The iron frames of the vessel stand upright in 5m of water. Closer to the shore, a large area of the ships lower hull timber are still visible. On the north side of the reef, the NORMAN COURT's mast protrudes above the seabed. The capstans have toppled over, but are still attached to the decking timbers. An iron cannon remains insitu. In 2002, the wreck was adopted by Worsley Sub Aqua Club under the Nautical Archaeology Society's 'Adopt a Wreck' Scheme. Divers from the club are currently compiling a survey of the wreck with underwater stills and video photography and researching the ship's history.

Event and Historical Information:
The NORMAN COURT was built by A & J Inglis, Glasgow, in 1869. Technical and configuration specifications are given as 855gt; 197ft 4in long x 33ft breadth x 20ft depth, composite build with a mix of iron and copper fastenings. The ship was built as a tea clipper, and raced with the other famous tea clippers CUTTY SARK, THERMOPYLAE and TAEPING. The NORMANCOURT won the annual tea race in 1872 with a time of 96 days. The ship was re-rigged as a barque in 1878. At time of loss, it was owned and registered at Greenock by J Grieve, Jnr. The ship was returning to Greenock from Java with a cargo of sugar and was under the command of master C McBride on 29 March 1883 when it was caught in a force 9 south southeasterly gale. The NORMAN COURT was blown ashore on Cymyran beach. Although the Rhosneigr lifeboat, THOMAS LINGHAM, put out, the lifeboat suffered considerable damage early on in the rescue attempt and one man was washed overboard, fortunately saved by his lifeline. The lifeboat was forced to return as a consequence. The Holyhead lifeboat THOMAS FIELDEN was then launched and under tow of both a steamship and a tug got to within one mile of the wreck. Three attempts were made by the lifeboat under oars to get in close enough to save the men clearly visible in the rigging of the barque, but failed, as did five rockets fired from the shore. The Rhosneigr lifeboat set out again, but was forced to return, leaving the crew of the wreck a whole day and a night in the rigging where two of them died. On hearing that the men had still not been rescued, the London and North Western Railway Company provided a special train to convey the Holyhead crew to Rhosneigr, where they manned the local boat and managed to reach the wreck despite mountainous seas and the pitch dark. The Holyhead lifeboat men in the Rhosneigr lifeboat saved 20 crewmembers. Coxswain Thomas Roberts received the RNLI silver medal.

Sources include:
Board of Trade Wreck Return 1883, Appendic Parts I-IV pg125 (767)
Bennett, T, 1987, Shipwrecks around Wales, Vol 1, pg79-80
Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald, 7 April 1883
Gater, D, 1992, Historic Shipwrecks of Wales, pg53
Larn and Larn Shipwreck database 2002
Lloyds Register of British and Foreign Shipping, 1 July 1882 - 30 June 1883, number 280 in N
The Times, 31 March 1883, pg 10
Wynne-Jones, I, 2001, Shipwrecks of North Wales, 4 ed, pg52-3

WWW resources:
http://www.nasportsmouth.org.uk/projects/sites/norman_court.php
http://normancourt.homestead.com/

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, December 2007.