Located to the west of Penlee Point near Plymouth, the historic wreck of the Coronation has a fascinating story to tell and more than a few mysteries just waiting to be solved. Often overlooked by divers visiting more contemporary wrecks like the James Eagen Layne, HMS Scylla and the Maine, the Coronation wreck site offers divers the opportunity to explore the remains of a historically important vessel bristling with cannon that has lain on the seabed for well over 300 years. Although most of the vessel’s superstructure has long since disappeared, what remains is a treasure trove of history including some of the most impressive cannon you’ll find outside the halls of the British Museum.

The Coronation was a second-rate ship of the line launched in 1685 by Master Shipwright Isaac Betts of Portsmouth. Commissioned in 1690, she served under Captain Charles Skelton. She saw action against the French in the infamous Battle of Beachy Head later that same year. At 50 metres long and with a beam (width) of almost 14 metres, she weighed a staggering 1300 tonnes with a crew of over 600 able seamen. Like most second-rate ships of the time, she boasted three continuous gun decks. She packed quite a punch too with ninety cannon of various sizes ranged against potential targets. The largest of her cannon – twenty-six ’32 pounders’ – could cause some serious damage to any enemy vessel unlucky enough to cross her in battle.

Little more than a year after being commissioned into the Royal Navy, tragedy would strike. In the late Summer of 1691, the Coronation was part of a fleet commanded by Admiral Edward Russell that was tasked with blockading the French Navy in port. With the fleet off Ushant - a small island off the coast of Brittany - the weather took a serious turn for the worse and Russell’s fleet was forced to turn tail and make for the safety of Plymouth Sound. But with hurricane force winds blowing across the Sound from the South West, the fleet was lashed by torrential rain and forced to take in all sails. With no breakwater to protect them at that time, Plymouth Sound was a death-trap.

With the wreck’s identity still a mystery, it wasn’t until 1977 that positive proof was finally discovered when Peter McBride located a second cannon site nearby containing sixteen cannon and three large anchors. Several days later, McBride would find the proof he needed to finally put the wreck’s identity to bed – a pewter plate bearing the coat of arms of the Lieutenant Governor of Plymouth, Sir John Skelton – the father of the Coronation’s Captain, Charles Skelton. Looking to protect the site from interference, McBride applied for a Wreck Protection order that made it illegal for anyone to dive his cannon site without permission.

To this day, McBride’s protection order remains in place. The site is now managed by a dedicated team of volunteers actively working together on the Coronation Wreck Project. Access to the site is strictly controlled and can only be gained either by booking onto one of several approved local charter boats or by contacting the project directly. In charge of managing access is diver Mark Pearce. As the visits licencee, it’s Mark’s job to control access to the site to ensure that all legal requirements as set out by English Heritage are adhered to.

We asked Mark why his role is necessary. “The site is protected because it’s a wreck of national importance, and as such, needs to be protected from pilfering, disturbance and interference. Although diving is permitted, we maintain a strict no touch or removal policy. This means that the wreckage will be enjoyed by future divers in its current position”. Despite the serious tone, Mark and the team actively encourage divers to visit the site. When time allows, Mark even offers the occasional guided tour complete with laminated wreck site maps for each buddy pair to aid navigation around what the project refers to as its ‘diver trail’.

With almost all of the Coronation’s wooden superstructure long gone, what now remains offers a fascinating glimpse into maritime history. Station 1 on the diver trail brings you to the first of two large main anchors. Weighing a good 3.5 tonnes, it’s hard not to be blown away by its sheer size – at 5 metres in length and 2.5 metres in width across the colossal flukes that fan out on either side of the anchor’s crown, it’s hard not to wonder just how big the Coronation herself must have been to need such a behemoth!

Following the diver trail, you’ll be treated to cannon of many shapes and sizes – from 2.1 metre-long 5.75 pounders to a massive 18 pound ‘Culverin’ cannon measuring over 3 metres in length. Resting on a rocky outcrop, this beauty is a popular stop for visiting photographers! Even this cannon would have been dwarfed by the Coronation’s ‘32 pounder’ cannon from the lower decks which are located off the trail.