Lost Off Trevose: The Shipwrecks of Cornwall's Trevose Head

Trevose Head, the land mass jutting out into the Atlantic from North Cornwall’s shore has been called the ‘Lizard’ of the North Coast. This inhospitable coast has seen many disasters over the centuries, from ocean-going sailing ships blown off course or badly navigated, to coastal vessels bound for Wales and the Bristol Channel foundering, colliding and ‘colliers’ blowing up. Both world wars saw intense activity off Trevose as German U Boats attempted to prevent supplies from reaching the UK. This illustrated history tells the stories behind these events. The narrative also considers the development of safety at sea, starting with the erection of Trevose Lighthouse in 1857, a project strenuously opposed by most seafarers (apparently lighthouses attracted pirates like moths to a flame) and covers navigation (longitude), ‘rules of the road’ and overloading (the Plimsol Line).