A SPECTACULAR Virtual Reality (VR) experience and a new interactive multimedia touchscreen about the local Church Rocks Wreck are two new displays visitors to Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum can enjoy.

At a recent event to mark the end of this long-term project, Teign Heritage proudly presented the displays to invited local guests and representatives of the funders - Devon County Council, Historic England and TIDE – EU Atlantic Consortium of Maritime Museums.

The VR experience lets viewers take on the challenging role of a ‘kite-balloon’ observer in 1917, flying in a balloon basket attached to a ship sailing down the Devon coast, hunting for U-Boats.

The simulated video shows how local First World War coastal defences protected British merchant ships and fishing vessels from German submarine attacks off the South Coast.  

When researching information about this VR project, Museum staff were surprised to find that there were as many as 8 ships torpedoed or mined off Teignmouth and more in Torbay. Local divers are able to dive on some of these wrecks, such as the wreck of the merchant ship Peronne, which sank in 1917.

A museum volunteer tries out the Virtual Reality experience of being in a balloon basket attached to a ship in the Channel, searching for German submarines in 1917.
A museum volunteer tries out the Virtual Reality experience of being in a balloon basket attached to a ship in the Channel, searching for German submarines in 1917. (-)

A very large gun from this ship was brought up by divers many years ago and is on display in the Museum.

The story of the Church Rocks Wreck off the beach in Teignmouth is amazing and still a mystery.

In 1975, a bronze cannon was initially discovered by 13-year old Simon Burton, when he was out snorkelling and spear fishing with his father off St. Michael’s Church in Teignmouth.At first Simon thought it was a lamp-post in the water, but then found it was the barrel of a cannon! 

The family brought it ashore and then spent several years searching for more items to prove that there was a shipwreck under the shifting sands. Eventually six cannon were found in all and the remains of a wreck of a 16th century sailing vessel.

At the time, Simon’s story became national news and he appeared on television in “Blue Peter”. Later in 1995  Time Team made a programme about the wreck.

Now the Museum has installed a multimedia interactive screen which visitors can use to see filmed interviews with Simon, a short film made about the wreck by Shaldon School, photographs, research documents and several maps of the coast and other wrecks.