Stoney Cove facts for kids
Stoney Cove is a really cool place in Leicestershire, England, where people go for scuba diving. It's a big, flooded quarry, which means it used to be a place where rocks were dug out, but now it's filled with water! It's a very popular spot for divers who want to explore underwater without going to the ocean.
Contents
The History of Stoney Cove
From Quarry to Dive Site
Stoney Cove started as a place where people dug out granite rock. This was way back in the early 1800s. To help move the heavy granite, a train line was built in 1850.
Water was always a problem for the quarry workers because springs kept filling it up. But this "problem" turned into a good thing! In 1958, they stopped digging for granite. By 1963, people who loved diving started using the flooded quarry to practice their skills.
A Training Ground for Divers
For about 15 years, Stoney Cove became an important training spot. Divers who would later work on North Sea oil rigs learned their skills here. In 1978, a company called Stoney Cove Marine Trials Ltd was created. This company helped make Stoney Cove a professional place for all kinds of diving.
What Can You Do at Stoney Cove?
Diving Adventures and Training
Stoney Cove is used for many types of diving. You can learn how to scuba dive here, or just go for fun dives if you're already trained. Some people even use it for open water swimming.
On land, there are helpful places for divers. You can find a dive shop to buy gear and a diving school to take lessons. There's also a place to fill your air tanks, called a cylinder filling station. Plus, there's a pub where you can relax after your dive!
Exploring Underwater Attractions
The water at Stoney Cove goes down to about 36 meters (about 118 feet) deep. Under the surface, there are many exciting things to explore. These include:
- The Stanegarth: This is said to be the biggest sunken ship wreck found in an inland place in the UK.
- Aircraft parts: You can see the cockpit of a Vickers Viscount airplane and a small Wessex helicopter.
- Other cool finds: There's a Nautilus submarine, a galleon (an old sailing ship), a wooden boat, and even a bus!
- Archways: You can swim through archways located under the pub building.
- A deep hydrobox: This is a special structure for training.
- Submerged trees: Trees that are now underwater.
- A tower: Another structure for divers to explore.
- A blow-off preventer: A piece of equipment used in oil drilling.
- A 4-meter block house: A small building underwater.
- An APC: An armored personnel carrier.
See also
- Princes Channel Wreck
External links
- Diving information website
