Splash and relax!

During the last week we have installed a rather fetching swimming pool at the Nautical Museum, supplied with great efficiency by UK firm Splash and Relax. The pool is filled with seawater pumped from the dock. I have now done some splashing (though not much relaxing) as I submerged the large archaeological finds from George Quayle's dock in it. These include pig iron ballast, ships planking, structural timbers and wrought iron parts from unidentified machinery, a hatchway or door, and a great variety of unidentified, worked timber.

Intex pool, with views of Castle Rushen

Me putting timber finds into the pool

Some of the packages refused to sink....

The pool, full of archaeological finds

I should add that the pool is sitting in the stable yard, a part of the complex that isn't accessible to the public. Whilst it's certainly not in keeping with the Georgian architecture surrounding it, it is only a temporary installation! Once we've had a chance, this summer, to review the finds, we'll build a more discreet and permanent tank in the adjacent cellar to house them. If we are lucky there'll be a bit of summer remaining so that we can reuse the pool for the Staff Swimming Gala (just kidding).