Longships, Cornwall
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox islands
The Longships (Template:Langx) is the name given to a group of rocky islets situated approximately 1Template:Frac miles (2 km) west of Land's End, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.<ref>Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 Land's End Template:ISBN</ref> The islets are marked by the Longships Lighthouse, the current structure being first lit in December 1873. The islets are very popular for recreational diving, the sea has clear water with prolific marine life and flora.<ref>Totnes BSAC website Template:Webarchive; retrieved June 2010</ref>
Geography
The Longships lie off the granite headland of Land's End and the contact area between the granite pluton and the "country rocks" is just offshore. The reef is within a metamorphic aureole formed after the granite intruded the earlier Devonian rocks between 268 and 275 million years ago, during the Permian period.<ref name=geology>Template:Cite book</ref> Much of the Longship group is submerged at high water but the three largest islets in the group – Tal-y-Maen, Carn Brâs, and Meinek – remain above the high water mark. Two smaller rocks known as Kettle's Bottom are situated midway between Longship and the coast. The Longships islets (but not Kettle's Bottom rocks) are in the civil parish of Sennen.<ref>Cornwall Council online mapping Template:Webarchive; Retrieved June 2010</ref>
Names of the rocks
The names of the rocks that make up the reef have meanings in the Cornish language.
- Cein (Template:Langx, meaning back, ridge, or keel)
- Farkell Carn (Template:Langx, meaning forked cairn)
- Tal-y-maen (Template:Langx, meaning brow of the stones)
- Carn Brâs (Template:Langx, meaning big cairn)
- Herly (Template:Langx, meaning long ledge)
- Plassek (Template:Langx, meaning dirty place)
- Meinek (Template:Langx, meaning stony place)
Shipwrecks
It is not known how many ships have been lost in and around Land's End but there are hundreds recorded and probably thousands unknown. One of the earliest recorded on the Longships, is an unidentified ship lost at the Long Shipps in 1532 reported by the bayliffe John Penheleg.<ref name=mills>Template:Cite book</ref> Other wrecks include:
- 1898: S.S. Bluejacket,
- 1901, November: 'Mary James.' Built 1862 by Richard Tredwen in Padstow. For most of her life owned by the St. Just family of Harvey James and made many voyages to Wales with copper ore, bringing back coal for the mines. Sank after dismasting.<ref>Jenkin, C. J. (2009) Newlyn. 'A view from Street-an-Nowan'. Penryn: R. Booth Ltd.</ref>
Gallery
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Longships Lighthouse in the distance
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Longships Lighthouse
