Archaeological remains associated with the loss of this vessel are not confirmed as present at this location, but may be in the vicinity.

Event and Historical Information:
The CASTILIAN was a full-rigged ship built at New Brunswick in 1856. Technical and configuration specifications are given as 1049nt; 191ft 9in long x 37ft 8in breadth x 21ft 4in depth. The ship was transferred from the owership of John McMorran and James Kindsay Dunn, merhcants of St Johns New Brunswick in July 1856. At time of loss, the vessel was owned by James Miller, Cornhill, London, and was carrying a cargo of timber (a large quantity on deck) from Quebec to London under the command of master William Christall. At the Inquiry held at Caernarfon, it was determined that the ship left Quebec on 7 November, and leaked very seriously during the voyage due to the damage sustained whilst passing through the River St Lawrance. The CASTILIAN made land off Mizzen Head on 3 December and then set a course for the Welsh coast. At 8 pm on 4 December 1868 a light seen for a short time on the port bow was thought to be Bardsey light. At 10.30 pm, the lookout reported land on the port bow. The ship was immediately hauled over to the starboard tack and sail was set to beat the vessel off the shore, but the water shoaled so rapidly that the starboard anchor had to be dropped. The anchor cable parted immediately, and although the port anchor was then let go the CASTILIAN was grounded. The Court was of the opinion that the ship was lost through error of judgment on the part of the master (who had not allowed for a drift of 14 hours to the eastward between Ireland and Wales), and anxieties attending the navigation of a leaking ship in foggy weather. The master's certificate was suspended for six months and he was allowed a mate's certificate in that period. Sources differ as to where the vessel came ashore near Harlech Castle (Larn) or on Sarn Badrig's Causeway (Wynne-Jones). Its Port of London Shipping Reguster entry (1 in 1857) states only that it was 'wrecked in Cardigan Bay'.

Sources include:
Board of Trade Inquiry 1868, pg27 (695)
Larn and Larn Shipwreck Database 2002
Lloyds Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1 July 1863 - 30 June 1864, number 192 in C
Port of London Shipping Register 1856-1858, National Archives, Kew, CUST 130/52, 1 in 1857
Wynne-Jones, I, 2001, Shipwrecks of North Wales, 4 ed, pg 29

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, July 2013.