Lowest tide of the year exposes 110-year-old shipwreck
Almost 110 years to the day after it was wrecked on a Cornish beach during a storm, the remains of a huge three-masted sailing ship can be seen once again
The lowest tide of the year has exposed the remains of a 173ft ship almost 110 years to the day after it was wrecked on a Cornish beach during a storm. The three-masted Swedish barque Trifolium was swept onto the rocks at Gwynver Beach near Land's End on March 15, 1914, after battling a storm off the coast for four days.
Those who saw the huge sailing ship pounded into the rocks by large waves described how quickly it broke apart, and pictures of the wreck appeared in the Illustrated London News the following week under the headline "An iron ship broken up in half-an-hour! A remarkable wreck." 110 years later, the jagged, twisted metal of the shipwreck can often be seen sticking out of the water at low tide, however, this week the extreme spring tides completely exposed the iron remains at Gwynver, meaning it was possible to walk around them.
The lowest tide of the year for West Cornwall happened on Tuesday, March 12, this year, when sea levels dropped to just 0.22 metres at Newlyn. Flood warnings were issued by the Environment Agency for the same day covering most of the north coast of Cornwall, because of the extreme high tides.
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Sadly, five of the 11 crew of the Trifolium were lost when it was wrecked, including the captain, who had tried to beach the ship, only to be swept overboard by huge waves along with other members of the crew. Of the six men who survived, four managed to drag themselves ashore, whilst the other two were saved by a member of the coastguard and a local fisherman.
This week, during the spring low tides, the remains of the Trifolium have been exposed, reminding us of its story and the power of the sea.
There are 20 pictures in this photo story - click on the 'Next' button at the bottom of the page to see them all.
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The Trifolium began life in 1875, when it was built by A. Stephen & Sons in Glasgow and launched as the iron cargo vessel named Lord Clyde.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)1 of 20
Lord Clyde was first registered in the summer of 1875 in Swansea, under the ownership of Gillbert Tulloch.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)2 of 20
The Lord Clyde was adorned with a splendid male figurehead at the bow, which depicted General Colin Campbell. He held a scroll in his right hand, whilst his left hand was on the hilt of a sword.
When the Trifolium was wrecked, this figurehead was removed from the remains of the ship, and is now in the Royal Museums Greenwich.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)3 of 20
Archive image of the wreck of ship Trifolium, which was swept onto the rocks at Gwynver during a storm on March 15, 1914.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)4 of 20
