Shipwreck Monument Approximately 40 Metres East Of Church Of St Mary The Virgin

The Shipwreck Monument, located approximately 40 metres east of the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Brixham, commemorates the sailors who died in the significant Torbay shipwreck on 11 January 1866. Erected around 1866 by Wood of Bristol, the monument is made of dressed stone, likely limestone, with some white marble detailing. It features a square pedestal with a moulded base, which displays a carved shipwreck scene on the south side. Above this scene stands a cross on a pile of rocks, with an anchor leaning against it.

The west face of the pedestal bears an inscription that recounts the tragic event, stating that out of a fleet of 64 British and foreign merchant vessels anchored in Torbay on the night of 10 January 1866, over 40 were driven from their anchors and wrecked or stranded on the 11th, with more than 100 lives believed to have been lost. Additionally, the south side of the plinth includes another inscription noting that the monument was funded by the Brixham Shipwrecked Sailors Relief Committee, using the remainder of £3,211/9/5 raised through public subscription for the widows and orphans of the disaster. The monument is enclosed by an iron fence supported by low square stone posts at each corner.