The Rosehill (50º19.80 ’N 4º18.53 W)

The Rosehill was a merchant ship requisitioned by the Admiralty at the start of the First World War to be a collier. The vessel was armed and the gun is still a conspicuous part of the wreck. But the Rosehill fell victim to U40 in September 1917.

The boilers are the most spectacular part of the wreck and the part to look for on an echo sounder as the wreck sits on rock reefs. Look under the jumble of plates for conger. There are fish everywhere with large shoals of bib and lots of wrasse including rock cook families around the boilers. It is also worth straying off the wreck and onto the reefs where there are large populations of sea fans.

The wreck lies in about 30m depth at the western end of Whitsand Bay and can be dived at any state of the tide (also meaning that it is quite silty). The Rosehill is popular with Plymouth Sound Dive Club and, during a summer weekend, you can drive past the 12+ boats on Scylla and JEL to something less busy.