Grounded 14 April 1953
HMS Conway began her life as HMS Nile in 1839. She was designed by Sir Robert Seppings, a famous naval architect. In 1875, HMS Nile was allocated on loan by the Admiralty to the Mercantile Marine Service Association as a training ship and, after being fitted out for her duties, she was renamed HMS Conway and positioned in the river Mersey, off Rock Ferry.
The ship remained in the Mersey until the Second World War when a decision was made to move her to safer waters in the Menai Straits, near Bangor, where another training ship 'Clio' had once been moored. In 1949 HMS Conway was towed under the two bridges crossing the Menai straits to moorings near Plas Newydd, Anglesey, where she would continue to train cadets for careers at sea. In 1953 HMS Conway was due to be refitted in Birkenhead and preparations were made to tow the ship under the two bridges once more. However, disaster struck and the ship was grounded between the two bridges. HMS Conway subsequently caught fire and was burned to the waterline.