MAGGIE TOWNSON - Northumberland & Northeast

Diving the Maggie Townson is like stepping back into a moment of maritime drama. She went down fast in 1878, right near the Alfred Dock entrance, a quick end for an iron-hulled sailing vessel. We find her sitting upright on the seabed at 15m, remarkably intact, considering the busy shipping lanes above. The real joy here is tracing her lines. You can still make out the bow and stern, and sections of the deck structure are visible, draped in soft corals and anenomes. Conger eels love to poke their heads from the darker recesses of the collapsed holds, and the odd lobster hunkers down in any available crack. Our favourite is finning slowly around the stern, imagining the chaos that led to her sinking. Visibility can be a bit of a lottery, sometimes a clear 10m, other days a murky 3, but the wreck's structure always stands out. It’s a dive for those who appreciate history and don't mind a bit of a rummage, best done on a slack tide.

Location
Northumberland & Northeast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
53.404984, -3.006904
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
15m

Marine Protected Area: Mersey Narrows

Nearby Dive Sites in Northumberland & Northeast

Nearest Dive Centres to MAGGIE TOWNSON

Marine Life in Northumberland & Northeast

Home to 132 recorded species including 53 reef fish, 15 whales & dolphins, 11 sharks & rays, 10 other, 10 seagrass & algae, 9 crabs & lobsters.

Notable Species