A century-old shipwreck on the bed of the Solent has become the first submarine dive trail in the UK to be opened up for tourists.

The HMS/mA1, built in July 1902 by Vickers Sons & Maxim, sunk in 1911 and was the first British-designed and built submarine used by the Royal Navy.

The vessel – which sank in 39ft (12m) of water and was designated in 1998 under the Protection of Wrecks Act – has been launched as a dive trail by English Heritage and the Nautical Archaeology Society.

The dive trail is the fourth in the UK for protected wrecks to open since 2009 and is the first submarine trail to open as part of an English Heritage project to create up to a dozen trails by 2018 for historic wreck sites dating from the 17th to 20th century.

Divers on the new trail will be able to explore the submarine resting upright on the seabed with the bow clearly visible. An underwater guide will help divers navigate the wreck and recognise key features such as the conning tower, torpedo loading hatch, and the stern towing and lifting cable.

"This is the second trail that we have designed for accessing protected shipwrecks,” said Mark Beattie-Edwards, programme director for the Nautical Archaeology Society. “ We are sure that the visiting divers will be amazed at the condition of HMS/mA1 which despite having spent more than 100 years on the seabed, is still to a great degree intact.

“It is our hope that visitors will be inspired to help us to protect other examples of our maritime history that now lie on the seabed."

To dive with the Nautical Archaeology Society will cost £50 including talks and a second dive on another protected wreck – the HMS Invincible which sank in 1758.

English Heritage and the Nautical Archaeology Society already run three other trails around the UK on sunken wooden warships, with a fifth dive trail due to open in June for the paddle steamer Iona II which sank off Lundy Island en route to the Bahamas in February 1864.

In the Q1 edition of Attractions Management magazine, eco sculptor Jason deCaires talks about his ocean floor underwater museum projects. To read more click here.