The Association of Lighthouse Keepers’ Cornwall event continued on Thursday and it kicked off with a return to the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth.
This time we’d hired a meeting room so the ALK’s South West Regional Rep, Ken Trethewey, who is also the author of ‘The Lighthouses of Cornwall and Devon: A Narrative’ among other books, could share his knowledge and personal experience of lighthouses in Cornwall and some further afield too.
Ken kicking off his excellent talk
It was a great presentation, starting off with a picture of St Catherine’s Point Lighthouse in Fowey. I was banned from answering the ‘where is this lighthouse?’ question! Ken then went on to talk about Wolf Rock Lighthouse and the amazing opportunity he’d had to fly by helicopter to the lighthouse and take a look inside.
Ken is one of the original lighthouse baggers and so was part of the very lucky – and much smaller – group who would have actually visited the lights while there were still keepers working in them.
Ken also speaks very fondly of Eddystone Lighthouse and the lesser known Plymouth Breakwater Lighthouse, which he was able to organise an ALK trip to see a couple of months ago. Hopefully we can do a re-run of that next year and I’ll make sure I can join next time too. I call it a perk of the job!
The second part of Ken’s talk was fascinating when he delved into his family history and the discovery that three of his ancestors were lighthouse keepers with a particularly close connection to South Foreland Lighthouse. Working alongside his brother, he has released a new book, ‘Light on the Forelands’ which details their findings.
After an enlightening morning it was time for me to get some fresh air so I headed to Helston on the bus for a walk around The Loe, Cornwall’s largest natural freshwater lake. The Loe is only separated from the sea by a sand bar which forms part of the circular walk. No lighthouses there, but still some great views nonetheless.
The Loe Bar which separates The Loe from the sea
Arriving back in Helstan just in time, it was then a matter of journeying south to the Lizard Lighthouse. Unfortunately the Lizard Lighthouse Visitor Centre is currently closed with no signs of it reopening. This obviously caused us a problem for getting in, but once again Nick from Trinity House offered to help out and we got permission for access to the lighthouse only, not the Visitor Centre.
Lizard Lighthouse
There’s something about lighthouses that are frequently visited and very popular. I’m sure I’ve mentioned in at least one blog post before that my affections generally always lie with those that are often overlooked, usually because you can’t just drive to them and it takes more than a short walk. Lizard is, dare I say it, one of those that I just find too popular, but it was actually nice to get inside the tower knowing that it would only be our group in there and it wouldn’t be a matter of battling past numerous others.
The view across the keepers’ houses to the second tower
It certainly is a nice-looking lighthouse though and the addition of the second tower as well adds more visual interest. Perhaps as evidence of its popularity, Nick showed us a cupboard on the ground floor where they store a range of sizes of plimsolls as they had people turning up wearing completely inappropriate footwear.
The lens in Lizard Lighthouse is fantastic and rotates incredibly fast. It gives off an incredibly powerful light, which can be seen for an impressive 26 nautical miles, which will presumably be largely to do with it being on the most southerly point of the UK and aiding navigation of both the English Channel and vessels arriving from the wider Atlantic to the west.
Lizard’s impressive lens
Ken actually stepped in again at one point to describe in more detail an old light mechanism that is contained in one of the cupboards at the lighthouse. This was the old Carbon Arc Lamp used in the lighthouse from 1903 to 1936. Lizard was one of the first lighthouses to have electricity and this method of powering the lighthouse involved applying a high voltage of electricity to the two carbon rods, which created a permanent spark between them. I’d never seen one of these before.
The Carbon Arc Lamp previously used at Lizard Lighthouse
Of course Joe the Drone was up to his usual tricks.
A Joe’s eye view of Lizard Lighthouse
One extra little gem that we discovered while coming back down the ladder from the lamp room was a tiny hatch. When you lifted the little door you were greeted with a sign saying ‘Don’t be nosey’.
Sometimes these little touches can help make a visit more memorable – and enjoyable too 🙂
Continuing the lighthouse-related fun alongside 21 other Association of Lighthouse Keepers members, there was plenty to do on Wednesday, starting out in Falmouth.
With any potential for internal access to St Anthony Lighthouse ruled out, I’d followed the lead of those who had organised the first ALK trip to Cornwall and arranged a boat to sail around the lighthouse. We’d chartered a fairly small boat with Cornish Pleasure Cruises that would be more than big enough to take the whole group, but we were delighted to be upgraded to their wonderful Dixie Belle which could accommodate up to 100 people so there was masses of space for us to spread out.
On the boat trip we were joined by Chris Nicholson and his wife. Chris is the author of one of the very first lighthouse books I owned, The Rock Lighthouses of Britain. It’s a fantastic book that’s recently been updated and even includes a few pictures taken by yours truly. He’s made my already pretty good (if I do say so myself) picture of Longstone Lighthouse with seals in the foreground look stunning!
The charter was due to only last an hour, but after setting off it seemed the skipper George was in no hurry at all, which was even better. We got a closer look at some of the massive military ships moored up there, and we poked our heads (or the boat) around towards Falmouth Bay too with it’s various beaches. There was some rather amusing commentary happening too, which seemed to make my ALK friend Anne and I chuckle far more than it did anyone else. Clearly we are very easily pleased!
This little detour gave us a longer run up to St Anthony which was no problem at all. The skipper pointed out The Manacles to the south. These are a series of rocks that ships entering Falmouth, travelling from the west, really need to watch out for. St Anthony Lighthouse assists with exactly that by displaying a flashing red sector light (as well as it’s normal white light) 24 hours a day to ensure ships take the safe course around the Manacles.
Approaching St Anthony Lighthouse
St Anthony really is a beautiful lighthouse and the view from the sea is definitely the best angle to capture that from. When the sun shines on the brilliant white tower with it’s black detail at the top and all the lush green vegetation behind it, it’s just like a little piece of paradise.
St Anthony Lighthouse
We had plenty of time to gaze at the lighthouse, chat amongst ourselves, buy tea or coffee on board, and generally enjoy the sunshine before we set off back for Falmouth. More funny commentary followed, much to mine and Anne’s delight.
Bidding farewell to the Dixie Belle and her crew, we set off for the National Maritime Museum. The museum doesn’t contain a huge amount of lighthouse-specific information, but the thing I found most interesting about it is that the bottom two floors of the building are actually underwater at high tide. It was around mid-tide when we arrived so we could look through the really tall windows and see that some was under water at that point.
The window showing the height of the tide at the National Maritime Museum
What I liked most about it was that it reminded me a bit of a rock lighthouse. It’s a circular building that’s got lower sections that are often underwater. It’s really very interesting – or at least I thought so!
With Joe the Drone missing out on this boat trip, he was obviously keen to get his little blades out and about to take a look too. Leaving Falmouth behind it was time to go for the land-based approach to St Anthony. After the long drive (and ferry ride) to get there, you are rewarded with a really beautiful short walk to reach the lighthouse gate. Along the walk there are some fabulous views. My favourite was probably looking north towards St Mawes with the nearby Little and Great Molunan beaches looking perfect.
At the end of the path you reach the gate to the lighthouse, which is really very close, but at the same time so inaccessible. The cottage here is available to rent through Rural Retreats, but it is rather expensive. At Anthony Lighthouse is, of course, the one that appears in the title sequence of the very enjoyable TV series Fraggle Rock. If only the Fraggles and Doozers were seen wandering about outside the lighthouse, it would be sure to make for quite an attraction!
St Anthony Lighthouse from the land
Joe the Drone went for his long-awaited spin.
St Anthony Lighthouse and the Manacle rocks in the distance
The joy of Cornwall lies in many sights and other things, but not really in the time it takes to get between places. Living on the north coast of Scotland, I should really be used to long distances, but the roads in Cornwall (and the number of cars) puts it on a whole different level. The evening was reserved for a visit to Pendeen Lighthouse and it took a good amount of time to get there from St Anthony. Fortunately though there was a little time to spare after arriving so aside from chatting to some of the other early arrivers, I spent some time making myself comfy on the grass with views along the glorious coastline to the south west.
My view while relaxing at Pendeen
Meanwhile Joe the Drone had a fly about.
A Joe’s eye view of Pendeen Lighthouse
When the time arrived we wandered down to the lighthouse and were greeted by Nick who had been a huge help in getting us access to a few lighthouses on this trip, and the one we’d run last year too. Nick is a Senior Technician for Trinity House and without his help getting into Pendeen and the others to follow just wouldn’t have happened. I should add at this point that getting access isn’t as simple as asking Nick. The final decision lies with Trinity House and the ALK’s insurance is a requirement of this – just in case anyone thought it was easy!
On the wonderfully sweeping approach to Pendeen Lighthouse
It was a wonderfully calm evening with sunshine and very little wind. Apparently that’s unusual for Pendeen which is quite frequently shrouded in fog.
Pendeen Lighthouse
Pendeen Lighthouse will shortly be undergoing some changes with the lens being removed and the light source being replaced by a LED. This is becoming a widespread activity as part of the lighthouse authorities’ obligation to remove mercury from their lighthouses in the next few years. There are other ways around removing the lenses with a LED being installed inside the lens instead, but the decision of what to do with each lighthouse is entirely up to Trinity House. There have been, and no doubt will continue to be, arguments over this, and it’s not something I want to get caught up on. In this case I’m just glad I was able to see the lens in situ.
Pendeen Lighthouse lens
I actually really enjoyed visiting the lighthouse in the evening. This was arranged purely for practical reasons around Nick’s availability, but it was quieter by that point and the lower sunlight makes everything feel a lot more chilled out.
Alongside Nick we had Bill and Dan so we were split into two groups for looking around. I was very amused at the display of lamps that Nick was able to show us from the big, old ones getting progressively smaller and smaller until it was just the tiny LEDs. It was amusing because the group insisted on taking pictures of every single one with Nick doing his best to attempt to keep out of the pictures.
We had plenty of time to look around and once we were all done we headed along to Pendeen village for a big group meal. I’d phoned ahead and thankfully the North Inn were able to accommodate us. It’s always a really important part of ALK events, I find. Following the meal we popped back to Pendeen to get some pictures of the light in action.
Pendeen Lighthouse in the late evening
While in the Land’s End area we also stopped off there to see which lights we could see. Wolf Rock’s light is far more visible from that point at night than it is by day, and of course the light on Longships could be seen as well as a couple of buoys.
The impressively bright light of Wolf Rock Lighthouse as seen from Land’s End
The red light of Longships Lighthouse
It had been a busy but good day with some excellent variety, and some laughs along the way too 🙂
With any trip that involves a boat there is always the risk that it just won’t happen because of poor sea conditions. It’s just the way it is and something you grow accustomed to accepting. It’s just never guaranteed and, for some reason, it seems this is often the case moreso for visiting rock lighthouses than any others in my experience. I recall preparing the post ‘To Skerryvore or not to Skerryvore‘ as that really was touch and go as to whether we would make it there or not.
The beginning of this week was almost a repeat of that, although actually this time the boatman wasn’t even sure that we should attempt it. For the first day of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers‘ Cornwall event I’d organised a trip to see Wolf Rock Lighthouse with the same boat going out twice to make sure the whole group got a chance to see it.
Then Sunday came and I received the news from Mark at MJ Marine in Penzance to say that the weather wasn’t looking good for Monday, but he did suggest merging the Wolf Rock Lighthouse trip with the Longships Lighthouse boat trip we were due to do on Tuesday. It seemed like a sensible plan so we went with that. I was tempted to call this post ‘Wolfie Longships’ to reflect the merging of the two into one trip, but resisted as I know not everyone ‘gets’ my odd ways, so I’ve buried it in here!
However, more bad news came on Monday afternoon when Mark reported that the conditions weren’t looking good for Tuesday or for the rest of the week for reaching the lighthouses. He offered a sail around Tater Du Lighthouse instead which was just a short 30-minute trip to the west of Penzance. This was all going to happen and then, just after 10pm on Monday night, I hear from Mark again to say that the forecast had improved and it might be possible to run the Wolf Rock and Longships trips after all. He suggested we meet at 8am in the morning and make a decision.
Gathering at the boat the following day, Mark seemed fairly confident the first group could make it to both rock lighthouses, but wasn’t sure if the second group would. As someone due to be on the first trip I would normally have been delighted, but as the event organiser it is always different and one of the worst situations is when half a group get to do something and the other half don’t.
Anyway, we set off on the first trip and it was a bit bumpy in places and quite wet too, but it wasn’t awful by any means. I certainly didn’t feel unsafe at any point. It took a long time to get around to Land’s End where Longships Lighthouse came into view, but we had a more remote fish to fry prior to that. Rather amusingly, one of the group members spotted what he thought was Wolf Rock Lighthouse, and although he was convinced it was the tower it turned out to be just a buoy. It’s unlikely he’ll live that down anytime soon!
More time passed and then Wolf Rock was there, slowly getting closer and closer until we arrived. What a sight it was to see. I recall a couple of other ALK members mentioning that although it was very overcast that morning the sky suited these amazingly remote rock lighthouses, giving them a far more dramatic look.
Getting closer to Wolf Rock Lighthouse
The conical beacon that sits next to Wolf Rock Lighthouse was the lighthouse’s predecessor and is actually what makes this one more recognisable at Wolf Rock. Now that the Trinity House-owned rock lighthouses feature a helideck on top, it can be hard to tell the difference between them.
Never one to miss out on a bit of excitement, Joe the Drone went for a fly around too and put the rest of our pictures to shame with the results as usual!
A Joe the Drone capture
Next we were off to Longships Lighthouse. This one is visible from Land’s End so doesn’t quite have the remote feel about it that Wolf Rock has. What it lacks in relative remoteness it certainly makes up for in coastal geology though. From Land’s End it looks like it is surrounded by some rocks, but when you get a closer look you realise just how many rocks there are littered around. It’s quite beautiful to see.
Longships Lighthouse
Longships Lighthouse with Cape Cornwall in the distance
Joe the Drone had a quick fly around here too, grabbing even more fantastic pictures.
Longships Lighthouse with Land’s End and Gwennap Head beyond
There was a bit of a divide in opinion between ‘which rock lighthouse we had seen that day was the best’. I would have chosen Wolf Rock, absolutely, because of its remoteness. The remoter the better in my opinion. Others, quite understandably, chose Longships because there was more to see around it. There’s no real right answer with these things, it’s just opinions, and different opinions are what makes the world a more interesting place.
We needed to get back in time for the second boat load to have a chance of getting out and back before the forecast bad weather arrived. Shooting along the coastline to Penzance, we took a brief stop at the Minack Theatre. I’d first become aware of this when I was into writing plays (and was actually working on one to be performed in the open air as part of my university course) and it looked amazing with that fantastic clifftop location. It was interesting to see it from the sea too as you get a view of the modern building that’s been constructed there that is apparently the changing rooms for the actors.
The Minack Theatre
The spectacular Logan Rock just to the east of the Minack Theatre
Nearing Newlyn, we stopped for a little longer on the way back to get some pictures of Tater Du Lighthouse. This one is quite impressive from the land, but it’s definitely better from the sea. The wonderful design of the lighthouse really stands out and the location at the bottom of the long flight of steps is just perfect. I appreciate this one a lot more now that I’ve seen it from this angle. It was also nice to see the walking route from Lamorna Cove which is a good route to take to it by land.
Tater Du Lighthouse
When you get back to Penzance by boat it’s very obvious where you are heading for as the lovely little white lighthouse sits on the end of the pier. It was a nice one to finish the trip with.
Penzance Lighthouse
Moments later we were alongside the pier and ready to swap with the second group. I’m pleased to report that they all made it out to both Wolf Rock and Longships too. Phew! 🙂
I often find that for a long time many clusters of lighthouses I’ve not visited in a particular area remain fairly low on my priority list. It becomes one of those areas where I still have a fair amount to do, and I don’t go to any great lengths to remedy that. But then an opportunity arises and suddenly you see the possibility of actually being able to complete the list in a particular region, which is a very exciting prospect for someone as prone to ticking stuff off a list as I am.
This has certainly been the case with Cornwall on this trip. For many years my progress in the region has been at a standstill. It really doesn’t help when it’s at the opposite end of the country, of course. With life going at 100mph recently I’d not even had the time to look at what I had left to do in the region until I was on my way here. That was when I realised the potential for completion, if only things went to plan for the week…
With a boat trip postponed on Monday, it left a free day to make a start on what was left on my list. Unfortunately I awoke feeling rather unwell and hauling myself out of bed and getting ready for the day was far more of an effort than it should have been. For a while after that task was complete I felt ok, but it wasn’t long into the car journey that I began regretting my decision to leave the hotel.
It felt like an eternity in the car, heading east to get to Fowey, which was home to one of my remaining lights to visit. Prior to doing my proper research I’d been to Fowey and visited the lantern on a platform at St Catherine’s Point, but I’d missed the little Whitehouse Point light, also known as the ‘red rocket’.
Fowey Whitehouse Point Lighthouse, or the ‘red rocket’
Recognising that I wasn’t at my best, Bob did a great job of getting me as close as he could to the light, which was at the top of the short alleyway called Whitehouse, so it was just the shortest of walks to get there. Unfortunately though it just happened to coincide with a rather heavy rain shower. It was all fine though and was good to see this one up close.
The red rocket overlooking Fowey harbour
Fowey Whitehouse Point Lighthouse is bigger than it looks
At this point I was still longing for sleep, but being over halfway to Polperro I agreed to stick with the original plan or visiting the little lighthouse there. Another ferry beckoned – there seem to be so many of them – and a short while later we arrived in Polperro. With this one involving a bit more walking than at Fowey, Bob kindly offered to drive me as far as he could along the winding little streets of Polperro before I then proceeded on foot.
It was a very warm afternoon when sheltered by the houses so closely positioned on either side of the road, but as I emerged from the bustling streets and made my way up onto the coastal path, the views became much more open with some fantastic rock formations and clear, calm sea. It looks like a great place, when viewed from a distance, but is certainly popular judging by the number of people about.
A narrow street in Polperro once it had quietened down a bit
And finally out into much quieter surroundings
The wonderful views to the west at the entrance to Polperro harbour
There are plenty of opportunities for emerging scenic views as you wander up the coastal path. At one point a path looked to be heading off closer to the coast, but I carried on straight ahead as the map showed a loop I could take and views from higher up quite often are very rewarding. This was certainly the case at Polperro.
Looking down at Polperro Lighthouse
I spotted the path down towards the coast easily enough and then it didn’t take long before the lighthouse came into view. Zigzagging my way down, I reached the lighthouse.
Polperro Lighthouse
It’s a funny one as the look of it implies it’s petite and really quite sweet, but it is actually more substantial than that. When you are standing next to it you realise it’s not so small after all. It is a really unique design though and would be very difficult to confuse with any others in the UK once you had been there. It’s also incredibly old, in the nicest possible way, but in a very well maintained kind of way. As you can see from the picture, the structures dates back to 1911.
A great view of, and from, Polperro Lighthouse
Polperro Lighthouse up close
I took the direct route back which also offered slightly different views of the entrance to Polperro harbour.
The return view
Polperro harbour
Two lighthouses was definitely my limit for the day so it was back to the hotel room for me after that to get some sleep and hopefully recover enough for what was planned the following day 🙂
Living on the north coast of Scotland means I very rarely find myself travelling down to the West Country and so an Association of Lighthouse Keepers trip to Cornwall seemed a perfect opportunity to visit some of those not yet seen smaller lighthouses en route.
The first one was always going to be a tricky one. I’d heard that access to Lighthouse Beach at Kingswear was restricted, but I wanted to check to see if there was any change in the situation. I’d done a little bit of Googling and discovered that access to the beach had been closed to the public by the person building a house on the adjacent land. Their argument was that the beach was their private land and access has been restricted now for over 20 years, which has also been partly due to land slips in the area. There is a long document detailing the history of access to the beach and land ownership here. A local news story last September said it had been agreed by the local Council that public access to the land should be permitted, so I was keen to see if this had happened since.
A first view of Kingswear looking up the River Dart from Dartmouth Harbour
Kingswear is a very picturesque place to visit with lots of your typical West Country narrow streets and lovely little (and sometimes very big) houses lined along them. There are some great views of Dartmouth Harbour near the public car park and then you get some nice panoramic views over to Dartmouth with the coastal train line running into Kingswear as its final stop on the line from Dartmouth. The timing was rather good as a steam train appeared in the distance and pulled into the station as we were heading back to the car.
The steam train arriving
After traipsing the winding streets among expensive-looking houses and walled gardens (which I loved), I finally got the answer I was looking for. I think the picture below is the best way to describe it.
No luck at Kingswear
I was, of course, a bit disappointed, but actually surprised that it wasn’t possible to get any closer. My lighthouse friend John had previously been there and managed to get a distant picture through the trees, but there was no chance of that with the position of the fence – and definitely no way of getting around it.
The view beyond the barrier
All was not lost though as Joe the Drone was on hand and swung into action after dusting off his blades.
Kingswear Lighthouse, bottom left, from above
I knew our next stop of the day was likely to offer some distant views of the Kingswear Lighthouse anyway so I settled for that.
Ferry one of the day went between Kingswear and Dartmouth where we parked up and walked a fairly short coastal route along to Dartmouth Castle. As expected it did give some views of the light on the beach at Kingswear.
A wonky view of Kingswear Lighthouse from Dartmouth
Dartmouth Castle had been a bit of a puzzling one when I’d been working on my book. There was very limited information available to suggest that there once had been a lighthouse within the grounds of the castle and that the building still stands today. Luckily a knowledgable chap working at the castle was able to explain where it was. There is no access to the tower now and it’s current use is a store room, but it is attached to the back of the little cafe there. Although there was very limited time to explore, it was still good to wander around the castle buildings for a while and see which angle looked the best for getting views of the old lighthouse tower.
The best view of the old lighthouse tower at Dartmouth Castle
The next was, I’ll be honest, not the most exciting, but luckily didn’t involve much effort. My research had told me that the light at Mount Wise Pier in Devonport was the property of the MOD, but that it was still possible to get close to it. To see it properly meant heading down the spiral staircase to get a view from below.
Mount Wise Pier light from the side
I’d say the only interesting thing about this one is the remains of an old building and arches near the entrance to the pier.
Mount Wise Pier Lighthouse with the Scott Memorial behind
There’s a really nice memorial nearby to Devonport-born Robert Scott who led the British Antarctic Expedition to find the South Pole which led to Scott and the entire crew perishing on the return journey. It’s far more visually appealing that the light, I must say.
Reaching the final lighthouse of the day involved ferry number two, crossing the Hamoaze from Devon into Cornwall. After that there was one tiny narrow road after another to navigate to get to the Mount Edgcumbe area. One of these roads though provided points with stunning views looking down over Sango Island with Torpoint and Devonport beyond and the stretches of water separating all three.
Sango Island with Torpoint and Devonport beyond
The lighthouse at Hooe Lake Point, just to the east of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, isn’t very well known and it is a little odd. It sits at the bottom end of a Scout campsite and required a quick hop over the gate.
Hooe Lake Point Lighthouse
This is probably one of the best vantage points for seeing the Plymouth Breakwater Lighthouse too, which always seems so far away from Plymouth when you spot it from the Hoe. It’s not exactly close to this point, but closer.
Hooe Lake Point Lighthouse with Plymouth Breakwater Lighthouse visible in the distance
It had been a busy day of bagging little and lesser known lights, but still a good one and one day hopefully I will make it to that tricky little Kingswear light 🙂
It had been a long 4 years since I’d last joined any Relative Hills Society (RHSoc) trips and with this year’s AGM a mere hop, skip and a jump away in Kintail in late May it would have been rude not to pop along and catch up with some good old friends from the 2014-2019 period covered in this previous reflections post of mine.
For me, the spare time during the few days in the area was reserved for exploring some nice walking routes both in Kintail and on Skye. There was also a couple of very successful boat trips to the Bracadale Islands and Soay from Elgol as well as an evening trip to Iosaigh on Loch Dunvegan. It was great to be back out on the water again with the chilled out ‘baggers of all things’ as a boatman once referred to them.
Rather fortunately one of the baggers, Jonathan, had purchased an inflatable boat with an outboard engine and, as the days progressed he was off out shipping people to otherwise inaccessible islands.
After passing through the Kyle of Lochalsh a good few times that week, the idea of getting a closer look at the little flat pack lighthouse on Eileanan Dubha East to the east of the Skye bridge crept into my mind. I approached Jonathan with this opportunity and he was happy to help out so I gathered interest from others wishing to head out during the RHSoc AGM and evening meal.
A merry band of us (or not so merry as was the case for myself and one or two others after one – or five – too many drinks the night before) gathered at Kyle of Lochalsh on the Sunday morning and Jonathan prepared our chariot for the short ride across to Eileanan Dubha East.
The skipper preparing the vessel
Off we set, two at a time, and the calm water and fresh air did wonders at bringing me closer to some sort of sensible state. It didn’t do a huge amount for my energy levels though as, once I’d navigated my way across the rocks to the lighthouse, that was where I stayed for the duration of the visit. I had to borrow pictures to help populate this post!
Eileanan Dubha Lighthouse
It was an excellent spot to just sit and watch as others made their way over and went off exploring whether the tide was low enough to get to one of the neighbouring islands in the Eileanan Dubha group. The glass-bottomed boat from Kyleakin went past at one point, with passengers enjoying watching the seals on another island – and probably wondering what we were up to as well.
Skye provides a dramatic backdrop to this little island
I clearly wasn’t the only one enjoying watching the world go by from that tiny island as the others, rather unusually, also took to sitting around, chatting and just generally enjoying that Sunday morning chilled feeling. Once we (or I) had mustered up some energy we used the opportunity to give the light a group hug, which went rather well. It’s always a fun activity to introduce people to and makes for some great pictures too, even if it is impossible to get everyone in the picture.
The lighthouse hug in action
Eileanan Dubha marks the east entrance to Kyle Akin, the relatively short stretch of water separating Skye from the mainland. At the west end of the Kyle is the now inactive Eilean Ban, or Kyleakin, Lighthouse which is very much overshadowed now by the bridge.
The lighthouse and Loch Alsh
Further along the Eileanan Dubh group is the teeny tiny Eight Metre Rock Lighthouse, or so it says anyway. In my view it’s a couple of little cabinets with a light on top of one of them, so doesn’t hold anywhere near as much interest.
Eight Metre Rock Lighthouse
With a journey back home ahead that day it was time to head back and bid a fond farewell to Eileanan Dubha East which had provided a little piece of calm and quiet on a day where it was very much needed 🙂
Since Autumn 2018 I have been organising trips for the Association of Lighthouse Keepers (ALK). The first year went relatively well, but as you can probably imagine March 2020 did it’s Covid-y thing and put a stop to such events. Prior to that I’d been working away on the ALK’s Annual General Meeting weekend, which always comprises far more than just a meeting. We’d got the go ahead to proceed with Belfast as the location for 2020 and suddenly the brakes went on and rescheduling for 2021 became necessary.
Fast forward a year and we faced another period of uncertainty with on/off restrictions and Covid cases still high. Recognising the importance of keeping everyone safe it was again agreed to postpone for a year.
At the time it meant much less work, that’s for sure, but time passes so fast these days that it wasn’t long before connections needed to be re-established, bookings confirmed and details shared.
To say Belfast was an ambitious location for the AGM would be something of an understatement. With around 70 members signed up and transport and a ferry to be arranged for most there was a lot to do. Establishing some kind of relationship and trust with Irish Lights was important too. As a result, this post will be a bit different and hopefully give an insight into the trials and tribulations of event planning!
The first day was reserved for the formal meeting and dinner, although I did get a quick visit to Greencastle in with Bob, Steve and Lianne to see Haulbowline Lighthouse in Carlingford Lough. It’s always one that’s so close, but still too far away.
Haulbowline Lighthouse in Carlingford Lough
Between the meeting and dinner I joined other members as we went to take a look at the ‘Great Light’ on the Titanic Walkway. This hyper radial lens was previously located at the top of the Mew Island Lighthouse tower, casting its incredibly powerful light over the sea surrounding the east coast. It’s really very impressive and is surrounded by plenty of lens-related information.
The Great Light in the Titanic Quarter
On the second day we all gathered at the wonderfully picturesque town of Donaghadee, arriving in two separate parties so as not to inundate the place in one big go. I’d organised boat trips for the groups to head out around Mew Island to see the lighthouse there – the former home of the lens seen the previous day. The boat trip also gave some views of the old lighthouse in the Copeland Islands group which is now in ruins.
Mew Island Lighthouse
The local attendant along with Irish Lights area manager opened up the harbour lighthouse for us there. Harbour lights are generally pretty small, but Donaghadee is an exception. It’s bright white exterior and horizontal band detailing gives it a really unique look. Being the organiser I was the last to go up the lighthouse and managed a private tour of my own when all the others had disappeared off to explore Donaghadee a bit more.
The lifeboat, our Mew Island boat and the lighthouse in Donaghadee
The LED and lens inside Donaghadee Lighthouse
The interesting ‘cupcake cases’ at the top of Donaghadee Lighthouse
The RNLI team in Donaghadee had very kindly opened up their station for us to look around and also provided tea and coffee. Among the ALK membership there are also a number of Lifeboat enthusiasts so this went down rather well. They were great hosts too.
An excellent mural close to the Donaghadee Lifeboat station
It became clear quite early on that the boat trips around Mew Island were running late so it wasn’t a surprise when the boatman announced he wouldn’t be able to take the last group out due to the fading light. After a moment of panic I worked out a solution with the boatman which meant the final handful of ALK members went out the following morning instead. Just one of perils of event organising!
On the Monday we set off for Blackhead Lighthouse. When the coach company announced they wouldn’t be able to get along the access road to the lighthouse I was delighted personally as it meant we’d get to walk along the coast from Whitehead. Obviously, with my event organiser head on though I was concerned about those who weren’t able to manage the walk, but thankfully we got them sorted with lifts on cars and all turned out well in the end.
Heading for Blackhead Lighthouse
The great view looking south towards Whitehead
Blackhead is a great place to hang out and even standing around at the bottom of the short tower making sure everyone got a chance to go up offered plenty of opportunities to catch up with the members as they came and went. Joy and Patrick Tubby who were staying in one of the cottages along with others were excellent hosts with food and drink on offer once people had taken a look around the lighthouse.
Arriving at Blackhead Lighthouse
Once again, I was the last to go up and it had all got very chilled out by that point so I was able to amble around up the tower with Patrick and John before heading up to the cottage.
The lens at Blackhead
The light mechanism at Blackhead
We also got the chance to see inside one of the old lighthouse buildings which contains information boards about the area
After bidding farewell to the final members as they made their way back along the coast to the coach, the rest of that day was reserved for drinking wine with friends at Blackhead. Probably not wise given that the following day was the biggest of all, but also good fun.
The final day arrived and the members gathered for the journey up to Ballycastle to catch the ferry over to Rathlin Island. Taking a group of around 50 people over was no mean feat, but thankfully everyone behaved and the herding of the cats was straightforward enough. The only problem was a couple of our former lighthouse keeper members were caught in traffic, but thankfully the ferry crew knew them well and so it was no trouble at all to leave a bit late to make sure they got on board. Gerald Butler who lives at Galley Head Lighthouse was among the latecomers and his ability to charm the socks off anyone once again worked its magic!
My detailed transport plan, developed in partnership with Bert’s Puffin Bus, for getting two groups around with just one bus worked very well indeed and the first group set off for Rathlin West Lighthouse. When the bus returned I joined the second group for the journey to the East Lighthouse. For me this was an exciting one to get inside. It’s an absolute beauty from the outside and the light operates 24 hours a day, although at the time of our visit it was operating on the emergency light outside as maintenance work was in progress.
Rathlin East Lighthouse, including its old low lantern
Once again I timed my visit to the top, among the last lot again having had the job of being that annoying person at the door who had to tell the general public they couldn’t come in as it was a private visit.
The view of the cottages from a lighthouse window
The emergency light in operation on the gallery at Rathlin East Lighthouse
The view from the top of Rathlin East Lighthouse
Looking west from the top of Rathlin East Lighthouse
The glorious view to the south from the top of Rathlin East Lighthouse
Instructions at Rathlin East Lighthouse
Inside the old low lantern at Rathlin East
When you get former keepers together the conversation just flows and flows so I had the pleasure of listening to Gerald and Eddie chatting to Noel, the attendant keeper for Rathlin. The fondness with which they speak is always a joy to hear.
Gerald and Noel having a catch up
When the bus returned it was time to head for the West Lighthouse – the upside down light. This is such a special place to visit and not only for the lighthouse, which involves going down copious amounts of staircases to get to the lantern.
Rathlin West foghorn and the top of the lighthouse tower
Rathlin West Lighthouse
The view to the south at Rathlin West
Plenty of concrete at Rathlin West
Perhaps my favourite bit at Rathlin West though are the incredible views looking north from the grounds of the lighthouse. The cliffs are fantastic and I could easily have spent an extended period of time gazing at that view had time allowed.
My favourite view, looking north
Once everyone had enjoyed the tea and coffee provided by the RSPB team there and been coaxed back up the lighthouse we set off back for the ferry terminal where we got a great group photo, minus the few who decided to go to the pub!
The merry band almost ready to head back to Ballycastle
After the return ferry and coach journey it was time to bid farewell to everyone. It had been a busy few days, but luckily with no major problems. For many of the ALK members attending, this was one of the first times they had visited lighthouses in Ireland and I’m pleased to say the wonderful Irish hospitality and charm worked a treat! There was plenty of appetite among the members to spend more time exploring lighthouses in other parts of Ireland too.
Although it was a relief when the event was over, it was also a massively rewarding experience and I was receiving gifts through the post for weeks afterwards, paid for by contributions from all of those who attended the event. It was a pleasure and a really excellent way of getting better engaged with the ALK’s Irish members as well as Irish Lights 🙂
A somewhat delayed post from three months ago, concluding the Berwickshire-based bagging series.
After a few good days of lighthouse-related antics, it all went a bit pear-shaped with my knee-related incident. Any plans I’d had for walking to lighthouses from that point had to be cast aside. However, there was still some fun to be had after I got past the initial painful days.
In terms of lighthouses, there were a couple more days of discovery around St Abbs. I’d found a fantastic company based in Eyemouth who ran boat trips around St Abbs. Even better, the boat they used was ‘accessible’ so I could go along without having to worry about whether or not I would be able to get aboard.
Our accessible chariot awaited!
In Our Nature is run by Liza Cole who used to be a Ranger for St Abbs so knows a considerable amount about the geology and wildlife all along the coastline. I learnt a lot more during the trip than I feel I have done during previous trips in any other area – or maybe it’s just Liza’s style of presentation. Learning that a collection of shags is called a ‘hangout’ was rather fun. Liza and I were actually equally delighted to learn that she owns a copy of my book and loves it. It goes without saying that she shares my passion for lighthouses!
The ‘hangout’ of shags and St Abbs Lighthouse coming into view
As we sailed up the coast we passed multitudes of tiny coves and pebbly beaches, each of which had little sloping pathways leading down to them. Liza informed us that this was to enable local people to access the beaches, although I’ve managed to forget during the last three months exactly what the purpose of this was.
If you look closely you can see the paths leading down to the coast on both the right and left of the picture
Reaching St Abbs in the boat, this was where the dramatic rocky coastal scenery really kicked in. I’d seen a lot of it from the landward side, but to see it from the sea and experiment the sheer scale of some of the jutting out headlands and sea stacks was marvellous. Although it was late in the season there still seemed to be a fair few seabirds about, both young and old. We were also able to spot my mum sitting just outside the wall of the lighthouse complex and happily waved away to each other as we passed.
The headland at St Abbs
St Abbs Lighthouse and the old foghorn
Once we had rounded the headland we were edging closer to the little Pettico Wick harbour which we’d explored a bit a couple of days before. The large pinnacles of rock just to the north of the harbour had looked so impressive from the shore, but were now dwarfed in comparison to the big stacks and cliffs that surrounded them.
One of the numerous stacks around St Abbs
For days I’d also been admiring the wonderful rocks to the west of the cove and it was fantastic to see them from this different view. The amazing folding effect which Liza explained was a result of two different types of rock meeting, was just as prominent from the sea and, of course, there was a better view of the geology even further to the west.
Heading back around the headland
After just the right amount of time to study the cliffs or birds, we set off back for Eyemouth. Liza uses local fishing boats for her trips and the seals are very used to receiving titbits when the boats return from trips so it was great to see them following us back into the harbour, even if they were slightly disappointed at the lack of food on this occasion.
A hopeful seal
Having spent a few days being able to do very little, it was great to be back out in the proper fresh air, enjoying a boat trip once again. There’s nothing quite like a sea breeze to bring you around after a difficult few days.
The following day we visited North Berwick again and this time visited the Coastal Communities Museum which I’d been wanting to get to for some time. The main reason for this was to see the old Bass Rock Lighthouse lens. As with so many of these lenses it was a real pleasure to see.
The former Bass Rock Lighthouse lens
There I was then thinking the holiday was over and we’d be leaving St Abbs behind on that Friday morning, but little did I know that there was one last surprise in store! As we were packing up the car, a couple of people arrived, one of which was the Planning Engineer for the Northern Lighthouse Board, Craig, who was undertaking the annual inspection of St Abbs Lighthouse. Seizing the opportunity for a peek inside the lighthouse, he very willingly agreed to show us around and I hobbled on down the steps to the lantern. It was fortunate that we were at St Abbs really as the majority of lighthouses would have been inaccessible for me and my crutches.
The kids were also keen to get a look inside the lighthouse
Unsurprisingly, the lighthouse isn’t very big inside. You enter into a small hallway which leads straight into the lantern with the light mechanism. There is also a separate room off to the right. There is only then one set of ladder-type steps to get up inside the lantern. I decided to pass on this opportunity and stayed on the ground floor level, but I was happy enough with that. The others went up and I was still able to join in their conversations with them above the lattice flooring and me below.
A picture taken for me from the top of St Abbs Lighthouse
Inside the magnificent lens at St Abbs Lighthouse
While we were inside the lighthouse Craig managed to prise the old hatch open in the steps that would have allowed access to the weight mechanism when the lighthouse was operated by the clockwork system. Due to the lantern being near enough at ground level it was necessary for them to dig into the ground to accommodate the mechanism.
The hatch inside St Abb’s Lighthouse
Craig has worked for the Northern Lighthouse Board for a number of years and has seen the majority of their lighthouses with very few left unvisited. For him lighthouses are his work, but I got a sense that he takes more enjoyment from being around them than most people do their workplace. 🙂
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to spend some quality time on the Northumberland coast and one target for this trip was to get a closer look at Coquet Island, a mile off the coast of Amble. I was aware that only wardens were allowed to land on the island so the boat trip with Puffin Cruises seemed the best way to get as close as I could.
Approaching Coquet Island
The trip also gave a really interesting insight into the history of the island’s lighthouse and the ownership in general. The island has been owned by the Duke of Northumberland since 1753 after changing hands between the church, and various local earls and others with titles over the centuries. When the lighthouse was originally being proposed on the island the Duke at that time stipulated that he wished for it to resemble a castle, hence the castellated tops to the towers of the structure.
Coquet Island and its lighthouse
There is evidence to suggest that the foundations of the lighthouse and some lower sections predate the lighthouse and are actually the foundations of what was a Benedictine monastery, which was completed in 1841. The lighthouse contains a sector light facing to the south, warning of the hazards of rocks lying just under the water between the south of the island and the mainland.
Although the island is no longer occupied throughout the winter months, it has a long history of occupation and a strong religious connection. Henry of Coquet, a Dane, wished to escape an arranged marriage after experiencing some sort of vision that told him to do so. Arriving in Tynemouth, he gained permission to build himself a small “cell” on Coquet island and lived there until his death in 1127. This is just one example of strange uses and habitation on the island. The Amble and District Local History website features a far more in depth history for anyone interested.
The restrictions on people landing on the island I had originally assumed was due to it being a site for nesting birds. It turns out it is instead that the island’s owner does not wish anyone to land on the island, with the exception of the RSPB wardens and Trinity House staff (though it was suggested that he’s not keen on the latter landing either, but the maintenance of the lighthouse is essential). As with the nearby Farne Islands, I expect that if Coquet was set up to accept visitors it would currently be closed due to Avian flu as its bird population has been very badly affected.
It was a good boat trip with very knowledgeable crew. I was quite nicely surprised at how close it actually got us to the island. It’s certainly worth doing the trip to get a closer look at the island and lighthouse. It’s also a great way to get a better look at the little light on the end of the pier in Amble.
The lighthouse on Amble Pier
We followed the boat trip with a visit to the beach to the south of Amble where we had great views across to Coquet 🙂
On Sunday we decided to make the most of the good weather and set off from St Abbs for Seahouses. My dad was keen to go and see the puffins, the Farne islands being best place for them in the area. Sadly last weekend due to the ongoing devastation avian flu is causing, they announced that there would be no landing on either Inner Farne or Staple Island. This was a shame as I’ve been wanting to take a closer look at their respective lighthouses, but the bird-focussed boat trip took us around both as well as close to Brownsman Island and Longstone too.
The obligatory pictures of the lighthouse at Seahouses
The Farne islands are quite a special place if you are into lighthouses. There is plenty of history with 7 lighthouses in total gracing these small islands over time. The oldest was introduced on Staple Island in 1776, 100 years after permission was first granted for lights to be built on the Farne islands. Prior to this attempts at lighting the islands for navigation were limited to two fire baskets on Inner Farne. The Great Storm of 1784 unfortunately claimed the Staple Island tower, and it is believed that a second tower was then constructed to replace it. The remains of what could well be one of these towers can still be seen on the island, although I am unable to find confirmation that this is definitely the case.
This could be the remains of one of the first lighthouses in the Farne Islands
Fast forward eleven years and the first tower on Brownsman Island had been constructed. The remains of this tower are still visible as the tallest structure on the island.
The square tower of the first lighthouse on Brownsman Island
In 1809 Trinity House built the lighthouse on Inner Farne, which is still in operation today. Just two years later this became the High Light after a lower light was added to warn ships away from the nearby Megstone island. This low light was removed in 1911 when the high lighthouse was automated.
Inner Farne Lighthouse
Meanwhile there was navigational development on Brownsman Island too with the introduction of a new lighthouse and attached building in 1810. This tower shared the same design as the Inner Farne light and contained a revolving reflector which burned paraffin oil.
The remains of the round lighthouse and attached building on Brownsman Island
By 1825 it had become clear that the lighthouse on Brownstone wasn’t preventing shipwrecks and the decision was taken to construct a lighthouse on Longstone.
Longstone Lighthouse
Today Longstone and Inner Farne are the only two lighthouses still operating on the islands. The trip was a good opportunity to see these two again. Landing on Staple Island and Inner Farne will wait for another time 🙂
uklighthousetour 