The 5,000 ton armed steamship, the Eldon park, had but twelve years of service behind her when, on February 7th 1940, it struck a mine off Lundy. She had left Port Talbot with a cargo of iron ore, bound for North Africa but had to head back along the Bristol Channel after striking the mine. The ship did not make it back to port, however, and sank off Port Eynon Bay.
With the amount of debris from the explosion surrounding the Eldon Park, the lifeboat had difficulty rescuing the crew of the doomed Eldon Park. But with skill it managed a total of seven successful runs and rescued all 37 of the very grateful crew in a little over eight hours.
Curiously, Lloyd’s Casualty Register makes no mention of the ship having been mined but states that it got stranded on the Helwick Sands before being beached at Port Eynon.
The wreck of the Eldon Park was officially notified as a danger to navigation in the Bristol Channel, but before she was broken up, the shipwreck was featured by the Ministry of Defence in one of its numerous war information films.
Some disposal work was finally carried out on the ship in 1949. Parts of the broken hull may still be seen at low tide.
Eldon Park
