A number of ships have run aground or sunk in the Bristol Channel,[1] a stretch of water between southern Wales, Devon and Somerset. Cardiff, Barry and Penarth were once the largest coal exporters in the world and the channel received significant traffic at the beginning of the twentieth century during exportation.
In 1948 there were 24 known wrecks in the Bristol Channel, but by 1950 14 had been cleared by demolition. One ship, a tanker of over 10,000 tons that was sunk off Nash Point, required the use of 129 tons of explosives by HMSTronda to break up the wreck.[2]
Bristol Packet - 1808
In 1808 a ship, believed to be the Bristol Packet, which had been built in 1801 was wrecked on Madbrian Sands at Minehead.[3]
The Neptune - 1831
The Neptune was a vessel sailing from Newport to Wexford in Ireland and struck a rock on 28 November 1831 off the coast of Porthkerry, near what is now Barry.[4]
Lizzy - 1854
The ketch, Lizzy, was wrecked at Gore point, near Porlock Weir. The ship, built in Appledore, was spotted in trouble off Lynmouth in a storm during 1854. The ship had lost her masts, and was in very bad condition. A fishing boat was sent out to rescue the crew, as Lynmouth possessed no lifeboat at this time. The boat managed to reach the stricken ketch, rescue the crew and get back to Lynmouth safely. The weather then began to improve, and a fresh crew, together with the original skipper of the vessel, went out to attempt to salvage her. They improvised with a scrap of sail, and managed to get safely around Foreland Point. They sailed on all night, only just managing to keep the ship afloat. Finally, when they got to Gore Point, just a mile from Porlock weir, they sank in shallow water. The remains of the ship lie submerged just off the point today. [5]
The Norwegian barque Nornen ran aground on Berrow beach, Somerset, 3 March. The ship was built and launched in 1876 at Chantiers de la Roque of Bordeaux, France. She was named the Maipu, and ran under the French shipping line A.D Bordes & Fils. From 1888 she was operated by Larson Ludwig & Co, Brevik.[6] Peder Olsen was the captain for her final three years, frequently running trade routes between American east coast ports and Europe. During the night of 2/3 March, a major storm battered the coasts of south west England. Captain Olsen made an attempt to shelter in the lee of Lundy Island, but this was in vain. With sails torn, the crew were powerless against the rough swells and driving sleet. RNLI lifeboat "Godfrey Morris" was launched from Burnham-on-sea. All crew and the ship's dog were rescued. Today, her skeleton can be seen at low tide - only parts of the lower hull and keel remain.
Salado - 1897
The Salado was en route from Newport to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ran aground in thick fog, 21 March 1897 at 5 am. Mouse Hole & Trap Rock near Lundy. Master: James Muckle Rainnie, certificate 998117, no loss of life. Inquiry no. 5518, certificate suspended for 3 months.[7][8]
Verajean - 1908
The Verajean was an exporting ship that was driven ashore at Rhoose point near Barry in south Wales in 1908. The ship was stranded for a fortnight, and to lighten it, its cargo of coal bricks was unloaded onto the beach. Grateful residents filled their coal cellars with enough fuel for two winters.
Cambo - 1912
The Cambo, photo dated 1 August 1912
The Cambo was an exporting ship that sunk at Barry in South Wales in 1912.
After hitting the Eastern breakwater and running aground, the badly damaged Cambo was towed off by tugs. Later that day, she caught fire and sank. She was later refloated and repaired at Barry Docks.
The SS Bengrove was a steamer type collier ship owned by the United Kingdom. Thousands of people on shore witnessed the ship explode and sink in the Bristol Channel on Sunday, 7 March 1915.[9]
The ship left Barry at approximately 4:00 a.m. under sealed orders and carrying a cargo of 5000 tons of coal. Later that day[10] at about 5 miles off the coast of Ilfracombe in the Bristol Channel an explosion occurred midship under the vessel. The ship's siren was activated and the crew entered the lifeboats, the siren was heard on shore and the Ilfracombe coast guard dispatched lifeboats to the area. There were 21 other steamers in the area when the explosion occurred, six of them offered assistance to the foundering vessel. All 33 crewmen were saved and taken to Ilfracombe pier. Early reports were unsure what caused the explosion with speculation pointing to a mine or torpedo,[9] however it was determined to have been struck by a torpedo from GermanU-boatU-20.[11][12]
Pilton - 1924
The Pilton was a ship that ran aground on Sully Beach in 1924. Owned by WJ Tatem of Cardiff, the Pilton ran aground during gale force winds in December 1924. She was aground for three months, and provided a steady source of income for Sully caterers from visitors.
Pelican - 1928
The steamship, Pelican grounded in Minehead, Somerset on 22 June 1928. The ship was grounded on an unmarked reef, known as the Gables, which circles Minehead bay while sailing from Port Talbot to Highbridge. The crew of five were rescued by the Minehead lifeboat.
Tafleburg, 1941
The Tafleburg was a ship that ran aground in Whitmore Bay in Barry Island in south Wales on 28 January 1941. The Whale Factory Ship struck a mine in the channel and was beached to the West of Cold Knap Point. On 28 March she was refloated and moved to Whitmore Bay. She landed on a sand bar and broke into 2 sections. She was later repaired.
The A39 is an A road in south west England. It runs south-west from Bath in Somerset through Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Bridgwater. It then follows the north coast of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall through Williton, Minehead, Porlock, Lynmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford, Stratton, Camelford, Wadebridge and St Columb Major. It then joins the route of the A30 road for around 5 miles (8.0 km), re-emerging near Zelah to head for the south Cornish coast via Truro and Falmouth.
Lynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the northern edge of Exmoor. The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers, in a gorge 700 feet (210 m) directly below the neighbouring town of Lynton, which was the only place to expand to once Lynmouth became as built-up as possible. The villages are connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway, which works two cable-connected cars by gravity, using water tanks.
Porlock Weir is a harbour settlement approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the inland village of Porlock, Somerset, England. "Porlock" comes from the Old English portloca, meaning an enclosure near a harbour. Porlock Weir refers to the salmon stakes and traps that were situated along the shore.
SS Bengrove was a collier registered in Liverpool, England. Thousands of people on shore saw her explode and sink in the Bristol Channel on Sunday 7 March 1915.
Blackpool and the Fylde coast have become a ship graveyard for a number of vessels over the years. Most of the shipwrecks occurred at or near Blackpool, whilst a few happened a little further afield but have strong connections with the Blackpool area. For this article, Blackpool means the stretch of coast from Fleetwood to Lytham St Annes.
Over the years, a number of ships have foundered off Southport. For the purposes of this article, the Southport area shall be considered as Southwards from Lytham St Annes to Freshfield.
Quantock Motor Services is a privately owned bus operator in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, England. The company operates a substantial heritage fleet for private hire and on route 300.
Lynmouth Lifeboat Station was the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Lynmouth, Devon in England from 1869 until 1944. Its best known action was in 1899 when the lifeboat was taken 15 miles (24 km) across Exmoor before being launched to assist a ship in trouble.
Minehead Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Minehead, Somerset in England. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1901 but since 1976 two inshore lifeboats (ILBs) have been operated, a B Class rigid-hulled boat and an inflatable D Class.
RNLB Emma Constance was a Barnett-class lifeboat stationed at Aberdeen Lifeboat Station, in the Scottish city of Aberdeen from 1927 until August 1951. The lifeboat was designed by James R. Barnett who was a consulting naval architect to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The geology of Exmoor National Park in south-west England contributes significantly to the character of Exmoor, a landscape which was designated as a national park in 1954. The bedrock of the area consists almost wholly of a suite of sedimentary rocks deposited during the Devonian, a period named for the English county of Devon in which the western half of the park sits. The eastern part lies within Somerset and it is within this part of the park that limited outcrops of Triassic and Jurassic age rocks are to be found.
FV Commandant Bultinck was a Belgian trawler that ran aground in a storm off Fleetwood, Lancashire, United Kingdom on 2 October 1929.
The Nornen was a large sailing vessel of the barque type. The three masts were typical of barque ships; the foremast and mainmast square-rigged and the mizzenmast (stern) rigged fore-and-aft. The main mast could be rigged with up to five horizontal yards.
Brighstone Grange Lifeboat Station was located at Grange Chine, near the village of Brighstone, formerly Brixton, on the south west coast of the Isle of Wight.
References
↑ For the purposes of this article, the Bristol Channel is defined as downstream of the Severn Bridge to Hartland Point and St Govan's Head.
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