(Image: Derek Haslam)
At the bottom of a flooded limestone quarry, not far from the small Lancashire town of Carnforth, rests an assortment of old wrecks for scuba divers to explore. Among them are the abandoned sports can and submerged Westland Wessex HU5 helicopter seen here.
(Image: Derek Haslam)
The flooded quarry is now the Capernwray Diving Centre, which caters to both expert divers and beginners. Resplendent in its original yellow SAR (Search and Rescue) paint scheme with bright red, white and blue roundels, the sunken Wessex is one of two decommissioned helicopters lying on the artificial lake-bed. The craft is understood to be XS491, which first flew in 1964 and ended its days as a ground instructional airframe at RAF Stafford.
(Image: Derek Haslam)
Along with XS491, Capernwray is home to a variety of other discarded wrecks that divers can seek out, including several light aircraft and boats (more here). Strangest of all – though not without precedent – is a curious gnome garden. The location is a secret, but the little figures are down there somewhere.
Related: 10 Lost Underwater Cities of the Ancient World
The post Capernwray: Dive Sunken Helicopters, Cars & More appeared first on Urban Ghosts Media.