Cornwall: The Shipwreck Coast  

The relentless waves of the Atlantic Ocean have long battered the southwestern coast of England. With its cliffs, hidden coves, and underwater reefs, Cornwall has witnessed numerous maritime disasters. One of the most famous was the wreck of the German ship Hera in 1914. After a 91-day journey from Chile, the vessel struck the rocks near Nare Head and sank. Nineteen crew members perished, while five survivors were rescued by local fishermen. The deceased were buried in a single row in a grave over thirty meters long, which may well be the longest in Britain (though does anyone actually keep records of such “achievements”?). Today, the algae-covered, fish-filled remains of Hera can be seen in the shallow waters — just bring a diving suit.  

But storms weren’t the only cause of shipwrecks. From the 17th to 19th centuries, Cornwall was notorious for its “false lighths.” Smugglers and wreckers would light deceptive beacons to lure ships onto the rocks, then plunder the wreckage. To keep prying eyes away from their operations, they even spread rumours of supernatural activity in the area — tales of ghosts and cannibals meant to scare off the curious. Some of these legends, whether true or fabricated, still linger in local folklore. And for those who believe the lawless days of shipwreck scavenging are long gone, there’s a more recent case: in 2007, after a massive cargo ship wrecked off the Devon coast, crowds of people — many traveling from afar — flocked to the beaches, hoping to snatch up goods washed ashore.  

Scotland’s Maritime Graveyards  

To the north, off Scotland’s rugged shores, lie the remains of dozens of sunken vessels. The waters around the Orkney Islands are particularly infamous, home to the wreckage of Germany’s World War I fleet. In 1919, following Germany’s defeat, its ships were interned in Scapa Flow for seven months while the Allies deliberated their fate. Growing impatient, German Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered his fleet to be scuttled rather than handed over.  

The British military attempted to intervene, but the German sailors had already welded shut doors, weakened key structural points, and thrown essential tools overboard to ensure their ships would sink. While some vessels were salvaged, 53 of them went to the seabed. Today, the enormous hulls of battleships and cruisers still rest beneath the waters, drawing divers from around the world.  

Not all shipwrecks in Scotland were deliberate. On New Year’s Day 1919, the Iolaire (Gaelic for “Eagle”) sank off the Isle of Lewis while carrying soldiers returning home from World War I. Of the roughly 280 people on board, only about 80 survived. The exact cause of the tragedy remains uncertain, but stormy conditions, a lack of crew, and severe overcrowding all played a role. The sinking of the Iolaire was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters since the Titanic in 1912.  

The Thames Estuary: A Maze of Sunken Ships  

The area where the River Thames meets the North Sea has always been one of Britain’s busiest waterways. However, its winding channels, strong currents, and dense fogs have also made it a deadly trap for ships over the centuries.  

One of the most notorious disasters occurred in 1878 when the passenger steamer Princess Alice collided with the Bywell Castle, broke into three pieces, and sank almost instantly. Tragically, this happened at a section of the Thames where London’s raw sewage had just been dumped (newspapers at the time reported, in grim detail, exactly what the passengers drowned in). Over 600 people died, making it one of the deadliest accidents in British maritime history.  

The catastrophe led to two major changes: first, the London police were given steam-powered patrol boats instead of rowboats (as officers had been desperately rowing toward the disaster while everyone drowned); second, new regulations were introduced to control when and where sewage could be discharged into the river — Victorian society was particularly horrified by this aspect of the tragedy.  

As for the Bywell Castle, fate was not kind to it either. Just five years later, loaded with cotton and beans, the ship vanished en route from Alexandria to Yorkshire. Last seen off the coast of Portugal, it was never found, and all 40 crew members were lost.