Publications

Pollution in Plymouth Sound and the Tamar Waterway - A Historical Review

A white paper by Peter Holt. First published in paperback in 2023 by The SHIPS Project CIC / 1000 Tyres Project, ISBN 978 1 7397053 4 3, 62pp

The focus of this white paper is on the historic pollution that can be found in Plymouth Sound and its estuaries. Very little has been published about the effects of historic pollutants in the waterway so their impact on the ecosystem is largely unknown. This document looks at the sources of pollution in Plymouth Sound and its estuaries from historical records and then attempts to summarise the legacy of each in the ecosystem today. At the end of the document, the detrimental effect of historic pollution on marine life is discussed for fish species, native oysters, and seagrass.

Keywords: Plymouth, Tamar, pollution, transport, public health, dredging, fishing, oysters, seagrass, ecosystem, rewilding

• You can download as PDF copy of this book for free, but a donation to The SHIPS Project would be appreciated.

Aircraft Crash Sites in and Around Plymouth Sound National Marine Park

Written by Peter Holt & Mallory Haas, published in 2022 by The SHIPS Project CIC, ISBN 978 1 7397053 0 5

This book is a well-illustrated catalogue of aircraft that crashed in the sea near Plymouth in the years between 1917 and 1986.  The book includes a description of the loss of each aircraft along with background information and photographs where they are available.  This is the first in a series of publications that highlight the maritime and aviation heritage contained within Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. 

Softback, includes 70 high quality gloss pages, more than 57 colour and monochrome illustrations and references.

This book is available to order directly from The SHIPS Project by clicking the link below.

Price - UK £12 plus £2 postage and packing, for international orders please contact us using the form below as shipping charges may vary.

Historic Ships on the Foreshore in and Around Plymouth Sound National Marine Park

Written by Peter Holt & C. John Cotton, published in 2023 by The SHIPS Project CIC, ISBN 978 1 7397053 1 2

This book is a collection of stories about ships and boats working on the Rivers Tamar, Plym, Lynher and Tavy and in Plymouth Sound – also known as the Tamar waterway.  The stories are told through the many vessels deliberately abandoned on the foreshore which are called hulks.  The stories are about unimportant craft that spent their careers moving people or cargoes, unspectacular lives that went unrecorded unless an accident got them a mention in the local paper.  Many of the ships and boats were abandoned more than 100 years ago so there are no living eyewitnesses and local people who remember their history in social memory have forgotten what happened or remember only a version of the tale.  The stories are about events that few people witnessed, that fewer people remember and in some cases were done illegally. 

Softback, includes 247 high quality gloss pages, more than 300 colour and monochrome llustrations, references and index.

This book is available to order directly from The SHIPS Project by clicking the link below.

Price - UK £49 plus £3 postage and packing, for international orders please contact us using the form below as shipping charges may vary.