Photograph Album

PORTLAND BILL

There has been a lighthouse at Portland since 1716 but the present tower was constructed in 1906.  This picture, with me in the foreground, was taken in 1956.

Two earlier towers, one of which was  the first in England to be fitted with Argand lamps, have been converted to private dwellings.   I have learned since that above the doorway of one of them was a marble tablet with the following inscription -

For the Direction and Comfort of NAVIGATORS; For the Benefit and Security of COMMERCE. and for a lasting memorial of BRITISH HOSPITALITY to All Nations. This lighthouse was erected by the Worshipful Brethren of Trinity House of Deptford Strond.  Anno 1789

Altogether this seemed a fitting picture to start my Photo Album.

BLACKNORE POINT

 I reached this minor light by walking approx 2 miles along the Somerset coastal path from Portishead.  The openwork steel tower has stood alone since 1894.  Its 4th order bi-form optic, probably the smallest of its type in the world, can be seen in the RH picture.

In this view looking up the Estuary the Severn Bridges can be seen in the background.

BATTERY  POINT

Portishead

MARYPORT,  CUMBRIA

This elegant hexagonal cast iron tower built in 1834 replaced an earlier (1796?) light and is probably the oldest surviving cast iron LH tower in Britain.                                Robert Stevenson, on his 1801 tour, records " the light on the pier head at Maryport is from oil with two reflectors". He also reported that the lights at Maryport, Workington and Whitehaven were only shown during parts of flood and ebb tides. From the mid 19thC up to 1927 Maryport was the largest port on the Cumberland coast (with "four lights" of varying types) exporting coal, iron and iron products from what was a busy local industrial area.

Chance Brothers supplied a 4th order optic in 1858.  This was acetylene lit from 1946 to 1996  when the  CI tower was discarded in favour of the aluminium  pyramid structure (shown below)with a mains electric  navigation light on its seaward face.         

The buildings in Maryport visible to  the right of the older tower include the Maritime Museum.

HELWICK LIGHT VESSEL      

Preserved in Swansea Marina

                                                                           - the Masters cabin.

LIZARD LIGHTHOUSE

Position 49º 57’.58 N 05º 12'.07 W

The distinctive twin towers of the Lizard Lighthouse mark the most southerly point of mainland Britain. The lighthouse gives a guide to vessels in passage along the English Channel and warns of the hazardous waters off Lizard Point.

FLAMBOROUGH

Position 54° 06'.97 N 00° 04'.86 W

A lighthouse was first established at Flamborough by Sir John Clayton in 1669, but was never kindled. The name Flamborough was first thought to be derived from it being the place of the flame, but in the domesday book the word is spelt "Flaneberg", possibly from the Saxon "Flaen" meaning a dart, which the shape of the headland resembles

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