The Manacles facts for kids
The Manacles (Cornish: Meyn Eglos, meaning church stones) are a group of very dangerous rocks. They are found off The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, England. These rocks are full of amazing sea creatures. They are also a popular place for diving because many shipwrecks have happened there. The name "Manacles" comes from the Cornish words meyn eglos, which means "church stones." You can see the top of St Keverne church from this area.
Where are The Manacles?
These rocks are in Falmouth Bay. They stretch about one nautical mile east and south-east from Manacle Point. This is on the east coast of the Lizard Peninsula. The closest village is Porthoustock. The Manacles reef has many rocks hidden underwater. Some groups of rocks stick out of the water, but only when the tide is low.
The rocks have different names. The Middle Manacles in the north include Maen Chynoweth and Chyronos. The eastern group has Vase Rock. In the center, you'll find the Minstrel Rock and Carn-dhu.
A Special Place for Sea Life: Marine Conservation Zone
The Manacles area is a special protected place called a Marine Conservation Zone. It was made a protected zone on November 21, 2013. This zone covers about 3.5 square kilometers. It stretches from Porthoustock Point south to Polcries. It also goes about 2 kilometers out from the coast.
The seabed here is very different in different spots. It has rocky reefs and steep rock faces. There are also sandy areas and coarse sand near the shore. In the shallow water, you can find special beds of Maerl. Maerl is a type of red seaweed that has a hard, chalky skeleton. These maerl beds are very important homes. They provide shelter for young animals, anemones, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins.
Shipwrecks: Stories from the Sea
More than a thousand lives have been lost on The Manacles. Over one hundred ships have been wrecked on these dangerous rocks. One reason for so many wrecks is that the reef lies on the eastern path to the port of Falmouth. This means many ships sailed right towards them. Some ships, like the SS Mohegan, were even many miles off course when they hit the rocks.
Many well-known shipwrecks are in the central part of The Manacles. Here, the water is less than 6 meters deep in a large area. Some of these famous wrecks include:
- HMS Primrose: This 18-gun ship sank on January 22, 1809. Only one person out of 126 on board survived.
- The John: This ship was carrying 263 people moving to Canada. It sank in May 1855. Only 86 people survived.
- Spyridon Vagliano: This Greek steamship was carrying grain. It sank on February 8, 1890. Fourteen out of 22 crew members were lost.
- SS Mohegan: This ship sank on October 14, 1898. One hundred and six people died. A poet named William McGonagall wrote a poem about this wreck.
In 1885, people asked for a lightship to be placed near the rocks. In the ten years before that, sixteen ships had been wrecked. These wrecks involved 693 crew and passengers. The value of the ships and their goods was about £100,000.
