The wreck lies in 74m of water and is orientated 345 (bow)/ 165 (stern). It has a length of 47m and is quite broken up, although a possible boiler is present at the southern end.

The wreck was originally located in 1945 and thought to be that of the EMPIRE GUNNER (NPRN 274910), however, a subsequent survey by HMS BEAGLE indicated that the seabed remains were too small, despite this the wreck was still assigned an ID as the EMPIRE GUNNER (POSSIBLY) by the UKHO.

The wreck was identified as the THORNFIELD (NPRN 273139) during research by Dr Innes McCartney (2022: 157) for the Echoes from the Deep project following a detailed survey by Bangor University in March 2019. McCartney concluded that the wreck is dimensionally, positionally, and archivally consistent with the THORNFIELD, and the record has been updated to reflect that research.

Sources include:

McCartney, I., 2022. Echoes from the Deep. Leiden: Sidestone Press. https://www.sidestone.com/books/echoes-from-the-deep

UKHO ID 9877: Contains public sector information, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, from UK Hydrographic Office.

J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, April 2023

Site Record

UKHO 9877 (THORNFIELD)