Archaeological interest
GAD 8 or the ‘Goodwins cannon site’ is the closest of the Protected Wrecks to the Kent coastline. It lies in 11m of water in The Downs and 2km east of Deal. Although surveys have to date failed to identify the wreck, they have shown the presence of at least seven cast iron guns (hence the nickname) that indicate that it was a wooden armed sailing vessel dating from between 1650 and 1750. There is also evidence of a central concretion mound and a section of coherent timber structure.
A local diver has suggested it may be the remains of the Carlisle, a fourth-rate ship of the line that exploded in 1700.
The site is 39m long by 18m wide at its widest and lies orientated north – south. Four linear features seen on the multi-beam surveys are considered with four of the seven guns seen lying in the southern end of the wreck. Two further unidentified anomalies lie 30 – 40 m away from the wreck; one linear and one circular.
The site was designated a Protected Wreck in 2012 as examples of vessels from this period are extremely rare. The radius of the designated area is 50m. The wreck is considered to currently be in a stable condition so there is no active management plan in place.