Pembrokeshire & Skomer · United Kingdom · Wreck
The Leysian
A First World War steamship wreck reached from a pebble beach
Photo: nick macneill · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Leysian is the broken wreck of a 3,800-ton steamship that ran into the cliffs at Abercastle in 1917 and can be reached from the shore. The steel hull lies collapsed and scattered against the rock face at up to 18 m, a compass swim from a small pebble beach.
Also known as Leysian.
Where it is and how deep
51.9599° N, 5.1256° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts at the small pebble beach and keeps left round the cliffs. After descending to the seabed, divers swim on a bearing of 350, past small outcrops of reef and scattered wreckage, until the ribs of the wreck appear. Most of the ship was salvaged, and what remains lies against the cliff, much collapsed and scattered, with ribs and parts of the structure standing 2 m off the seabed.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Leysian
- Type
- Steel-hulled steamship
- Built
- 1906
- Sunk
- 1917
- Cause
- Crashed into the cliffs at Abercastle on 2 February 1917
- Lies
- Against the cliff, much collapsed and scattered, at up to 18 m
The Leysian was a steel-hulled steamship of 3,800 tons, built in 1906 by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. On 2 February 1917 she crashed into the cliffs at Abercastle. The hull has since collapsed and scattered where it struck, and the remains lie against the foot of the cliff.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Pembrokeshire & Skomer: Diving runs all year round; storms and strong northerlies cut visibility, and northerlies can close St Brides and Martins Haven.
Know before you go
- The wreck is found by compass, on a bearing of 350 from the cliffs, over scattered wreckage.
- Fishing boats work out of Abercastle, so divers use an SMB or DSMB.
Dive videos
Leysian Wreck Red Dragon Divers - HD 1080 camera · irina smith on YouTube
Sources
- Pembrokeshire Shore Diving — Haven Diving Services
Photo credits
- A pebble beach with white dinghies in a narrow bay between green headlands, small boats moored on calm water by nick macneill, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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