Rill Cove Wreck
The Rill Cove Wreck is an underwater wreck of a 16th-century Spanish cargo ship lying off the coast of Rill Cove, west of Kynance Cove, in Cornwall, England, UK.
The remains of a cargo vessel were first found off Rill Cove, Cornwall in 1969. The site was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act on 13 February 1976. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.[1]
This wreck has also been identified by some as the Lizard Silver Wreck, a celebrated 1619 wreck off nearby Lizard Point,[2] but this is disputed.[3]
The wreck
The site consists of iron cannon, a wrought iron swivel gun, a banded breech-loading gun, and other wreck material including over 300 sixteenth century coins. A number of these coins were of Spanish origin, stamped with Philip II or Philip III, which date from 1555–98 and 1598-1603/5 respectively. The identity of the vessel is unknown but it is believed to be a Spanish cargo vessel that foundered around 1616.[1]
Discovery and investigation
The site was discovered by divers who were investigating a nearby modern wreck in 1969. The site has been frequently visited, with further artefacts being recovered. In 2013, a desk-based assessment was undertaken which involved assessing the significance of the site.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Rill Cove (1000046)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
- ^ "The Coins of Sunken Treasure Ships: Rill Cove, wrecked Ca. 1618. Coin Details". coins.www.collectors-society.com. Collectors Society. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
- ^ Camidge, Kevin (23 October 2013). Rill Cove Designated Historic Wreck Site: Desk-Based Assessment (PDF). St Anthony, Rill Cove & Schiedam DBA Project Design. p. 12.
The Lizard silver wreck of 1619, itself an unidentified vessel, ... even this wreck may not be the same as the Rill Cove wreck.
External links
- Camidge, Kevin (23 October 2013). Rill Cove Designated Historic Wreck Site: Desk-Based Assessment (PDF). St Anthony, Rill Cove & Schiedam DBA Project Design.
- "Rill Cove". Atlantic Scuba. Retrieved 14 October 2020. Description from a local diving company