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Wreck of the City of Ottawa is a Victorian steamship that came to rest in Rhyl Harbour, North Wales. The vessel lies upon a seabed of Middle Triassic claystone interbedded with siltstone, sandstone and gypsum deposits, geology typical of the Cheshire Basin formation. This ancient bedrock foundation, laid down during the Late Triassic period, forms a relatively stable anchor for the wreck in the shallow waters of the Clwydian coast.
The City of Ottawa represents the maritime heritage of the Victorian era, when steam-powered vessels like this steamship transformed sea travel and commerce. Rhyl Harbour developed as a significant port during the nineteenth century, sheltered by its natural geography and accessible to vessels of considerable size. The wreck now sits as a testament to the hazards of coastal navigation in this period.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under reference DE313, recognising its archaeological and historical significance. The claystone bedrock that surrounds the wreck has helped preserve it in the marine environment, offering archaeologists insights into Victorian-era shipbuilding, maritime trade and the maritime risks faced by seafarers of the period. The site contributes to our understanding of Wales's industrial and commercial development during the nineteenth century.
Wreck of the City of Ottawa, Rhyl Harbour is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE313. View the official record →
Wreck of the City of Ottawa is a Victorian steamship that came to rest in Rhyl Harbour, North Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE313.
Wreck of the City of Ottawa, Rhyl Harbour dates from the victorian period, and is classified as a wreck. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Wreck of the City of Ottawa, Rhyl Harbour is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is DE313.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St George's Well, Abergele (5.4 km), The Mount, Abergele (5.7 km), Criccin Cross (5.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Wreck of the City of Ottawa, Rhyl Harbour's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Wreck of the City of Ottawa, Rhyl Harbour stands on Middle Triassic claystone, bedrock that formed in the Late Triassic. The rock here is major:{claystone}, Minor{siltstone,sandstone,gypsum}.