Wrecks on the north Wirral Coast.


Between the main shipping channel to the east and Hilbre Swash to the west. So including Brazil Bank, Burbo Bank, Red Noses(New Brighton beach), Mockbeggar Wharf (Leasowe beach), North Bank, Hoylake beach, East Hoyle Bank and East Hoyle Spit. The historic channel into Liverpool was the Horse/Rock Channel, which threaded between these sand banks.

Some of these wrecks are included in Wrecks of Liverpool Bay, Vol. II [Nestos, Perseverance, Thorn, Denham, Gun wreck, Goals wreck] and some are included in Liverpool Hurricane of 1839 [Lockwoods, Pennsylvania, St. Andrew, Victoria, Brighton].

Wrecks with position and identity logged by MDHB [Mersey Docks and Harbour Board]. They listed wrecks from 1862 - mainly those that were an obstruction to navigation and which they then reduced with explosives. Position was determined by bearing and direction from a known object (buoy, lightship, lighthouse). Since distance was less easy to determine accurately than direction, positions may be off by a distance in the direction of the bearing (as I have found in several cases).

Chart of Rock Channel - showing some wrecks listed by MDHB: Jessie, Bessie, John H Elliott (JHE), Denham, Old England(OE), as well as some "unknowns" of interest: WH, Gun and Goals.

Chart of Hilbre Swash - showing some wrecks listed by MDHB: Elizabeth 1879, Hoylake Beach Wreck 1(HBW1), Robert Seymour(RS), Alcides(AL), Walter Dean(WD), Perseverance(PE), Thomas, Nestos, Thorn.

  In order east to west:
Flat Jessie 1911 [charted as Obs.]
Schooner Admiral Nelson 1886
Flat Bessie 1909 [charted]
Ship Admiral 1863 more
SS Ulloa 1904 more
Ship John H Elliott 1863 more [charted]
SS Denham 1946 [charted]
SS Geofredo 1884 more [charted]
Sloop Old England 1900 [charted]
Flat Bertha 1895
Flat Albert 1896
Flat Edith 1909
Schooner Elizabeth 1865
Flat Elizabeth 1879 [charted]
Sloop Ellen 1893
Steam Flat George 1933
Flat Alma 1881
Brigantine Daniel 1885 more
Tug SS Resolute 1922 more
Jigger Flat Fair Trade 1904
Schooner Robert Seymour 1881 more [charted]
Schooner Wellington 1897
MV Red Hand 1927 more
Flat Betsy 1873
Schooner Blanche 1890 more
Flat Lota 1916 more
Schooner Walter Dean 1894 [charted as obs.]
Launch MV Alcides 1947 [charted as obs.]
Flat Thomas 1910 more [charted]
SS Maurita 1941 more
Schooner Elizabeth Barrow 1884
Flat Perseverance 1888 [charted]
Flat Red Jacket 1881
Barque St Matthaeus 1887 more
SS Nestos 1941 more [charted]
Thorn 1891 [charted]
Flat Glance 1903 more

Unknown Wrecks logged by MDHB (or visible at LW), with origin unknown (east to west) - charted (depths below Chart Datum - negative means dry at extreme LW)
wreck -0.8 m
wreck -0.8m (WH): PS Superb?
wreck -3.9 m (Gun wreck)
wreck -2.6m
wreck -0.8m (granite sets)
wreck -3.6m (Goals wreck)
wreck 4.4m
obs ~3.0m
wreck -0.8m
wreck ~7m
wreck -8m (Hoylake beach wreck 1)
wreck -4m (Hoylake beach wreck 2) more
obs. -1.1m (wreckage visible at LW 1991, not 2019)
wreck 2.8m (near Alcides)
wreck 9m
wreck 3.1m
wreck 2.7m
wreck 5.3m

Other Wrecks reported in area (not a complete list - those I have studied and reported to wrecksite.eu).
Lovely Peggy 1793 more
Foxhunter 1770 more
Lochnell 1808 more
Traveller 1810 [Hoylake lifeboat disaster]
Mary & Betty 1820 later refloated more
Earl of Moira 1821 more
William Neilson 1832 more
PS Superb 1835 more
Norah 1835 more
Robert Peel 1835 more
Gleaner 1835 more
John Welch 1836 more
St. Andrew 1839 more
Pennsylvania 1839 more
Lockwoods 1839 more
Victoria 1839 more
Brighton 1839 more
Edward 1839 more
Byron 1839 more
Providence 1850 more
Emma 1851 more
Red Rover 1858 more
Isabella and Catherine 1863 more
Mineral 1866
Elizabeth Buckham 1866 more
Elizabeth 1868 more
Mariner 1868 more
Alice 1873 more
Charles 1883 more
Emblematic 1883 more
Sisters 1891 more
Ada 1903 more
Fair Trade 1904
Mayflower 1939 refloated
Hawker Hind 1940 more
Spitfire 1940 more
Miles Master 1940 more
Anson 1941 more