A 'remarkable piece of England’s maritime heritage' has now been made more accessible to the public
The resting place of a famous Royal Navy ship that won a decisive victory over France has been restored to its former glory thanks to a group of volunteer divers.
HMS Colossus was a 74-gun warship built in Kent in 1787 which sank off the Isles of Scilly in 1798.
Historic England commissioned volunteer divers to refurbish the trail, helping make the site more accessible to both visitors and virtual audiences.
The team cleared marine growth from archaeological features, including cannons, rudder fittings and hull timbers and installed new dive stations.
They also assessed the condition of the wreck site and produced new photography and video footage to showcase the wreck and its rich marine environment.
During its 11-year service the warship saw action at Toulon, Groix, Cape St Vincent and Cadiz.
It fought in the Battle of the Nile in 1798, where Lord Nelson's fleet routed Napoleon's forces, trapping the French army in Egypt.
But in December that year, while sheltering from a storm off the Isles of Scilly, the ship’s anchor cable gave way and it was driven onto shallow ground off Samson, the largest uninhabited island off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula.
All but one of the 595 people on board were rescued - before HMS Colossus later broke apart, scattering its remains across the seabed.
The ship is also known for carrying part of 18th century British diplomat and antiquarian Sir William Hamilton’s collection of ancient Greek pottery.
Some 30,000 pottery fragments recovered from the wreck site are held by the British Museum.
The resting place of HMS Colossus is one of 57 Protected Wreck Sites and means only licenced divers can visit.
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The refurbished trail features two circular routes taking in the major features of the wreck with numbered seabed stations and an improved waterproof guide.
For those unable to visit in person, an interactive virtual tour mirrors the underwater trail, combining detailed 3D models, dive footage and photography to bring HMS Colossus to life.
Hefin Meara, maritime archaeologist at Historic England, said: “The diver trail at HMS Colossus offers a great opportunity to explore the remains of an 18th-century warship, with timbers, cannons and other features still visible on the seabed.
“The volunteer divers have worked incredibly hard to improve the trail and help make this remarkable piece of England’s maritime heritage more accessible to divers and non-divers alike.”
Kevin Camidge, archaeologist at Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Maritime Archaeology Society, added: “If you only dive on one historic wreck site, make it this one.
“To swim along the line of cannons standing upright on the seabed with their muzzles buried in the sand, still within their gunports, is a unique experience.”
Once Britain entered into the Georgian era in 1714, it had already been at war with France for around 25 years.
The period saw the country embroiled in numerous military scuffles, including the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence and the Jacobite Revolts.