The Teeswood was a 1261 Ton Motor Vessel built in 1953 by Burntisland SB Co Ltd of Burntisland, owned by the Constantine Line and sailing from Blyth to Shoreham with a cargo of coal when she foundered in a heavy sea on 26 July 1956. She was reported as sinking off of Dungeness but the wreck is only about 3 miles due south of Dover Harbour.
During the storm the crew were taken off by the Dungeness lifeboat The Charles Cooper Henderson. Her coxswain, George Tart, won the RNLI bronze medal for gallantry in the rescue of nine men from the collier Teeswood on 29th July 1956 in a rare force 12 storm. Between noon and midnight that day, the Charles Cooper Henderson was launched no less than three times. On each occasion, as her coxswain said afterwards, “it took her a long time to get back, pounding against wind and sea”.
Diving: This is a very nice, clean and intact wreck lying on its side in a max depth of 33m standing 9m proud with the top at only 24m. She was identified by her bell which was only recovered a few years ago.
The bow and stern are very intact, with the superstructure very much in place, the windows are gone apart from some very big round portholes and you can very easily enter the superstructure.
In the centre the hull has fallen away so the middle section is very open, the wreck lies into the tide and there is very little silt on the shingle seabed. The masts at the bow end are very impressive and still in place.
