Minotaur
Wood Location
Helston, CORNWALL
Ship Information
Ship Commander - Capt Charles John Moore Mansfield
Guns - 74
Constructed at - Woolwich
Crew - 640
Killed in the battle - 2
Injured in the battle - 23
Wood Information
Size - 12 acres
Owner - Trelowarren Estate
To be planted - November 2005
With 1000 acres of farmland and forestry, Trelowarren is ideal as the site for the Cornish planting. The Trelowarren Estate overlooks the Helford River. Owner Sir Ferrers Vyvyan is already encouraging primary schools to teach pupils about gardening and horticulture, and help will be enlisted from the children and the local community to plant around 10,000 trees. The ‘Minotaur Wood’ is named after the eponymous ship which was launched in 1793 with Commander Charles Mansfield at its helm.
Cornwall is probably better known for smuggling and pirates, but there is a very strong Cornish link to this historic event. Many of the crew at the battle were Cornish, and the frigate HMS Pickle landed at Falmouth and brought news of the battle and Nelson’s death back to Britain.
The site for Minotaur Wood is an area of farmland adjoining an existing woodland. It will be planted this autumn with oak, beech, ash, sweet chestnut, hazel and alder.
This site is open for public access all year round.
Trelowarren Estate:
Award-winning, environmental holiday accommodation for rental or sale as timeshare has been created from derelict old historic buildings and new construction. An Austrian woodburner will supply heating for the whole estate (2 AA red rosette New Yard Restaurant, leisure complex and accommodation) with wood coppiced from their sustainable forestry. The old walled garden will be restored to produce organic fruit and vegetables and the 18th Century Pleasure Gardens will also be restored to their original designs. Historic estate was the inspiration for Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Frenchman’s Creek’.
Events in Minotaur Wood
A schools planting day will take place in November 2005 for local schools to take part in.
A cadet planting day will take place in November 2005. More details to follow.
More information
Charles John Moore Mansfield
Was in command of the Minotaur and in conjunction with the Thunderer, he captured the French 40 gun frigate Franchise in the Channel on the 28th May 1803. He commanded the Minotaur in the weather column at Trafalgar, 1805 (gold medal, thanks of Parliament, and sword of honour from the Patriotic Fund); and in the expedition to Copenhagen in 1807, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral William Essington, third in command. He died in May 1813.
HMS Minotaur
HMS Minotaur was built at Woolwich dockyard and launched in 1793, and after joining the Mediterranean fleet was present at the battle of the Nile.
Captain Mansfield took the Minotaur into battle with her band playing after addressing his crew and reminding them ‘Be careful to take good aim, for it is to no purpose to throw shot away’.
At Trafalgar Minotaur was stationed at the rear of the line led by HMS Victory and Admiral Nelson, and by the time she approached the combined French Spanish fleets, fighting had already continued for two hours. At that time the section of the French and Spanish fleet at the head of their line had turned and was endeavouring to join the battle, when they were opposed by the Minotaur and Spartiate. Together the British ships met and fought the four approaching enemy ships severely damaging the French Formidable (80 guns) and holding off the others until more British ships came up. The Spanish Neptuno (80 guns) lowered her flag after losing her mizen mast, but Minotaur, although damaged in her rigging, suffered only 25 casualties compared to Neptuno’s 86. The Neptuno was later retaken by her Spanish crew as the ships drifted apart in the storm that followed the battle.
Minotaur was wrecked on the Dutch coast in 1810 with the loss of 370 of her crew.
Many thanks to Alan Aberg at the Society for Nautical Research for providing us with information on the ships and their commanders.
