The foot of Beach Hill, from the entrance to the Pill
John Stevenson Collection
The houses on the central skyline were not on a map of 1869, but are shown by 1908. They were demolished in the 1940s to make way for the new "Steel Houses" of Milton Crescent.
Vessels, damaged or otherwise, and the contents of wrecked vessels, were frequently auctioned in Castle Pill, following advertisements in local as well as national newspapers. The Western Mail advertised auctions of the dismasted brig JOHN TWIZZELL (23 Nov 1880); the brigantine WYOMING (5 Jan 1885); and the schooner KATE AND ANN, which had been run into by a steamer in November 1892, damaging her port side(16 Feb 1893).
On 24 Jan 1888, the hull of the iron steam ship MARY E. WADHAM, aground at Freshwater West, was auctioned, followed by her "Anchors, Chains, a large quantity of Damaged Rope, Blocks, Sidelights, Compasses, Pumps, quantity of Copper Pipes, Steering Wheel, Bells, Deadlights, Brass Fittings, Sails, Quantity of Lead, together with a variety of articles too numerous to particularise."