Beaufort's Dyke
Encyclopedia
Beaufort's Dyke is the sea trench between Northern Ireland
and Scotland
within the North Channel
. The dyke is 50 km long, 3.5 km wide and 200–300 metres deep.
Because of its depth and its proximity to the Cairnryan
military port, it became the United Kingdom
's largest offshore dump site for conventional and chemical munitions after the Second World War; in July 1945, 14,500 tons of 5-inch artillery rockets filled with phosgene
were dumped in Beaufort's Dyke.
Munitions have subsequently been washed up on beaches in the area. In particular, in 1995, incendiary devices were discovered on the Scottish and Northern Irish coasts. This coincided with the laying of the Scottish Northern Ireland Pipeline (SNIP), a 24-inch gas interconnector being constructed by British Gas.
Projects for a rail tunnel
between Northern Ireland and Scotland have been suggested at various times from the late nineteenth-century onwards. The Dyke has always been an important problem for such proposals, in terms both of practicality and cost.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
within the North Channel
North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland)
The North Channel is the strait which separates eastern Northern Ireland from southwestern Scotland...
. The dyke is 50 km long, 3.5 km wide and 200–300 metres deep.
Cairnryan
Cairnryan is a small Scottish village in Dumfries and Galloway on the eastern shore of Loch Ryan. The village has been of vital importance in maritime history.-Ferry Port:...
military port, it became the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's largest offshore dump site for conventional and chemical munitions after the Second World War; in July 1945, 14,500 tons of 5-inch artillery rockets filled with phosgene
Phosgene
Phosgene is the chemical compound with the formula COCl2. This colorless gas gained infamy as a chemical weapon during World War I. It is also a valued industrial reagent and building block in synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds. In low concentrations, its odor resembles...
were dumped in Beaufort's Dyke.
Munitions have subsequently been washed up on beaches in the area. In particular, in 1995, incendiary devices were discovered on the Scottish and Northern Irish coasts. This coincided with the laying of the Scottish Northern Ireland Pipeline (SNIP), a 24-inch gas interconnector being constructed by British Gas.
Projects for a rail tunnel
Irish Sea Tunnel
An Irish Sea Tunnel is a proposed tunnel that would link the island of Ireland to Great Britain beneath the Irish Sea. It has been suggested in the past largely for political reasons. It would be a railway tunnel, similar to the Channel Tunnel beneath the English Channel...
between Northern Ireland and Scotland have been suggested at various times from the late nineteenth-century onwards. The Dyke has always been an important problem for such proposals, in terms both of practicality and cost.