DescriptionCaswenan Rock is a submerged pinnacle of rock which rises from 45m to 23m. A second pinnacle raises to 27m slightly to the south. Strong currents, overfalls and whirlpools mark the vicinity.
Event and Historical Information:
Local lore suggests that King Arthur's ship, GWENAN or CASWENNAN, was wrecked near Bardsey. Other place names also refer to the legend - Frfrydiau Caswennan (Caswennan Strait or Currents of Gwennan's Bane) and Creigiau Caswennan (Caswennan Rocks). A Welsh version of the legend given by Roger Morris, of Coed y Talwrn, in 1582 refers to Madog or Madoc, the son of Owain Gwynedd, the 12th century King of Gwynedd. The legend suggests that he was baffled by the currents of Bardsey Sound. To remedy this he constructed `a ship without nails, but fastened with stag horns so that the sea would not swallow it. The ship was named Gwennan Gorn [Horn Gwennan]. Lewis Morris on his chart for the Northern Entrance of Bardsey Sound included the following annotation 'There is a bank of sand about a mile WSW of Bardsey on which you have not two fathoms at low water. King Arthurlas is reported has a ship called Gwenan cast away there, hence the place is called Gorffryddau Caswennan. One of our poets about three hundred years ago mentions it in an elegant manner - Os annod ar Caswenan, drio ar Lif or Dwr ir lan, Anaws na myned yno, troi Bun or natur y bo. R Leia. 1450'.
Sources include:
Deacon, R, 1967, Madoc and the discovery of America
Gater, D, 1992, Historic Shipwrecks of Wales, pg9
Morris, L, 1748, Plans of Harbours, Bars, Bays and Roads in St George's Channel, plate 11
Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, April 2014.
