The Gwineas facts for kids
|
The Gwinges/Gull Rock
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 The Gwineas
Location in Cornwall
|
|
| Geography | |
| Location | Off Gorran Haven, Cornwall, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 50°14′43″N 4°45′43″W / 50.24528°N 4.76194°W |
| Type | Rock protruding above the water's surface. |
| Area | 0.01 km2 (0.0039 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Administration | |
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
The Gwineas, also called The Gwinges, are a group of about fifteen rocks. They are found in the southern English Channel, near the fishing village of Gorran Haven, Cornwall, UK. These rocks are special because of the amazing wildlife you can see there. Look out for seals, dolphins, gannets, and cormorants! People in the area often call The Gwineas 'Gull Rock'. This name might come from old Cornish words meaning 'white' and 'island'.
Contents
Discover the History of The Gwineas
Scientists believe The Gwineas were once a hill surrounded by a forest. Over a very long time, the land changed. The hill first became a small islet (a tiny island). Eventually, it turned into the isolated rocks we see today.
Shipwrecks and the Yaw Rock
The Gwineas rocks have been the site of several shipwrecks. But a hidden rock nearby, called the Yaw, has caused even more accidents. The Yaw is a submerged rock located to the east of The Gwineas.
There is a special bell buoy that helps ships avoid the Yaw. This buoy is named 'Gwineas', even though it marks the Yaw rock. It is an eastern cardinal buoy. This means it flashes its light in groups of three. This signal tells sailors that the danger is to its west. The buoy stays in place with four large anchors. Its flashing light gets power from the sun. Crews check and service the buoy at least once a year.
The SS Ardangorm Shipwreck
On Thursday, January 4, 1940, a large ship called the SS Ardangorm hit The Gwineas. This happened at night during a strong storm. The ship was about 5,000 tons and was traveling from Cardiff to Fowey. It was empty at the time.
The Fowey lifeboat team launched their boat at 3:45 AM. They had seen distress flares from the ship. When daylight came, the lifeboat rescued 11 crew members. This left 25 crew still on board the damaged ship. The lifeboat took the rescued crew to shore. They also asked for help from tugs.
Later that afternoon, a special tugboat from the Navy arrived. It was decided that the ship could not be saved. The lifeboat then took off the remaining crew members. They returned to Fowey at 4:18 PM. The SS Ardangorm broke apart on January 10. Wood and other parts of the ship washed ashore. Villagers were able to collect some of these materials.
The Pallas Shipwreck
In 1895, a Russian sailing ship called the 'Pallas' was wrecked. It was a large ship, mostly made of steel. The Pallas ran aground on The Gwineas during a strong easterly storm. It then ended up on Great Perhaver Beach.
The ship was carrying timber as its cargo. Luckily, all the crew members were rescued safely. For many years, a lot of the steel wreckage from the Pallas could still be seen in the shallow waters nearby.
