Northumberland Wreck Map
5 wrecks in Northumberland, United Kingdom. Recorded depths: 22–40 m. View on map
MV Acclivity
The Acclivity was a small but purposeful motor tanker, designed specifically for vegetable oil and wine cargoes, that met her end in the unglamorous fashion common to many working vessels — a fouled propeller, a failed tow, and a winter sea that would not forgive. Loaded with linseed oil, she limped south of the Farne Islands in January 1952 before the North Sea claimed her. Storms have since rolled her from her original upright position onto her port side, burying half the hull in sediment, but what remains visible is a riot of colour. Her compact 39-metre length means a single circuit is entirely achievable, and the various holes and openings invite closer inspection.
SS Abessinia
She ran onto the rocks in September 1921 on her way home from Chile, and the reef has been digesting her ever since. Her boiler stands clear of the surrounding jumble at 18 metres as the main reference point, while the bow section — complete with anchor and chain — has slid down to the western side of the reef. Gullies criss-crossing the rock are stuffed with additional wreckage that rewards careful exploration. The rocks only show at low-water springs, so the reef's location is a navigational challenge in itself.
SS Chris Christensen
Longstone lighthouse — made famous by Grace Darling's 1838 rescue — watches over one of the Farne Islands' most dramatic underwater landscapes, and the Chris Christensen occupies pride of place at its base. This Danish steamer, running light from Aarhus to pick up cargo at Newcastle, misjudged the reef in February 1915 and came to grief on its south-eastern tip. Her remains have cascaded down an underwater cliff: the boiler and triple-expansion engine sit at around 30 metres, with wreckage tumbling over boulders down to 40. The nearby SS Coryton wreck adds a bonus target for those with gas and time to spare on the same descent.
SS Somali
The P&O cargo liner Somali was bound for Hong Kong with nine thousand tons of wartime supplies — everything from medical kits and batteries to toy lead soldiers and coins for the colony's banks — when Luftwaffe Heinkels found her off Beadnell in March 1941. Bombs ignited her holds, and the resulting explosion broke the ship in two. Four cylinder heads rise above the surrounding structure like industrial sentinels, while five boilers arranged in neat rows forward give scale to what was a substantial ship. Marine growth has transformed every surface into a living wall of colour.
St Andre
The St Andre arrived at the Farne Islands the hard way — hitting the Crumstone rock in October 1908, briefly floating free, then settling permanently at Staple Island with a belly full of pig iron. That dense cargo ensured she went down quickly and stayed put, and the heavy iron ingots still litter the seabed around the main wreckage like industrial confetti. Above the surface, Staple Island hosts one of the archipelago's densest seabird colonies — guillemots, razorbills, and puffins in season — so the boat ride out is half the experience.