Ship wreck memorial could fall

The lean is being measured to see how quickly the monument is moving

A memorial to 452 people who died in the Royal Charter ship wreck off Anglesey in 1859 is in danger of toppling over.

Church wardens at St Allgo's church, near the wreck site at Moelfre, noticed the nine feet tall (2.7 m) stone obelisk was leaning three weeks ago.

Engineers have since checked the three tonne structure and said it needs to be completely removed and reset.

Warden Peter Day said the work would cost at least £7,000.

The Royal Charter was smashed against rocks near Moelfre after getting into trouble in appalling weather during a storm on 25 October 1859.

A 2,700 ton steam and sailing ship she was bound for Liverpool, on the last leg of a long voyage from Melbourne, Australia.

If it is not done in the next month then it could fall over Peter Day, church warden

On board were 452 passengers and crew, and gold from the Australian goldfield valued at £320,000.

For weeks after the tragedy bodies were washed up on the nearby beaches, and on the cliff top there is a memorial with the words "where the Royal Charter met its end, and the memory of those who died".

The members of St Allgo's church at the time also paid for an obelisk to remember those involved.

This was first place inside the church, but later moved to its present position in the church yard.

"I'm extremely concerned," said Mr Day.

Soft area

"We first noticed the problem three weeks ago when the other warden was cutting grass and he sank up to his knees near the monument because the area had become very soft."

Mr Day said it was thought that the area had become soft due to either settlement or water washing away the soil.

"We've roped off part of the churchyard so stop people going near it," he added.

The work needs to be done sooner rather than later.

"If it is not done in the next month then it could fall over," said Mr Day.

"It is probably going to cost between seven and eight thousand pounds to do the work, maybe more," he added.

The church has started an appeal to raise the funds to carry out the work.