The mystery wheels of Lyme Regis

By Sue Hendey BBC Dorset

Each "wheel" measures four inches by one inch and weighs three pounds

The Harbour Master at Lyme Regis, Mike Poupard has discovered two "wheels" washed up on the beach at Lyme Regis, close to The Cobb.

Dredging work during routine maintenance in May 2009 uncovered the bronze items.

They are believed to have been used for a gun carriage and are said to date back to the 19th century.

Each wheel measures around 4in (10.16cm) by 1in (2.54cm) and weighs about 3lb.

Harbour Master, Mike Poupard said he is "desperate to get to the bottom of this mystery"

Mike said: "When I found them they looked a little bit like old, rusty tin cans, lying upside down in the silt."

Once Mike cleaned them up, he soon realised they were slightly more interesting.

He said: "Imagine a shopping trolley with its caster wheels on the bottom, they're like that, but they're much heavier because they are phosphor bronze."

Curious to find out exactly what they were, Mike contacted Wessex Archaeology.

Mike said: "They suggested they were either wheels from a powder magazine carriage, or trolley from the 19th century.

"It's thought that they were used instead of iron wheels, which could have caused sparks."

A representative from the Receiver of Wreck at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will be examining the wheels and will hopefully confirm exactly what they are and when they date back to.

Mike said: "It would be lovely and romantic to think that these were 17th or even 18th century, but I have a sneaky feeling they're a little bit younger than that.

"Even so, I am desperate to get to the bottom of this mystery."

Lyme Regis Museum volunteer, Ken Gollop is glad that the "wheels" are only small

The wheels are now in the care of the West Dorset District Council who plan to offer them to Lyme Regis Museum.

Ken Gollop, an ex-fisherman and volunteer at the museum has his own theories about the "wheels".

He said: "They appear to me to be too expensive to be wheels.

"Not only are they made of bronze, but one has a serial number printed on the side.

"I think they could be weights.

"When I was doing hydrographic surveying, we used to do a lot of water sampling from lots of different depths.

"To get a sample you had to send a weight down first to trigger off the machine.

"These are just like the type of weights we used, not exactly the same shape, but that's my theory at the moment."

So, is this still an exciting discovery and will the museum take the items if they turn out to be more mundane than first thought?

Ken said: "Anything's exciting - especially because they were found at the dredging in the harbour, they're local and they're nice and small, just the size of stuff we like.

"The trouble with Lyme Regis Museum is that we've got too much history and not enough space!"

Update:

The wheels have now been identified.

Mike said: "Following the BBC interview a chap came into my office and asked for his wheels back!

"It seems that he lost them in 1957 off the bottom of the RAF general purpose launch that he was using whilst based here in Lyme Regis."

The man, who does not wish to be identified, explained to Mike that these 18ft boats were used to ferry crew out to Air Sea Rescue launches when they were swinging around a buoy at low water.

The boats had four pairs of these bronze wheels attached to the bottom of the boat so that they could be winched up the slipway more easily.

Mike said: "He had hit a rock on the way back into the harbour and tore this pair off.

"He wasn't too popular with his superiors and got a real telling off!

"He still lives in Lyme and he was amazed at them turning up after all this time."