 In 1996, it was the location of the "Sea Empress" oil spill, initially thought to be one of the most devastating oil tanker disasters the UK has ever seen.In the event, recovery has been surprisingly good, perhaps partly because of the very strong tides.The comparable "Torrey Canyon" spill in 1968, a ship which had been heading to Milford Haven, affected shores further south around southern Cornwall and northern France, was actually far more damaging.