On This Day in Wembury – 12 February 1883
Reports spread that a large barque had been wrecked at the west end of Wembury Bay while attempting to enter Plymouth Sound during the evening. Observers saw her miss stays, wear ship too late, and drift dangerously towards the reefs.
Early accounts feared the vessel had gone to pieces, but by the following day it was confirmed she had only dragged her anchor and was not lost. The scare underlined both the hazards of approaching Plymouth without a pilot and the ever-present risk of Wembury’s rocky shoreline in heavy weather.
Source: Aberdeen Evening Gazette, 13 Feb 1883.
Curated and written by Wembury Waves using material from the British Newspaper Archive.
Entries are summaries and interpretations of historical newspaper reports.
Entries are summaries and interpretations of historical newspaper reports.