After a wreck, townspeople would come out with their carts and horses and haul away the spoils: wine, coffee, nutmeg, cotton, tobacco, and whatever else the ship had been carrying. (The ribs of the ship are now on display in Plymouth at Pilgrim Hall.)īut if the passengers and crew of these early ships couldn’t be saved, the cargo often was. So the ocean takes and gives back and takes again. In 1863, after storms had shifted the sands again, the skeleton of the Sparrowhawk reappeared briefly. But, before it could set sail, the ship was sunk by another storm and wasn’t seen for over two hundred years. The people aboard were able to get ashore safely, and the ship was repaired. The first recorded wreck was the Sparrowhawk which ran aground at Orleans in 1626. By the time the storm was over, there was usually no one to rescue. When a storm struck the Cape in the early days, no one was surprised to hear the alarm: Ship ashore! All hands perishing! The townspeople would turn out on the beach, but usually the surf was too high for them to attempt a rescue. So many ships have piled up on the hidden sand bars off the coast between Chatham and Provincetown that those forty miles of sea have been called an "ocean graveyard." Indeed, between Truro and Wellfleet alone, there have been more than 1,000 wrecks. Follow posted advisories regarding pet or pedestrian closures. Nesting Birds: From late spring through fall, shorebirds nest on this beach. Safety: Use caution when turning on and off Route 6 onto side roads in these locations. Other areas of interest nearby include Pilgrim Heights (one mile further north on Route 6) and High Head (.5 mile further north beyond Pilgrim Heights). Turn right and proceed two miles to the beach and bike trail head. Look for the brown and white Head of the Meadow Beach sign on the right. 25 mile north from Cape Cod Light/Highland Road exit. Lifeguards are typically on duty from late summer to Labor Day.ĭirections: Traveling north on Route 6, proceed. Particulars: Limited restroom facilities are available at Head of the Meadow Beach in summer only.
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