The Wreck of the Norwegian Barque Helvetia at Rhossili Bay – 1 November 1887

Rhossili Bay

On 1 November 1887, the Norwegian barque Helvetia was wrecked at Rhossili Bay on the Gower coast after encountering severe weather while attempting to reach Swansea Harbour. The vessel had crossed the Atlantic from Canada carrying approximately 500 tons of timber, but her voyage ended when she was driven ashore. Fortunately, all members of her crew survived.

The Helvetia was built at Bremerhaven, Germany, during the 1850s, although historical accounts differ over her exact year of construction. Some records give 1855, while the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales records 1858. There is also some confusion over her registration, with Bremerhaven appearing in earlier accounts, although the Royal Commission identifies Horten, Norway, as her port of registry at the time of the wreck. The vessel measured approximately 135 feet in length and had spent nearly thirty years or more engaged in merchant shipping by the time she was lost.

Having completed her Atlantic crossing, the Helvetia, under the command of Captain E. Svendsen, was approaching Swansea when the weather deteriorated. She was reportedly waiting for a pilot to guide her into harbour when a strong southeasterly gale prevented her from entering.

Worm's Head

The wind carried the vessel away from the entrance to Swansea Bay, past Mumbles Head and along the Gower coast. At one stage, she grounded on the Helwick Sands, a dangerous sandbank off Gower, but the heavy seas lifted her clear. She was eventually driven into Rhossili Bay, where the crew dropped anchor in an attempt to prevent her from being carried onto the beach.

With the ship in difficulty, members of the local lifesaving company came to the crew's assistance. A rocket apparatus was used to establish a line between the shore and the vessel, allowing a rescue to begin. One of the sailors was brought ashore using a breeches buoy, a canvas seat suspended from a rope that enabled men to be hauled to safety.

Captain Svendsen was initially reluctant to leave his ship. Abandoning a vessel could raise questions about salvage rights, and he was concerned about losing both the ship and her valuable cargo. However, when the wind changed and the Helvetia began dragging her anchor, it became clear that she could not remain safely where she was. The remaining crew abandoned the vessel, and all reached shore without injury.

By the following morning, the Helvetia was stranded on Rhossili Beach. Her cargo of Canadian timber had begun to wash ashore, and large quantities of wood were scattered across the sands. Some of the timber was subsequently collected and sold at auction, with local merchants arranging for its removal.

Although badly damaged, the Helvetia did not break up immediately. She remained on the beach for several weeks before finally breaking apart on 16 December 1887. By 19 December, reports suggested that sections of her hull were already buried beneath approximately fourteen feet of sand.

Wreck of Helvetia 

Over the years, the shifting sands of Rhossili Bay have repeatedly covered and uncovered the remains of the vessel. Parts of her wooden hull, including the ribs and lower timbers, can still be seen on the beach when conditions allow.

The wreck has become a familiar sight to generations of people visiting Rhossili. Many who have walked along the beach will have seen the old timbers without necessarily knowing the story behind them.

In April 2024, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales carried out a photogrammetric survey of the wreck, producing a detailed three-dimensional record of the surviving remains.

The Helvetia is one of several vessels known to have been lost along this part of the Gower coastline during the nineteenth century. Her story is particularly interesting because of the successful rescue of her crew, the subsequent salvage of her timber cargo and the survival of part of her wooden hull.

Almost 140 years after she came ashore, the remains of the Helvetia are still visible at Rhossili, a reminder of the sailing ships that once carried goods into Swansea and the difficulties they sometimes faced in reaching the harbour.