HMS VANGUARD - Northumberland & Northeast

The HMS Vanguard wreck is pure drama. Sunk in a collision with her sister ship, HMS Iron Duke, in 1875, she’s now a deep, sprawling mess of twisted metal sitting at 46 metres. We find it endlessly fascinating how such a powerful battleship could end up in this state, ripped apart by the very ocean it was built to dominate. Dropping down, the visibility in the North Sea can be a bit of a lottery, but when it's good, you start to make out the scale of the Vanguard’s broken hull. The stern section is particularly impressive, with large plates peeling back like a tin can. Big conger eels are everywhere, tucked into the dark recesses, and we’ve spotted huge lobsters clinging to the fallen armour plating. It’s a proper low-light dive, so good torches are essential to pick out the details. This is a dive for experienced wreck enthusiasts, no question. The depth and potential for current mean you need to be comfortable in your skills. But for those who are, the Vanguard offers a real sense of history and the raw power of the sea, all within a few hours’ boat ride from shore. We recommend diving it on a slack tide for the best chance to explore the various debris fields without fighting the flow.

Location

Northumberland & Northeast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe

Coordinates

53.212994, -5.772006

Type

wreck

Maximum Depth

46m

Marine Protected Area: Croker Carbonate Slabs