Bristol Channel Shipping Memories

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On 10th February HMS Weazle, a sloop of war, (Commander the Hon. Henry Grey) was at Appledore, Devon, waiting to go out anti-privateering along the Cornish coast. Leaving port that evening she cleared Bideford Bar only to hit severe weather conditions in the Bristol Channel. The commander decided to shelter under Baggy Point near Braunton, Devon. The weather worsened and the sloop was driven aground just short of the Point with the loss of all 106 officers and crew. A memorial service was held at Northam Church, Devon. March 13th. The barque “France” and the brig “Eliza B” both sailed from Swansea on the morning tide. Later that evening they collided south of Oxwich in a strong gale, which coincided with a spring tide. The barque was badly damaged and the crew, with the exception of the Mater and one trapped crew member went aboard the brig. The barque sank during the early morning hours and the Master took to the ships boat which was blown up to the Mumbles where he was rescued. The unfortunate trapped man went down with the ship. At midnight on 8th August the barque “William Miles” stranded near Porthcawl harbour and on the next day broke up and sank. The Porthcawl Lifeboat (Chafyn Grove) went out twice in heavy seas rescuing the master's wife and one other on the first trip and the master and the remaining ten crew on the second. Horsburgh, K.J. and M. Horritt (2006) The Bristol Channel floods of 1607 – reconstruction and analysis. Weather, 61(10), 272-277. May 16th, the Chichester sloop “Appledram” bound for Swansea in ballast ran aground east of Worms Head. The vessel was repaired and successfully refloated on the 6th of June.

March 15th. The lugger “Juanita”, Swansea for Seville, sank at her anchors while sheltering from a gale. The hull and masts of the vessel were salvaged and later sold in Swansea.

On either side of the Bristol Channel coastline are several significant British Heritage Coasts, namely Carmarthenshire, South Pembrokeshire, Glamorgan, Gower Peninsula, Hartland Point peninsula, Bideford Bay, and Exmoor. Situated in the Exmoor National Park are the Hangman cliffs, some of Britain’s highest cliffs. The Great Hangman is England’s highest sea cliff which rises to 318 m. The beaches on the Bristol Channel are known for their high waves. During low tides, major portions of the Bristol Channel turn into mudflats. Wildlife And Human Settlement Tenby, Wales, on Bristol Channel. May 17th. The steam collier “St. Vincent” ran aground on Dangers Reef at Rhossili and successfully refloated herself. January 30th , the “Anne & Teresa”, Penclawdd for Bristol, ran onto the Nash Sands. The crew of three were saved, as was the cargo. The vessel was lost. Of course that made me think that something was wrong and I remarked to my mate at the wheel that it was funny.”

January 2nd. The Swedish schooner “Britannia”, Le Havre to Cardiff in ballast, ran aground at Porteynon in poor visibility. The crew were able to walk ashore at low water. Included in the crew were two pilots assistants off the Cardiff pilot cutter “Surprize” which had foundered off Ilfracombe the previous evening.On 10th February the French ketch, “ Notre Dame de Paris” was reported in distress off Oxwich Point, Gower, and the Mumbles Lifeboat, Charlie Medland, went to her aid. She was found to have shipped a lot of water and her sails had been blown away. Her crew were exhausted and her master asked for men to board her and try to save her. After three quarters of an hour four lifeboat men got aboard and managed to free her anchors which had been fouled by an underwater obstruction, and a tug was able to tow her to Swansea. Bristol Channel is over 121 km in length and has a width of 50 km at its widest point. It extends from the edges of the Severn River Estuary in the east and ends between England’s Hartland Point and Wales’s St. Govan’s Head in the west. Several rivers flow into the Bristol Channel. These include the Severn, Avon, Usk, Taff, and Wye rivers. The islands of Lundy, Caldey, Flat Holm, and Steep Holm are some of the large islands situated in the Bristol Channel. All these uninhabited islands are usually protected as important nature reserves. RNLI Portishead: Home". www.portishead-lifeboat.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018 . Retrieved 19 May 2009. On the 31st August the ketch “Trebiskin”, of Padstow, Cornwall, became stranded on Cardiff Grounds and the Barry lifeboat (John Wesley) was launched but a change in the wind allowed the three man crew of the Trebiskin to refloat her.