should be careful what I wish for!
Follow the team's progress on social media using #BacktoAntarctica
