A distant starboard bow view of the general cargo steamer Castleford (1883) aground on Crebawethan, with a surviving cow in the foreground.

A distant starboard bow view of the general cargo steamer Castleford (1883) aground on Crebawethan in the Western Rocks, Isles of Scilly. In the background on the left is the Bishop Rock Lighthouse. A cow, head to left, is standing in the centre of the image on the rocks at Crebawethan, where the smooth and rounded boulders dominate the bottom half of the photograph.

The Castleford was carrying 3000 tons of general cargo, including deal and wheat, as well as 460 head of cattle, 1 passenger and 18 cattle drovers. On Sunday 8 June 1887 the Castleford was underway in dense fog and at high water. Despite stopping to listen for fog horns or bells, the ship ran onto the Crebawethan rock, remaining fast. The hold and then boiler and engine rooms flooded. 250 cattle were landed at Annet, near St Agnes, and 400 deals were saved. The ship broke in two before the bridge on 9 June and the masts and funnel went over board the following day.

Object Details

ID: G14346
Collection: Historic Photographs
Type: Glass plate negative
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Gibson & Sons of Scilly
Date made: 8-9 June 1887
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Gibson's of Scilly Shipwreck Collection
Measurements: Overall: 6 1/2 in x 8 1/2 in