Wrecks carrying slate cargoes: Seen any?

[Niall Callan]

Hi,

I'm researching the slate industry of North Wales, an industry which has its origins in the Romano-British period and reached its height in the 19th century. Along with coal, slate was one of the primary exports of Wales in the 19th century: it resulted in the construction of purpose-built ports and even towns and villages and saw the maritime traffic around North Wales increase considerably.

But where are the wrecks? While there are a reasonably large number of recorded losses of slate-carrying vessels along the Welsh coast, the number of actual known wrecks is fairly small. If anyone has dived on any wreck sites carrying slate as a cargo, or even if you have just encountered a few roofing slates on the seabed during a dive, I'd be really interested in hearing more about it.

Cheers!

[IainC]

Try the (wreck) diving guidebooks for Wales?

Ask the local dive boats if there are any such wrecks they take their divers to?

Id yo uare thinkng about slate on the bottom - there are coastal quarries and the peirs they used for loading etc?

As with any wreck - only a small percentage of reported losses at sea are found, and some of them are not in diveable depths.

Also shallow/easily accesible ones may have been salvaged so there might nto be much to make tham a worthwhile dive site.

I'm sure there is a dive operartion somewhre in Wales that (did) salvage slate when they (were) are not taking sport-divers, not sure how the economics of that work out though, as good slate is worth maybe £500per tonne, so you'd have to have some serious lifting bags and a crane and take a couple of tonnes a day to be worth more than taking out a bunch of divers.

Iain C.

[Justin Owen]

I'd suggest you pick up a copy of Chris Holden's Underwater Guide to North Wales (Vol.1)

There's at least one slate wreck we dive fairly regulary.

If you pm me you're email address I can also put you in touch with Chris.

J.

[Niall Callan]

Thanks Iain and Justin,

I've been through the dive guides and the usual sources, I was just wondering if there were any lurking about that had fallen under the radar.

Cheers.

[Alison Boler]

You could try asking John Stubbs a very long time member of BSAC who has lived all his life on Anglesey and dived a lot around there if he has any knowledge. He's not a member of this forum as far as I know, so what I'll do is email him privately, ask him if he has anything to add and the put you in touch if so. I don't know if he is a member of the NAS but most of his closest friends are and he has a lot of interest in that area so....
Allie

[Paul Oliver]

We have a slate wreck off of Dover, i will make some enquirers for you.

[Alison Boler]

Niall
I am sending you a private message with John Stubbs' email address. He definitely has some info for you and will be glad to help.

Allie

[bluewater]

Have a word with Elfyn at Julie Ann charters he's salvaged a few and has many more. http://www.julie-anne.co.uk/
Quote from the site "Our research has revealed that there are over 30 wrecked ships carrying Welsh slates in our area of operation, which, at the moment, stretches from the Skerries in the West to the Orme in the East and around 20ml off-shore- an area of approximately 600 sq miles"

[Niall Callan]

Thanks for all the posts, you've all given me plenty of leads to follow up, cheers.

A colleague of mine is doing a similar project researching the South Wales coal industry, so if any of you know of any information or people who might be able to help him, please let me know.

Cheers.

[IainC]

http://www.julie-anne.co.uk/

Those were the guys whose website I saw..

[Chris Holden]

Hi Niall, we have quite a few wrecks in North Wales that were carrying slate when they were lost. Having spent many years exploring the slate-quarries of the area and diving in the various flooded quarries, I'm always keen to know more about that industry. I have quite a few samples of slates from the various wrecks, and one day I'm hoping to meet someone who can perhaps identify the quarries that these came from. Please let me know what information you need, as several slate-wrecks are listed in my dive-guides.
John Stubbs is also a good source of information, and was extremely helpful with my wreck research.
Cheers,
Chris Holden

[Paul Oliver]

We have a slate wreck off of Dover, i will make some enquirers for you.

The Slate wreck off of Dover is actually West of Folkstone at 51 03.080 N 001 09.950 E and is the Jane Anwyl a wooden sailing Schooner of 52 Gross Tons that was built in 1860 at Anwyl, Barmouth with dimensions of 20.29' x 5.36' x 2.22' registered in Carnarvon

She was on a voyage from Portmadoc to Colchester under Captain W Griffith with a crew of 3 when she was in collision with the SS Plymothian of Plymouth in wind conditions EastNorthEast Force 3

She lies in 25m close to shore in a rather silty area, most of the ship now gone and with the cargo standing 3m proud, this cargo is very large and heavy slabs of Welsh slate approximately billiard table size.

HTH

[Paul Oliver]

The Slate wreck off of Dover is actually West of Folkstone at 51 03.080 N 001 09.950 E and is the Jane Anwyl a wooden sailing Schooner of 52 Gross Tons that was built in 1860 at Anwyl, Barmouth with dimensions of 20.29' x 5.36' x 2.22' registered in Carnarvon

She was on a voyage from Portmadoc to Colchester under Captain W Griffith with a crew of 3 when she was in collision with the SS Plymothian of Plymouth in wind conditions EastNorthEast Force 3

She lies in 25m close to shore in a rather silty area, most of the ship now gone and with the cargo standing 3m proud, this cargo is very large and heavy slabs of Welsh slate approximately billiard table size.

HTH

Should have said she sank on 5 April 1889

[Paul Oliver]

Ship even gets a mention here:- http://www.rhiw.com/y_mor/capt_robert_williams/capt_robert_williams.htm

Could this be her:-

http://i26.tinypic.com/14sjgpi.jpg