Gower Shipwrecks

Gower Shipwrecks - Welcome

2009-09-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Gower Peninsula and shipwrecks have become synonymous with each other over the centuries, mostly as a result of the two hundred and fifty plus wrecks that litter the coast. The ultimate aim of this website is to become the most complete and extensive information source for these wrecks and the human stories that are attached to them. Through research and visits in person I hope to both inform those who are curious and to help keep alive the memories of those that have lost their lives along this coast in their efforts to keep this country functioning.

Over the coming weeks and months I will be attempting to detail every single ship that has ever wrecked along the Gower coastline, and will be visiting each site personally to provide up to date photographs and my own personal take on each location. But this is not designed to be a static website. I would love to hear from you the readers. Let me know if you have any extra information to add or just want to talk about a particular ship. Equally I would be very grateful if anyone has any older photographs of any of the wrecks detailed that I could put on the site.

Gower Shipwrecks- An Introduction

The Gower Peninsula is a beautiful area of South Wales located west of Swansea and an hours drive from Cardiff. Designated as the Uk's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956, the region is packed with history, nature and some of the most spectacular scenery to be found in South Wales.

People have been living and working in this environment for over 25,000 years and as a result their stories can be found living on if you know where to look. Being a sea faring nation many of these stories can be found in the shipwrecks that have occurred along the Gower coastline. From the remaining physical evidence and stories passed down through the generations it is possible to trace some of the history of this wonderful region. It is important that we do not lose sight of our past in this ever fast changing world and through this site I hope to collate the currently scattered information and provide a lasting resource to preserve for posterity the lives of those unfortunate enough to find themselves a little closer to Gower than they had originally intended.

Many shipwrecks are still visible around Gower, and the information provided on this site should allow you to go and hunt out these important pieces of history before the harsh climate of the coast claims them completely. This website is purely a labor of love and is not for profit, so please feel free to contribute in any way that you can. Together we can make this website the definitive resource on Gower Shipwrecks and the fascinating stories that they have to tell.

Gower Shipwreck - Wittezee, Overton Mere

2009-01-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

Name: Wittezee
Nationality: Dutch
Location: Overton Mere
Date of Wreck: 12/11/1940
Cargo: None. Tug boat.
Visible Remains: Extensive remnants of hull stretching from bow to stern with signs of salvage.
Steel cable from the tugs towing apparatus and numerous other small fragments of hull.
Numerous steel body panels with visible door openings and base of a mast/chimney (removed November 2011).

The Wittezee was a Rotterdam registered tug which had been heading from Falmouth to Lamlash on the 12th November 1940 before it came to grief along the Gower coast. That day almost hurricane force winds were battering south Wales and the tug found itself pushed up against the rocks. A group of coastguards were able to persuade the crew to stay aboard the ship until the tide retreated and they were able to leave safely, efforts that were rewarded by the Netherlands government. As for the Wittezee herself, she became a complete wreck and was ultimately broken up and sold for scrap.

At low tides it is possible to walk out across the exposed rocks of Overton Mere and look upon what remains of the Wittezee. Now lying on one side much of her hull has been taken for scrap but it is still possible to trace her shape from bow to stern. In places the power of the sea has shaped the sheets of steel to perfectly match the underlying rock formations, a testament to the forces that once tore her apart.

Nearby the tangled remains of the steel cable that would once have formed part of the Wittezee's towing capability can be found, whilst the wreck itself still shows an original manufacturers mark on one of the steel ribs.

Away from the wreck site the ships wheel resides in the Ship Inn at Port Eynon. It was presented to the owners as a thank you for their hospitality on that fateful night.

Prior to November 2009 several large steel panels could be found much higher up the beach from where the hull currently lies. Many of those panels still showed signs of an internal structure, whilst the best came complete with hinges and a door opening and no doubt once formed part of the wheelhouse. Nearby lay the partial remains of either a roof or deck made from wooden planks fixed together with steel and sealed with tar. In the centre of this piece lay a circular fixing point and nearby the remains of either a mast or chimney. That steel tube was some eight foot in length and showed clear signs of the stresses that it was once placed under. Sadly all of these artefacts were removed during the installation of an outflow pipe by Welsh Water and are no longer present.

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Gower Shipwreck - Prince Ivanhoe, Port Eynon

2009-01-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

Name: Prince Ivanhoe
Nationality: British
Location: Port Eynon
Date of Wreck: 03/08/1981
Cargo: 450 Passengers
Visible Remains: Nothing as of 2008.

Prince Ivanhoe is probably the second most famous wreck on the Gower Peninsular after Helvetia. She started life on the 22nd February 1951 as the 980 ton TSMV Shanklin, built by Southern Railways (latterly British Rail) to replace their ageing steam ships on the Portsmouth to Isle of Wight route. It was a role she was to fulfil until 1980 when engine reliability issues meant that she was side lined to serve as a reserve vessel for her two sister ships.

In 1981 she was finally put up for sale and bought soon after by the Firth of Clyde Steam Packet Company. They had a plan to operate pleasure cruises along the Bristol Channel and Prince Ivanhoe was an ideal candidate. After an extensive refit on the River Clyde she was relaunched and put to work under the Waverley Excursions Ltd banner.

Photo used with kind permission of Ben Salter

The 3rd August 1981 started as any other day had done that season but was to end very differently. Having made several stops along the Bristol Channel she docked at Mumbles Pier to pick up more passengers for a tour of the Gower coastline. She left with a full compliment of 450 paying guests and made her way to Port Eynon. It was as she rounded the headland to Overton that she struck a large underwater object, sealing her fate with a sixty foot long gash in the hull. To this day there is still debate over what the object she hit may have been. Many references refer to rocks or a reef but maps show no such presence in that area. This has led others to believe that it may have been an old world war two wreck but again there is no firm evidence for this. Whatever the cause the captain realised that the ship was now in a dire predicament and quickly turned her around before running aground on the beach at Horton some time after three in the afternoon.

Looking towards Horton on a winters day

A distress call was made and within minutes the RAF rescue helicopter was at the scene along with lifeboats from Port Eynon, Horton and Mumbles. The teams worked tirelessly to evacuate the passengers from the stricken vessel along with help from many of the bystanders that had been enjoying a day on the beach. It is to their credit that everyone made it off safely with the unfortunate exception of one person who died after suffering a heart attack.

After the rescue mission had been completed the decision was made to abandon the Prince Ivanhoe, a sad end to a ship that had looked to have a long future ahead of it. During the winter storms she slowly broke apart, creating a hazard for shipping in the area and in particular for the Horton lifeboat. Several salvage operations were undertaken in the subsequent years until the bulk of the wreck had been removed. From that point on the only evidence above water were two large buoys that marked the extremities of what little material was left behind, but even these were taken away some time in 2008.

Given that the Prince Ivanhoe sinking happened in recent years there are plenty of photographs to be found around the internet, some of which I have linked to below. Even more amazing is the presence of some original video footage shot at the time for a news report.

Prince Ivanhoe in British Rail colours on the Portsmouth to Isle of Wight route
Prince Ivanhoe undergoing her refit in 1981
Another view while undergoing her refit in 1981
Prince Ivanhoe in Bristol after another minor collision with rocks
Partly dismantled on Port Eynon beach

Gower Shipwreck - Helvetia, Rhossili

2009-01-01T09:35:00.000-08:00

Name: Helvetia
Nationality: Norwegian
Location: Rhossili Beach
Date of Wreck: 01/11/1887
Cargo: 500 tonnes of timber
Visible Remains: Wooden hull buried in the sand

The remains of the Norwegian barque Helvetia are one of the most photographed locations on Gower and as a result the most famous shipwreck in the area. It was my curiosity and fascination with these enigmatic remains that originally drew my attention to the other wrecks in the area and led to the creation of this website. As befits such an icon of Gower, the Helvetia has a suitably fascinating story to tell.

On the evening of the 31st October 1887, the Helvetia arrived off the coast at Mumbles on its journey from Campbelton (New Brunswick) to Swansea, and mored up to await a pilot. However, due to the adverse weather conditions of that evening the Bristol Channel proved too rough to navigate to Swansea harbour and the Helvetia was forced to stand down for the evening. By eight o'clock the following morning the wind had strengthened considerably and was reaching gale force levels. The Helvetia now found herself perilously close to the infamous Helwick sand bank off Mumbles. As the wind grew stronger still she was driven across the bank, losing a substantial part of her deck load in the process. Fortunately the crew were able to keep the ship from further damage and rode the waves around Worms Head and into the relative shelter of Rhossili Bay. Here they were were able to drop anchor and wait for the weather to improve. On a better day that would have been the end of the story. The ships captain even went ashore along with the local coastguard believing that all was well.

Unfortunately mother nature is rarely predictable. A few hours later the wind suddenly changed direction and strengthened, ripping the anchor free of the sands and driving the Helvetia perilously close to the expansive sands of Rhossili beach. With a heavy heart the order was given to abandon ship with all of the crew making it safely ashore.

The next day the sands of Rhossili were strewn with the remains of the 500 tonnes of timber cargo that had formerly resided aboard the Helvetia. The ship itself was stranded where she has now lain for the past 122 years. The wood was quickly gathered and sold on to local merchants, while the Helvetia was unceremoniously stripped of anything that had any value. The salvage operation was partly aided by the steamboat Cambria which itself briefly became another casualty of the Gower coastline during the process. But that's a story for another time.

As the years pass the remains of the Helvetia take a battering as successive winter storms do their worst. If you look around the internet you will find pictures where much more of the hull is visible. Some of these timbers have been lost, whilst others remain buried beneath the continually shifting sands of Rhossili beach. I fear that in the not too distant future these photographs may well be all we have left to remember this most famous of wrecks by.

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Gower Shipwreck - Bluebell, Culver Hole

2009-01-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

Name: Bluebell
Nationality: British
Location: Culver Hole near Overton Mere
Date of Wreck: 15/02/1913
Cargo: 600 tonnes of coal
Visible Remains: The remains of one side of the hull. Many smaller remains nearby.

Visible only at very low tides, the remains of the Bluebell are fairly extensive and include a good stretch of one side of the hull. Both the outside paneling and the internal ribbing are visible, along with holes through which the ships rope must once have been fed. Of interest is the visible evidence of the salvage operation that took place once the Bluebell had been declared a total loss. The edges of the remains show where the sheet metal has been cut away to be sold for scrap, leaving only those pieces that were too hard to cut or had no real economic value. Further remains lay scattered around the wreck, though their original purpose is now impossible to determine.

The Blubell was a 280 ton Manchester registered steamer, and had been en-route from Partington to Swansea along with its 600 tonne cargo of coal destined for the Swansea Gas Company. In the early hours of the morning, locals living in Overton were raised from their slumbers by the noise of a ships siren and warning flares. Investigations soon found the Bluebell on the rocks and taking on water. The Port Eynon lifeboat Janet was quickly on the scene and was able to rescue the twelve crew members. As the photographs show, the hazardous rocks quickly broke apart the Bluebell, spilling her cargo across the shore. The locals made good use it, never being ones to turn down a free winters supply of fuel.

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Gower Shipwreck - Samuel, Worms Head

2009-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Name: Samuel
Nationality: Norwegian
Location: Worms Head
Date of Wreck: 12/02/1884
Cargo: Coal
Visible Remains: Anchor

If you take a walk down to the tidal causeway at Worm's head on Gower you may be lucky enough to stumble upon a rather impressive artifact from one of the better know wrecks of the area. Nestled amongst the silt and muscle beds the retreating sea reveals a substantial anchor now firmly fixed into place. The anchor originally belonged to the Norwegian barque Samuel.

The ship ran ashore at 7pm on Tuesday 12th February 1884 ,along with several hundred tonnes of black gold (coal), whilst on a routine trip from Cardiff to Santos. The alarm was first raised by the local coastguard at Rhossili who saw the ships lights close inshore. Fortunately the coastguard was able to get a line aboard and rescue all eleven crew members. Samuel however was already badly damaged and eventually broke up on the rocks.

As always the locals were available to take advantage of these unfortunate events. After the coal cargo had been sold to local farmers, a rough track was cut down the cliffs at Rhossili to allow the transportation of the coal cargo back up to the village. This was then sold on to the locals who were able to keep themselves warm through the winter for years to come. The only evidence now left is the anchor, providing a stark reminder of the perils of these waters.

NOTE: Subsequent research has revealed that it is by no means certain that this anchor does belong to the Samuel. Although the Samuel is known to have gone down here and would have carried an anchor of this type, other vessels have also met their end on these rocks. Unless any more information reveals itself however I will keep this one recorded as the Samuel.

Photo taken Dec '10 showing anchor fully exposed

Photos taken March '09

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Gower Shipwreck - Vennerne (Vernani), Rhossili

2007-01-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

Name: Vennerne (Sometimes referred to as the Vernani)
Nationality: Danish
Location: Old Castle Corner, Rhossili
Date of Wreck: 24/10/1894
Cargo: Ballast
Visible Remains: Various pieces of the hull.

Another of the Gower shipwrecks that is only truly revealed at low tide, the Vennerne lies embedded in the sands of Old Castle Corner on Rhossili beach. With the sea gone the haunting remains provide a prominent scar on the otherwise flat beach. Several pieces of the hull and rigging are still visible and can be accessed from ground level quite easily.

The Vennerne was a 275 tonne barque on the way from Aberdovey to Swansea when rough seas forced her to take shelter in the protection afforded by Worms Head. Unfortunately that protection did not prove enough as she dragged her anchor and found herself driven onto the beach beneath the cliffs. The Rhossili L.S.A. were quickly on the scene and tried to fire safety lines across from the land to the ship. All were unsuccessful. With the chance of the Vennerne suffering further damage increasing with every minute that past the Captain, along with his family and crew, made the decision to abandon ship and made it ashore on a small boat.

The next day an attempt was made to refloat the Vennerne but this ultimately proved fruitless. She wrecked later that day. The Iron Hull was sold at auction for the princely sum of £54. The remains that can be seen today is all that is left from that salvage operation.

(Left) The Remains (Right) The Vennerne with Rhossili beach stretching away in front

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