Cargo vessel · 1906–1913 · Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
SS Cambro
Also known as Cambro.
Twenty miles out from the Pembrokeshire coast, the Smalls lighthouse marks one of the most treacherous reefs in the Irish Sea — and the Cambro is its best-known casualty. This steel steamer, loaded with Spanish pyrites, was swallowed by fog in May 1913 and drove straight onto the rocks barely 150 metres from the lighthouse.
In 1991, a sports diver found a Viking sword hilt guard decorated with silver wire and niello among the wreckage, an artefact from centuries before the steamer existed.
- Type
- Cargo vesselBritish
- Year built
- 1906Campbeltown Ship Building Co, Campbeltown
- Lost
- May 24th, 1913Grounding
- Tonnage
- 1,918 GRTsteam
- Length
- 86 m12.2 m beam
- Depth
- 12–22 m
- Location
- Pembrokeshire, United KingdomCeltic Sea
1 of 7 facts above is cited in Sources below.
Deeper than 59 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost May 24th, 1913 · Grounding · Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom.
Drove onto the Smalls in fog and darkness while carrying pyrites from Huelva (Spain) to Garston. Total loss, approximately 150 metres east of the Smalls lighthouse.
Built 1906 by Campbeltown Ship Building Co, Campbeltown; 7 years in service, also recorded as Cambro. Lost May 24th, 1913, grounding.
The Voyage
- Cargo
- Pyrites from Huelva, Spain
Condition of the WreckBroken, in 12–22 m.
Intactness
Very broken up apart from stern section which remains relatively intact. Boilers still in situ. All non-ferrous metals recovered by salvors.
Notable Features
- Viking sword hilt guard found among wreckage in 1991
- Intact stern section
- Boilers in situ
- Exposed offshore reef location
Additional Details12 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- British
- Flag
- United Kingdom
- Builder
- Campbeltown Ship Building Co, Campbeltown
- Propulsion
- Steam
- Loss date
- May 24th, 1913
- Latitude
- 51.72° N
- Longitude
- 5.67° W
- Water body
- Celtic Sea
- War grave
- No
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Broken
Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record6 facts
- Cofleincoflein.gov.uk · Secondary source1 fact
- Pembrokeshire Coast NPApembrokeshirecoast.wales · Secondary source1 fact
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
A further 3 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SS Cambro?
SS Cambro is the wreck of a cargo vessel, off Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom, at 22 metres. SS Cambro ran aground and was wrecked in 1913.
How deep is the SS Cambro?
SS Cambro lies at 12 to 22 metres, The Smalls, ~150m east of lighthouse, ~20 miles offshore Pembrokeshire.
How did the SS Cambro sink?
SS Cambro ran aground and was wrecked on May 24th, 1913, off Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom.