The Manacles

The Manacles (Cornish: Meyn Eglos, meaning church stones) (grid reference SW820205) are a set of treacherous rocks off The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall.

The Manacles Marine Conservation Zone was designated on 21 November 2013 and covers an area of approximately 3.5km2.

The seabed varies within the site and includes rocky reefs, vertical rock faces, subtidal sand and intertidal coarse sediment.

The reef lying on the eastern approach to the port of Falmouth is one reason for the large number of wrecks, although some ships such as SS Mohegan were many miles off course when they ploughed into the rocks.

Over the previous ten years, sixteen vessels, with 693 crew and passengers had been wrecked and the value of the ships and their cargoes was estimated to be about £100,000.