Rill Cove Wreck facts for kids
The Rill Cove Wreck is an old Spanish cargo ship that sank a long time ago. Its remains are now underwater off the coast of Rill Cove in Cornwall, England. This area is west of Kynance Cove.
Divers first found parts of this cargo ship near Rill Cove in 1969. Because it was an important historical site, it was given special protection in 1976. Today, the wreck is a Protected Wreck looked after by Historic England.
Some people think this wreck might be the famous Lizard Silver Wreck from 1619. That ship sank near Lizard Point. However, not everyone agrees with this idea.
What Was Found at the Wreck Site?
At the Rill Cove Wreck site, divers have found many interesting things. These include old iron cannons and other parts of the ship. They also found over 300 coins from the 1500s.
Many of these coins were Spanish. They had pictures of Spanish kings like Philip II or Philip III. These coins help experts guess when the ship sank. They think this Spanish cargo ship probably went down around the year 1616. We don't know the ship's exact name.
How Was the Wreck Discovered?
The Rill Cove Wreck was found by divers in 1969. They were actually looking at a more modern shipwreck nearby when they stumbled upon the older one.
Since its discovery, people have visited the site many times. More old items have been found and brought up from the seabed. In 2013, experts did a special study. They looked at all the information about the wreck to understand how important it was for history.
