Archaeological remains associated with HMS HARPY are not confirmed at this location, but may be present in the vicinity. This entry is for the Documented Loss of HMS HARPY.
Event and Historical Information
HMS HARPY was a Torch Class (2nd-class) iron-hulled paddle-wheeled gunvessel launched in 1845 at Blackwall by Ditchburn and Mare. The vessel was the second of the class and was ordered on 16 January 1844 and launched on 4 March 1845. It was (as built) 141ft 1in length overall, 22ft 6in width, 13ft 7in depth, with a draught of 3ft 9in. The ship was powered by a 2-cylinder side-lever engine, 55in diameter, 4ft stroke, oscillating, 200 nhp, 520 ihp, rated at 9 knts (Winfield, 2014: 329).
HMS HARPY was commissioned on 26 November 1845 under Lt Edward Halhed Beauchamp-Proctor for the east coast of South America. The vessel remained within the Royal Navy on a variety of duties including as a tender ro major warships at naval stations as varied as Constantinople (1854), Greenock (1860), and Plymouth (1880). The ship was refitted in 1853-54 and 1859-60, and repaired in 1876-77, before being sold to the War Office on 26 October 1892 for use as a target (Winfield, 2014: 329).
In September 1894 the Cardiff Times reported that HMS HARPY arrived at Milford Haven from Devonport to be used as a target during experimental trials of the Zalinski Dynamite Gun mounted at Dale Fort. Further newspaper reports describe the gun trails taking place in 1896, when HMS HARPY was moored in shallow water at the entrance to the waterway, 3,500 yards from the fort, and fired upon to assess the effectiveness of the Zalinski Gun (Evening Express). Another report (South Wales Echo) describes the eventual sinking of the vessel, and also its demolition by Royal Engineers, the order of these events, and the location is unclear. The wreck of the ship is reported to have been sold in 1909 for £20 (Winfield, 2014: 329).
The location of HMS HARPY at the time of sinking, demolition, or sale is not clearly known. However, it may be associated with the remains of a mid-19th century pair of boilers located at Lindsway Bay (NPRN 801292). Further historical and archaeological research is required to confirm this connection.
Sources Include:
Cardiff Times, 15 September 1894, page 3. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3430502/3430505/76/HARPY
Evening Express, 30 October 1896, page 3. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3266095/3266098/55/HARPY
South Wales Echo, 29 October 1896, page 4. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4604156/4604160/94/HARPY
Winfield, R., 2014. British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1817-1863. Seaforth Publishing.
J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, March 2025.