Wreck Tours

You’ll have to travel about as far north as you can go in mainland Scotland to dive this tramp steamer, one of World War Two’s

The steamer Ashford out of Brighton is more than 120 years old – which means that it has some interesting features for divers to enjoy,

We interrupt this series to bring you a wreck that sank only recently and, thanks to kind March weather, did so right on time and

It’s a bit of a run out of Scotland’s west coast centres, says JOHN LIDDIARD, but much remains to be seen on this rarely dived

This mussel-dredger lying off Anglesey makes an appealing prospect for an all-levels club outing, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX ELLIS FOR OUR FIRST-EVER NORTH

‘And about time!’ you cry. Why has it taken Diver so long to get round to one of Britain’s most popular wrecks? JOHN LIDDIARD explains

Who’s been messing about with the buoy? This French steamer wreck out of Milford Haven might be hard to pin down, says JOHN LIDDIARD, but

How often do you get the chance to dive an intact wooden wreck in the UK? JOHN LIDDIARD has a nice little Manx trawler in

During gunnery practice, it’s accepted custom to aim for the target rather than the tugboat that’s towing it. The Buccaneer fell victim to a gunner

To the Farne Islands we go to sort out a jumble of steamship wreckage that came to grief on a treacherous reef. You’ll need your

Scapa Flow is renowned the world over for its warship wrecks. So why go there to dive a fishing-boat? Because, says JOHN LIDDIARD, it’s there

A great South Devon favourite, this Belgian steamship went down packed with provisions in 1945. JOHN LIDDIARD takes us on a zig-zag wander. Illustration by

If you have dived this Norwegian steamer, sunk off Cornwall in 1918, you might have entered it under a different name in your logbook. JOHN

This steamer that sank 90 years ago is the most intact in the Sound of Mull, but you might need to get there early, says

This German light cruiser, which took more than its share of scalps in WW2, makes for a Scapa Flow wreck dive that is a little

Brave the currents off the Farne Islands to enjoy the remnants of this colourful steamer with a touch of mystery, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by

This Norwegian steamer sank in the Solent in 1918 and it deserves to be more often dived than it is, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by

It’s a bit out of the way, and more than a bit broken up, but the Iberian is a 19th-century casualty that repays investigation, says

Her wheels had already been turning through 43 years and two world wars when this Victorian paddle-steamer was bombed off Norfolk. JOHN LIDDIARD recommends a

A huge pile of steel steamship at a site where the vis can be exceptional – that’s Skye’s Doris, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX

Calling all train-spotters, grab your tanks and slates and head for the West Country! There’s a wreck down there you have to see, says JOHN

The victim of German mines in 1940, this big merchant steamer that sank off Pembrokeshire is a good all-rounder, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX

Bristling with ammo and packing a gun, this WW1 munitions ship deserves more than to be a second-string dive, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX

This merchant steamship went down fast from a torpedo strike at the end of WWI, and remains intact off Devon. JOHN LIDDIARD knows his way

One of Scapa Flow’s legendary giant battleships, it’s too big to hurry, but JOHN LIDDIARD explains how to get a good overview. Illustration by MAX

It’s a long way out and on the deep side, but how often do you get the chance to savour an intact minesweeper? asks JOHN

When this Greek steamer was holed off Pembrokeshire, it started one of the longest lifeboat rescues on record. Now it’s a great novice dive, says

If you’re looking for a tour off Sussex, JOHN LIDDIARD knows just the torpedoed steamer to recommend. Illustration by MAX ELLIS THE SUSSEX COAST HAS

You can drift onto the attractive wreckage of this iron steamer, which sank in the Sound of Mull in 1889, at any state of the

He first dived it a long time back – this Cornish wreck provided JOHN LIDDIARD’s first wreck experience, and that of many other divers. Illustration

This intact tugboat wreck off the Isle of Wight is just the right size for a good one-off dive, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX

After 33 years of freighting and Antarctic whaling and 85 years in Scapa Flow, this blockship is a relative marvel of preservation, as JOHN LIDDIARD

A favourite with divers in Devon is this anemone-covered steamship that sank at the close of WW1. JOHN LIDDIARD reports, Illustration by MAX ELLIS ALL

Plenty to explore on this British steamer off Pembrokeshire, and it’s accessible in most weathers, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX ELLIS The Dakotian is

It’s a long way to go, but this sunken steamship is well worth a visit, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Just watch out for the phosphorus and

It was women and children first when this huge Pakistani freighter sank in the English Channel – only they weren’t supposed to be there! JOHN

This early 20th century French steamship has plenty to interest divers, but because of its position in the Lower Clyde you won’t find yourself crowded

NOTE: Since this Wreck Tour first appeared, diving the Hood has been prohibited by Portland Harbour Authority The usual starting point for a dive on

Waves permitting, I like to start a dive on the City of Westminster by dropping straight on top of the Runnel Stone rock (1) which

This month JOHN LIDDIARD is up in Scotland for an absorbing dive in the Sound of Mull. Illustration by MAX ELLIS Although usually sheltered, in

This Danish steamship is one of the treasures of the North-east, says JOHN LIDDIARD – with seal sightings a bonus. Illustration by MAX ELLIS Many

It might take some finding, but an intact lightship inexplicably rammed and sunk in the North Sea is a rare treat indeed, says JOHN LIDDIARD.

It led a quiet life, but Britain’s newest wreck could soon become its most dived – JOHN LIDDIARD reports from Stoney Cove. Illustration by MAX

Now for something completely different – JOHN LIDDIARD takes us round a Victorian steel-hulled sailing barque. Illustration by MAX ELLIS WRECKS OF SAILING SHIPS generally

Behind this WW2 British submarine wreck off Norfolk lies a tale of heroism, and though it has been salvaged there is still plenty for divers

You need to travel a little bit out of the way for this month’s wreck, a World War Two German armed trawler. The V210 Hinrich Hey

This WW2 armed trawler off the Isle of Wight makes a perfect club dive – small enough to see in one go but with plenty

When the man on watch allowed this cargo vessel to hit the rocks in the late 1990s, it was bad news for insurers but great

It’s a fair way out into the Irish Sea, but this 1890s steamship and U-boat victim still packed with equipment is well worth a look,

This armed trawler is a big attraction for divers off Sussex, and rightly so, says JOHN LIDDIARD. MAX ELLIS drew the picture THE WORLD WAR

This shallow steamer wreck sank in Berwick Bay in Victorian times but still holds mysteries for divers to solve, as JOHN LIDDIARD explains. Illustration by

A classic merchant steamer sunk in the Channel during World War One, the Glocliffe offers an intact experience for divers willing to do a little

There’s plenty to explore on this British steamer off Pembrokeshire, and it’s accessible in most weathers, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX ELLIS SOMEWHAT UNUSUALLY

A steamship that sank off Beachy Head in Sussex in 1949 offers divers something sizeable, easy to navigate and a little out of the ordinary,

A fast luxury yacht with guns – the Verona is an intriguing prospect, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Mined in 1917, it lies in 39m out from

This steam-trawler survived two world wars only to be mown down by a much bigger Empire ship in 1946. Yorkshire fishing’s loss was divers’ gain,

This German freighter sank off Anglesey just 16 years ago and it can now be enjoyed in different ways by advanced and less-advanced divers alike,

This steam collier grounded off north Cornwall in 1916 and makes for an interesting dive if you don’t mind a little deco, says JOHN LIDDIARD.

This is a big steamship, torpedoed off south Devon in 1918 but still in impressive condition, says our tour-guide JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX ELLIS

This 1990s storm victim is easy to find and can be enjoyed by divers of all levels if conditions are right. JOHN LIDDIARD reports on

This colourful adventure playground, a small tanker off Northumberland, is just the right size to explore at its depth, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX

Lying in the shadow of its big-name neighbours off south Cornwall, this coal-carrying steamer, a U-boat victim from World War One, is too often neglected

Sunk off Norfolk in 1973 and the scene of an epic helicopter rescue, this is a shallow intact wreck with enough on it to engage

This armed tanker sunk in WW2 in the Moray Firth makes for a great club outing, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX ELLIS A BIG

This armed collier torpedoed in 16-22m off Lyme Regis during World War One makes for a great afternoon dive, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX

A ride out from Littlehampton, it’s the engineering that makes this china-clay-carrying steamer so distinctive, says JOHN LIDDIARD. Illustration by MAX ELLIS LOOK AT STEAM