WILLIAM CASTLE - Northumberland & Northeast
The *William Castle* is one of our absolute favourite Northumberland wrecks, hands down. We just love how much of it is still there to poke around. Dropping onto her bow, the first thing you notice is the sheer size of her, especially if the visibility is playing ball that day. You can trace the deck back to the wheelhouse, which is still largely intact, a real treat for any wreck diver. The engine room offers some great penetration for those with the right training and gear, with all sorts of machinery still recognisable – a proper time capsule. What makes the *William Castle* really special, though, is the life that’s claimed her. Even without a species list, we’ve always found it buzzing. Ling often lurk in the deeper sections, and her hull is absolutely plastered with anemones and dead man’s fingers. On a good day, with a bit of sunlight filtering down, the colours are surprisingly vibrant for a North Sea wreck. We always suggest trying to hit this one on a slack tide, otherwise, the currents can make exploring a bit of a workout. It’s a cracker for experienced wreckies, offering plenty to see across multiple dives.
- Location
- Northumberland & Northeast, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 54.907272, -5.179434
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 0m
Marine Protected Area: Salt Pans Bay
Nearby Dive Sites in Northumberland & Northeast
- AARLA - 35m (wreck)
- ABBOTSFORD - 7m (wreck)
- ABYDOS - 8m (wreck)
- ACACIA - 11m (wreck)
- ACTION - 0m (wreck)
- ADC 527 - 60m (wreck)
- ADC 527 - 50m (wreck)
- ADC 527 (POSSIBLY) - 37m (wreck)
- ADGILLUS - 36m (wreck)
- AFTON - 22m (wreck)
- AFTON - 0m (wreck)
- AILSA - 1m (wreck)
- ALARM - 27m (wreck)
- ALASTOR - 13m (wreck)
- ALBANIAN - 35m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to WILLIAM CASTLE
- Above & Below Dive Centre - ["PADI"]
- Academy Divers - ["PADI"]
- Aqua Adventurers Scuba Diving
- Aqualogistics
- Aquaventurers - ["PADI"]
- Barracuda Scuba Ltd
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
- Protestant (Clupea harengus) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
- Edible periwinkle (Littorina littorea) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common lobster (Homarus gammarus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - Seagrass & Algae
- Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina) - Hard Corals
- Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)
- butterfish (Pholis gunnellus) - Reef Fish
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters