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LOW LEE NATURE TRAIL
THE PROJECT
ESSENTIAL INFO
THE ROUTE
MAP
SPECIES LIST
THE PROJECT
Low Lee Reef lies
under a maximum of 20 meters of water approximately 2 kilometre’s
offshore of Newlyn Harbour in Mounts Bay, Cornwall. It is composed
of natural granite . There is also evidence of ballast stone which
may have come from a Dutch East Indian ship wrecked there. It
attracts a wide variety of submarine flora and fauna, which makes
it a fascinating place to dive and explore. A bronze cannon from
the site can be seen outside the Penzance Library.
It has the added
interest of the wreck remains of the SS Primrose, a 262 ton
Liverpool coaster that was built in 1885. On her last voyage she
was carrying coal from her home port of Garston to Newlyn. Captain
Lewis misjudged his distance offshore and struck Low Lee Ledges on
the 23rd August 1906. She flooded immediately and
subsequently broke up in bad weather before she could be salvaged.
The wreckage is widely scattered.
In 1995 members
of Penzance BSAC created a roped circular trail on the reef, which
enabled any diver to explore the reef in safety. In 1999, the
trail was upgraded by members of Penzance BSAC, with funding and
support from English Nature.
Included in this
guide is a Route Guide, Species list and a map of Low Lee Reef. A
laminated colour copy of the map and a species identification
chart are also available from Penzance BSAC.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR ESSENTIAL INFORMATION, WHICH YOU MUST READ
BEFORE YOU USE THE NATURE TRAIL, TO ENSURE A SAFE & ENJOYABLE
DIVE.
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