BRITISH OAK

The British Oak was a humble wooden workhorse, a barge built in 1862. For three decades, she played her part in the industrial commerce of the era, transporting bulk cargoes like coal along the coast and in the busy river estuaries. On September 7, 1892, while on a routine passage from Garston to Alexandra Dock loaded with coal, she began to take on water. The ingress was too much for the crew or pumps to handle, and the barge 'filled overall', sinking in the middle of the river.

At a very shallow depth of only 10 metres, the remains of the British Oak offer a glimpse into 19th-century maritime trade. As a wooden vessel that has been submerged for well over a century, the wreck is heavily decayed and scattered across the seabed. Divers should not expect an intact structure but rather a debris field of timbers, iron fastenings, and perhaps remnants of her coal cargo. This is a dive for those with a keen eye for history, offering a chance to connect with a long-lost piece of local industrial heritage in what is often challenging, low-visibility water.