After the success of yesterday’s adventure on Loch Long, the crew at Sea Clyde had reserved the best weather day this weekend for getting to the island of Pladda – and what a day it was!
We set off from Largs mid-morning – the fabulous four: Bob, John, Seumas and I – with skipper Dan and were pleased to hear that conditions we’re looking great for landing on the island, but there was a fair amount to see from the boat even before we got there.
After an unsuccessful attempt to see Kylie, the resident dolphin, we continued on our way towards Little Cumbrae. Hugging the coastline as we went to protect us from any swell, we sailed down the west side of the island, taking in the views of the two lighthouses (and of course the old lighthouse on the approach) while at the same time occasionally glimpsing across to Bute where Rubh’ an Eun lighthouse could be seen from a greater distance. This felt like a proper return to the islands, even if we were just bypassing them.
The old and modern lighthouses on Little Cumbrae
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It wasn’t long until we were sailing down the west side of Holy Isle and, of course, there was the Holy Isle Inner lighthouse ahead of us. This little tower is in such a great location and seeing it reflected in the water with the land rising to the highest point of the island behind it was just beautiful. That really is the best angle to see this one from.
Holy Isle Inner lighthouse
Back out into the sea again and rounding a corner I heard the cry “lighthouse” from the back of the boat – Seumas has really taken to the role of lighthouse spotter. There ahead of us was Pladda with the fantastic two towers basking in the lovely sunshine.
An aerial view of Pladda
It’s always a pleasure to land onto a nice jetty rather than rock hopping. It feels a little like luxury. The jetty is actually looking a little worse for wear now with large cracks running down it. Still it held together under our combined weight and that’s the most important thing.
Arriving on Pladda
From the jetty it was a short uphill walk to the level grassy section of the island following a good, clear path which took us all the way to the lighthouse. The double towers are absolutely fantastic and, although the low light is no longer in operation it is still very well maintained on the outside.
One thing about Pladda lighthouse is that it’s not the easiest one to take a picture of, particularly if you want both towers in the same shot without one looking like it’s leaning toward the other. You can get some rather dramatic views from the courtyard though.
The two towers on Pladda and the old foghorn air compressors
While Bob was flying his drone and capturing various aerial views, the rest of us explored around the old foghorn and took a number of pictures of the foghorn looking out towards the beautiful lump that is Ailsa Craig.
Looking out towards Ailsa Craig from the Pladda foghorn
In our next attempt to get a good view of the two towers I suggested the best area might be down near the rocks to which John replied that it would, but it would be a bit of a “jaump” (which I believe is a combination of “jump” and “jaunt”!?) He was right, although I wouldn’t have jumped it! There was another spot a bit closer next to the solar panels that I thought could be a good angle so we made our way around there, wading through the thick grass. This was a slightly better viewpoint, but still not quite right. John did find a ladder though that went down to the lower level. He went down, but decided not to walk too far as the birds were getting a bit stressed.
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The two towers on Pladda seen from the garden
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The view from the highest point on Pladda
It was then time to head back to the boat where we found Bob and Seumas playing on a small section of rocky beach. Seumas had built a lighthouse in the water and was throwing rocks (or asteroids) into the water surrounding it. That was his favourite part of the day!
Then the return journey began. This time we sailed up the east side of Holy Isle to get a nice view of the Pillar Rock lighthouse, which lived up to my expectations in terms of views. The steep slopes behind it looked a little frightening and Bob pointing out one of the crevasses up near the high point added to this.
Holy Isle Pillar Rock lighthouse
There was still no sign of Kylie the dolphin on the way back, but arriving back in Largs I think we all agreed that it had been a very successful and enjoyable day out. Pladda has most certainly moved up a number of places in my favourite lighthouses list. It’s such a great island with its unique two tower arrangement. Days like this really is what it’s all about. 🙂
Tour Diary
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Aug1
极光FQ
by uklighthousetour
After the visits to 免费vmess and some of the lights on the Rhins of Galloway last weekend, we had a great week in Dumfries and Galloway, including a fishing trip during which my son and I both caught our first fish. We also spent yesterday afternoon on the beach at Southerness. The location, of course, was based on there being a lighthouse there. I’m not sure I’ve spent quite so long at one lighthouse before as we did yesterday, but it was great to see it with the tide out as the previous visit had been at high tide.
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Bob took the opportunity to play with his drone again and got some great images of the lighthouse from above.
Southerness lighthouse from above
We are now based over in Troon, staying with Bob’s mum. There have always been a few tricky lighthouses to get to in the area and so, with childcare on hand, we headed out today from Largs with Sea Clyde. We took along our little boy, Seumas, and my lighthouse friend John. Our destination for today was Loch Long, with a couple of others thrown in on the way there and back.
Regardless of how many times you see a lighthouse from land it is always different seeing it from the sea. After all they were made to be seen from the sea as John pointed out. On the way out today we sailed close to Cloch lighthouse and stopped for a while for some pictures. It looked a popular spot for fishing and it was good to see the foghorn in more detail too as the view is limited from the road.
Cloch lighthouse
Bob had his first attempt at launching the drone from a boat and landing it back down, which scary and amusing in equal measure. After a slightly stressful first attempt at taking off he then got on fine. Landing it back on the boat was very entertaining with the drone ending up giving John’s arm a firm hug!
Our next light was Ravenrock Point on the west bank of Loch Long. Due to social distancing guidance, Sea Clyde weren’t able to take along a dinghy to help with landings so we didn’t expect to be able to land at any of the lights today. The crew, John and Dan, took a look at how deep the water was around the lighthouse, but it wasn’t possible for us to land there. However it’s not too bad as this one is next to the road anyway so can be visited by land at another time. It looks like an interesting one to get a closer view of.
Ravenrock Point lighthouse
Further up the loch we stopped at Carraig nan Ron, or Dog Rock, and the water was nice and deep around this small rock which allowed them to get the boat right up to it. It was also dry and covered in barnacles so perfect for stepping onto. Seumas stayed safely in the boat with his camera, taking pictures of us as we visited the light. It was great to be back out and stepping onto these little islands again. There wasn’t much to the lighthouse, just a white column with the light sticking up from the top, but it had a little door and the rock was big enough to get some nice angles on it.
Carraig nan Ron (Dog Rock) lighthouse
We’d sailed past Coulport where nuclear warheads are stored and loaded onto submarines. As we sailed away from Dog Rock, John pointed out that from one particular angle the rock and lighthouse looked a little like a submarine. On the way back down the loch later in the trip we noticed the rock could be accessed from the mainland at low tide – although I wouldn’t want to advise anyone to get to it that way through the huge expanse of forest!
Carraig nan Ron in Loch Long
Our final disembarkation for this trip was Cnap Point, which turned out to be rather an adventure in itself. The easiest place to land was slightly to the south of the lighthouse which meant finding a route through the foliage and undergrowth to get the the lighthouse. Seumas stayed on the boat again this time while the three of us went ashore. Once we were past the rocks we found ourselves having, as I called it, “a nice forest walk”. It’s fair to say that Argyll Forest Park is very much a forest. Bob went off ahead to find a suitable route. At one point we lost track of where he had gone and John suggested we head down towards the coast to assess the route that way rather than continuing through the forest. It turned out to be a very good move as we heard Bob shout out a few times closer to the lighthouse. It turned out he’d walked into a wasp nest on the final approach to the lighthouse and had a battle with the wasps. Avoiding the same fate, John and I took the coastal route and arrived safely at the tower. It’s the same type of structure as Dog Rock, but with even better views around it. This light is the front in a range setup and the rear light – a framework tower with brightly coloured panels – was easy enough to see from a short distance.
On the way back to Largs we passed The Gantocks and The Perch beacons in the Firth of Clyde. Although they are not officially lighthouses in my book, they are still interesting structures.
It was going to be difficult to beat the success of Saturday’s Hestan Island visit Saturday’s Hestan Island visit, but we had a very good go yesterday anyway.
After a two-hour drive over to the Rhins of Galloway we met up with John, Steve and Lianne at Port Logan. The little harbour lighthouse at Port Logan had alluded me on previous visits to the area. Somehow I’d not known about it and, with it being so easy to get to it seemed rather odd that I’d still not made it there.
Port Logan lighthouse
It’s a lovely little tower, dating back to 1818, although obviously no longer in use. The original report proposing the introduction of a lighthouse as part of a new harbour here was drawn up by John Rennie. It’s possible to access both the ground and first floors as well as the attached little out-house type room which looks like it contained a bath! From the first floor you can look up and see the inside of the old lantern area. Originally the lantern would have been accessed by ladder from the first floor. It was nice to wander around and the kids enjoyed going in and out too, sheltering from the wind that had picked up overnight.
Bob had taken along his drone and this was his first opportunity to experiment with using it around lighthouses. Of course they are an excellent feature for drone images.
A drone’s eye view of Port Logan lighthouse
Leaving my parents and the kids to play on the beach the rest of us set off for an attempt to visit Crammag Head lighthouse. Steve and Lianne had visited last year, although found it was not the most pleasant of experiences as it involved crossing a field of cows. I think we were all expecting the same again yesterday, but we thought we had to try it as it was one that John and I had both been keen to get a closer view of – having previously settled for a view from the road.
After a brief chat with the people staying at the holiday accommodation at the nearby farm we set off towards the gate and were very pleased to discover two empty fields with no cows to contend with. Aside from a muddy section the walk was easy and it was such a fantastic feeling to see the top of the tower emerge over the hill. I am particularly fond of this type of lighthouse and it was wonderful to see a new one of these close up. John clearly shared my joy by giving the lighthouse a hug alongside me. It’s almost as if the weather knew what a happy moment it was as it sent in blue sky shortly after we‘d arrived.
The base of the former lighthouse at Crammag Head with the modern light behind
I’d always associated this lighthouse with cows, but the visit yesterday changed my mind entirely. It’s a relatively new tower, although a lighthouse has stood here since 1913, having been replaced in December 2009.
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We stopped back in Port Logan briefly to pick up the others we set off for the Mull of Galloway for lunch. My plans for a nice picnic were perhaps a little unrealistic as the wind was a bit “fresh”. It was 8 years ago I last visited the Mull of Galloway lighthouse and that was on my original tour. I managed a tour of the tower that time. Due to the pandemic, the lighthouse is closed this season, but that didn’t seem to have put people off. It was the opposite end of the scale to Crammag Head where we were alone.
Looking up to Mull of Galloway lighthouse from the foghorn
On my previous visit I’d not paid much attention to the foghorn, apart from seeing it from the top of the lighthouse. I received a message from Bob to say that our son wanted to go down to the foghorn so we set off to join them. There are a fair amount of steps down to it, but it’s worth it for the views. Foghorns are really starting to grow on me and one day it would be great to go back there to hear it being sounded.
Mull of Galloway foghorn
All in all it was a great day with Crammag Head being the real highlight. I’ve missed the lighthouses in recent months and it’s great to be getting back to them again. 🙂
The forecast was looking grim to say the least with heavy rain on the agenda, but we must always continue when the opportunity is there. The opportunity was even more appealing as we were to be joined by my wonderful lighthouse partner in crime, John, and a couple of lighthouse friends who share our enjoyment of islands and lighthouse, Steve and Lianne. There was no way this could be missed.
As we approached Palnackie, just to the north of Almorness Point the rain stopped and the cloud began to look like it was clearing. We parked up, met the others and all set off (with my dad along too) in our waterproofs. It turned out the waterproofs weren’t needed as the grey clouds continued to clear and the sun and blue sky even came out at a few points.
Part of the first section of the track
The walk to the sea was great. A clear track all the way and interesting enough to make it feel like it wasn’t onerous. It became muddier towards the end, evidence of the recent heavy rainfall.
Our first view of the lighthouse, which can just about be seen in the far distance
We arrived at the coast, a nice beach, and caught our first glimpse of the lighthouse in the distance. Changing into our wellies, applying Skin So Soft to put the flies off and removing a layer of clothing, we then set off from the beach across the, sometimes sticky, sand to reach the “wet” section. I say the wet section as it is never fully clear of water.
Enjoying time with friends
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Paddling to the island
There is a holiday home on the island and the owners were clearly there as their dog jumped around barking in welcome at us. Once on the island we set off to the right of the house and up toward the high point. I’m not really a fan of walking uphill and John echoed my thoughts when he said “Is he [Bob] taking us to the high point?” He was, but it turned out that was the most direct route to the lighthouse. I must also give him extra credit as the views from the top were stunning, especially down towards the lighthouse and then back across the way we had come.
Looking back from the island
Of course, after we’d reached the highest point we then had to go back down the other side and, throwing our hoods up to avoid the circling gulls doing their business on our hair, we set off straight for the lighthouse.
The rather grubby lighthouse
The lighthouse is a flat-pack (or IKEA) style, but what is worthy of note is that it is a three tier flat-pack and these are fairly rare – the only others that we could remember between us being on Hoo Stack and Shillay in the Monach Isles. This one is not pretty-looking and is quite dirty. As we approached we spotted the lack of a door. It would have been rude not to have stepped inside and so we did. The hatch up to the next level of the tower was sadly padlocked so we had to settle for viewing the ground floor level only, but we had made it and all thoroughly enjoyed the walk there. I think the lack of lighthouse visits in recent months added to this enjoyment and we were all relieved that we could be back out there and doing something we love.
Hestan Island lighthouse
I still strongly feel, and I said this today, that I often enjoy the journey getting to these flat-pack lighthouses more than I do the bigger lights. Their remote and challenging locations often make for some much more memorable moments, especially compared to driving to a car park next to a lighthouse wall and wandering around for a while.
Being up against the tide meant we couldn’t stay long so we began our return journey. We were all expecting the tide to have dropped further on the way back, but there appeared to be little change apart from the final section where we now had to move fast to avoid getting stuck in the sand.
This is the final of my three ‘looking back’ posts where I write about lighthouse visits that pre-dated my 2012 tour.
In 2011 I went to Toronto for a work trip. When I considered the trip originally I had big dreams of travelling along the fabulous lighthouse trail in Nova Scotia. I was still learning to drive at this point though and managing it without driving would have been a huge challenge. Abandoning that idea I decided that I couldn’t visit Canada without visiting at least one of its lights. I chose Gibraltar Point on the Toronto Islands. Gibraltar Point lighthouse is the second oldest in Canada, being constructed in 1808-9. It also holds the acclaimed title of oldest lighthouse on the Great Lakes.
The view of Toronto from the islands
As the name suggests, the Toronto Islands are a collection of islands with Centre Island the largest and home to the lighthouse. They weren’t always islands though and when the lighthouse was built just 8 metres from the shoreline of Lake Ontario it was a peninsula. The area is prone to shifting sands though and Centre Island was first cut off from mainland Canada in 1852. A breakwater was built to reconnect the island and mainland, but the island was permanently cut off during a storm in 1858. The long-term effects of the sandbar moving include the lighthouse now being around 100 metres from the coast
The light was turned off in 1957 and the following year ownership passed to the Metropolitan Toronto Parks Department. Since taking it over they have restored the lighthouse, demolished the old keeper’s cottage and they occasionally open the tower to the public.
Gibraltar Point lighthouse
The lighthouse is probably best known for the disappearance of its first keeper in 1815. There are various stories about what happened including murder by some soldiers and human remains being found nearby. As a result of the disappearance, the lighthouse has gained a reputation for being haunted.
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The lighthouse is impressive although it’s strange to see it surrounded by trees. It was a slightly overcast day and the area did have a bit of a creepy feel about it. Maybe it would have felt different had it been in the sunshine. It’s fantastic that it’s being cared for though and let’s hope it stays that way. It was well worth a visit. 🙂
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May2
极光FQ
by uklighthousetour
What inspired me to go on my 2012 tour of lighthouses? Well, I loved lighthouses for a start, but I also had a taste of just how great it can be to go on a trip specifically to see multiple lighthouses back in July 2010. Thanks to my flatmate at the time and my sister, I was treated to a few beauties on the south coast of England over a long weekend.
Visiting multiple lighthouses wasn’t the only similarity to my later tour, as we also camped too. Camping wasn’t something any of us had done much of at all and I recall plenty of laughter and confusion when putting the tent up. It turned out to be good practice for me.
Our first lighthouse of the trip was the small but beautifully located Anvil Point. Thankfully we had excellent weather all weekend which made the walk from the Durlston car park to the lighthouse all the more enjoyable – and I remember the walk which is always a good sign!
Anvil Point lighthouse
Rather fortunately the lighthouse was open for tours on that particular day, although these are sadly no longer running, so I’m even more glad to have done it when I did. I remember the tour guide being really friendly and pleased to meet someone else who had a genuine interest in lighthouses. I look back now at pictures of the tour and it brings back memories of being in awe of it all, which is a feeling I often still get when I reach the top of a lighthouse. I suppose you never lose that feeling of wonder – or I hope I never do anyway.
The lens inside Anvil Point lighthouse
The views from the top of the tower were amazing, with the turquoise sea and the various tracks littered along the coastline around the lighthouse. We wandered a little further around to the east after we’d left the lighthouse and read up on the Tilly Whim Caves.
Looking towards the Tilly Whim Caves
We then continued on to our next destination: Swanage. No more lighthouses on that particular day, but we did have a nice ride on the Swanage Railway Steam Train to Corfe Castle. The Castle wasn’t open for long after we arrived so we settled for a wander around the outside and dinner in a pub nearby. We finished off the day with a visit to Swanage beach before heading back to the tents.
Day two was to bring back lots of memories for me and certainly made some wonderful new ones too. As a student I was based in Weymouth for a couple of years so Weymouth itself, Portland, and the coast around Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door became my playground and I am still very fond of the area to this day. I’ve obviously seen a lot of coastline since then, but it’s never dampened my appreciation of that area. Just looking at the pictures makes me want to go back. Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door were our first stopping points that day, followed by lunch and cider in Weymouth (for old times’ sake, of course).
One of the many great views at Lulworth
Continuing onwards to Portland, we set off to see its three lighthouses. Portland Bill is a pretty famous lighthouse and you can see why it attracts a lot of people, it makes for a nice day out. It’s another scenic area, particularly the views looking down on Chesil Beach as you climb higher and higher up Portland itself. It is incredible what nature does, and I could happily spent hours researching barrier beaches and tombolos, which I fell in love with in Shetland last yet, (put extremely simply, it’s an island attached to the mainland by the narrow spit). It’s truly incredible what nature does and we are so lucky to be able to witness it, either in a single moment or (if we are really lucky) to see how it changes over the years. Of course not all of the change is good of course as we are seeing at Orfordness now.
Looking back at Chesil Beach from Portland
The lighthouse at Portland offered another chance to climb some steps – plenty more this time than at Anvil Point. Even more lovely views of the Dorset coastline were to be had from the top of the tower and it was great to see the big lens in there too, although this has recently been removed. Back down on the ground we strolled around for a while and I captured a couple of pictures of the other two lights before we returned to camp.
Portland Bill lighthouse
Our final day began and great adventure awaited us, this time in the form of a boat trip which would take us out to Hurst Point. It was another beautiful day and I gave the big white lighthouse at Hurst a hug as that was as close as I could get to going inside. For some unknown reason we didn’t go into Hurst Castle itself, which with hindsight was rather foolish of me as there would have been the other two lighthouses in there and I may well have discovered the Association of Lighthouse Keepers sooner as they have some excellent rooms there, which I finally got to see last year.
Hurst Point lighthouse
It’s interesting looking back at my pictures from that visit to see how the area around the Castle looked then compared to how it is now, although there was clear evidence then that the movement of the shingle was a problem. Again, it’s nature doing its wild and wonderful thing.
The view towards the Needles from Hurst and some of the sea defences in place at the time
Only a short visit to Hurst that time, but it was a perfect end to an inspiring trip. It was only a few months after this that I began learning to drive. The weekend had given me a taste of what could be done, and I knew I needed a car and a licence to be able to do it. The rest, as they so often say, is history! 🙂
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Apr20
极光FQ
by uklighthousetour
It is unusual for me to not be posting here at this time of year as we enter prime lighthouse bagging season. Of course the coronavirus situation has put paid to any hope of trips and I certainly had an exciting April lined up. However, better not to dwell on these things.
I recently discovered a couple of lighthouse pictures I thought I had lost from a pre-lighthouse tour trip. I shared these with a friend who suggested writing some blog posts on the lighthouses I saw before I started this site in 2012. It seemed like a sensible suggestions, so here is the first of, what I suspect will be, three posts.
Back in 2009, a year before I started travelling around specifically to see lighthouses, I went to New York for a work event and I also spent a few days exploring the city. I was looking through my pictures recently and noticed a picture I had taken on that trip of a single lighthouse. I had absolutely no idea which lighthouse is was, all I knew was that I had taken it from the ferry to Staten Island. I’d gone over to the island with a couple of colleagues (who are also good friends) and had considered trying to find the Staten Island Range Lighthouse while there. Unfortunately the return ferry times didn’t allow enough time to reach it.
Robbins Reef lighthouse
I’ve now had a chance to find out more about the lighthouse I passed on the way there. It is called Robbins Reef lighthouse. I like to call it New York’s answer to Oxcars as it sits in the middle of a river on a stone platform and has a band. The current tower pre-dates Oxcars by 3 years, dating from 1883, although another tower marked the reef from 1839. It marks a sand reef at the eastern end of the Kill Van Kull strait. The increasing use of New York Harbor was the reason for its introduction.
The current tower is known as a Caisson or “spark plug” lighthouse, which is a cast iron offshore light on a concrete platform. This type was introduced as a cheaper alternative to screwpile towers.
Possibly the most famous story associated with this particular lighthouse – and where it gets its nickname “Kate’s Light” – is that of Kate Walker who was married to the keeper at Robbins Reef. It is reported that Kate initially disliked living at the lighthouse and wouldn’t unpack her suitcases, but gradually she settled in and became a very good assistant to her husband. When her husband passed away Kate applied to be the keeper of the light, but there was hesitance in assigning her the role. It was a few years later that she was officially given the job and she then single-handedly managed the lighthouse, fog bell and taking care of her children too – including rowing them to school and back each day! In addition she carried out a great number of rescues. A real inspiration, that’s for sure. There is a very detailed history of the lighthouse here, including some stories of Kate’s time there, 免费vmess.
It’s a really interesting light and I’m glad I came across the picture and looked into it a bit more. My first – and hopefully not last – American lighthouse! 🙂
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Mar2
极光FQ
by uklighthousetour
I have just returned from a great couple of days discovering a lot about the Association of Lighthouse Keepers (ALK) archives. The archives are at Bidston lighthouse, although some items are in storage elsewhere. The purpose of the weekend was to begin to establish what video footage is held in the archives, what condition it is in, what is worth keeping and what should be digitised.
When I arrived on Friday the videos were in full swing. They had already taken a look at some footage of Royal Sovereign lighthouse and its platform being moved into place. Everyone’s feedback on that one was really positive so hopefully it will be possible to watch that one at some point, especially as it is going to be removed within the coming years. I caught a short section of a VHS showing Lighthouse Keepers at the Needles lighthouse enjoying Christmas dinner, and this was made even better by one of the Keepers being present. So lovely to see.
A few of us were whisked off to another room to have a look at some of the slides. These had all been clearly labelled, the only problem was knowing which way to put them in to make sure they didn’t display sideways or upside down – we got it right on the third attempt. Fortunately the slides we looked at were chosen by someone else who is into the Northern Lighthouse Board lights so it was lovely to see those on the Isle of Man, including quite a few of the harbour lights. We also looked at some from various parts of England and Wales (I think we were at the end of the alphabet as we had South Stack, Whitehaven and some of the old Thames lights). Great to see those.
We then watched Keepers of the Light, which is quite a sad documentary as it was filmed at the time the lighthouses were being automated and the Keepers were leaving them for the last time. I find it such a unique situation, where the whole profession became redundant (aside from the Retained Lighthouse Keepers or Attendants – although that is nowhere near the time commitment the Keepers had). As lighthouse keeping was so closely linked with their off-duty time as well, they lived in the cottages at the lighthouse or in the towers themselves, it must have been such a huge blow for them, and their families too. It’s no wonder ex-Keepers speak so fondly of their days in the lighthouses.
Footage of the Nab Tower with its former lighthouse was shown over the weekend
The screenings and accommodation for the weekend all took place inside Bidston Observatory – an outstanding building with so many rooms, floors and points of interest. On Friday evening we went up onto the roof and had panoramic views of Liverpool and Wirral at night. We also went inside one of the domes on top of the building and you could see how it would have moved and been operated in the past.
Inside one of Bidston Observatory’s domes
On Saturday morning we started off discovering what stage the archiving is currently at. Stephen, who works alongside his wife Mandy on the archives, showed us the software he had developed for this purpose. There are currently over 13,500 items logged on the archive software with more still to go. The software allows you to search the archives in general or by various categories such as lighthouse stations, light vessels, depots and countries. We did a few random searches and looking at Southwold alone we found more than 50 items.
A demonstration of the archive software was given
The archives had started out with one of the founding members of the ALK, a Lighthouse Keeper, logging the items by hand in 6 index books. The transcription from these books was started by another active member of the ALK before it was passed on to Mandy and Stephen.
The archives are a real treasure trove of information, pictures, films, artefacts etc. You immediately look at some of it and think “this should be available for everyone to see”. However, as Stephen explained, these days it’s not as simple to just putting documents, pictures and films online. With the new GDPR rules it is essential that they are careful with information about people and whether or not anyone in the pictures or videos are happy for them to be shared. In addition to this, there are issues around copyright and whether or not the owner of the copyright gives permission for them to be made available publicly. These are complications that many wouldn’t think of and so it’s definitely not as easy as making everything digital and getting it up on the internet.
Another challenge they have faced has been the categorising of items relating to light vessels. There are a range of vessel names and numbers as well as station names. Some names and numbers have been reused as well, making it difficult to establish how different items should be categorised.
The discussion moved on to female lighthouse keepers. Trinity House and the Northern Lighthouse Board never had female keepers, although there are now female Retained Lighthouse Keepers in Scotland. The only female keepers worked in privately owned lighthouses and the name Peggy Braithwaite was mentioned. Of course the next VHS we watched was a television interview with Peggy who was a Keeper at Walney. That was really lovely to see.
Bidston lighthouse
Of course it wasn’t possible to go to Bidston without setting foot in vmess节点订阅 and Stephen had very kindly offered to give us a tour, not only of the lighthouse, but also the archives. As well as boxes in other areas, there was a room near enough dedicated to the archives. There was even a special cupboard containing some of the old visitor books from lighthouses. I have been informed that within the archives there is a visitor book from The Needles which has been signed by Charles Dickens! That is really quite special.
Just some of the ALK archives at Bidston
It’s been a few years since I last had a tour of Bidston lighthouse and it was very nice to return. Stephen is an expert tour guide, so full of knowledge and not just about Bidston either. The lighthouse is beautiful (I had a wonderful view of it from the bathroom in the Observatory), but it is a part of the Bidston “package”. I was speaking to Stephen about Low Head lighthouse in Tasmania and he said that there is so much there: the lighthouse, the foghorn, archives… It’s the fact that it’s everything brought together that makes it so interesting and I would say the same for Bidston.
The lighthouse has a lot of history and this is all so well presented throughout the tour by a combination of visual aids and Stephen’s talk. I wouldn’t want to go into too much detail as I feel it’s worth experiencing these things first hand if you can rather than reading someone else’s account (if you are reading between the lines there you may have guessed that what I was trying to say was “Go to Bidston and do the tour!”) One thing that always fascinates me though – and it did so last time too, but probably moreso this time – is the way they used to use flags on Bidston Hill for signalling when and which boats were coming in to Liverpool Docks. Because of the hill’s location it blocks the view from the Docks to the sea. While very useful to the people at the Docks, they were also helpful to the local families who had fathers, sons, brothers etc. out at sea and the flags enabled the locals to find out when their loved ones were on their way home so they could prepare (as Stephen said “kick the lodger out”). For some reason that piece of history always touches me and one of the others in the group said they felt the same. There really is so much history and I would highly recommend you make Stephen the person to tell you all about it.
One of the many views from the top of Bidston lighthouse
Back over at the Observatory we were in agreement that we wanted more cine film so we put the ex-Keepers to work setting it up. We watched a really interesting documentary about light vessels, with footage from the Essex and East Anglia coasts. It was thought that the film probably hadn’t seen the light of day for many years so it was fantastic to see it in working order still.
Setting up the cine film
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This film was followed by the island lighthouses of Tasmania. I love an island anyway, but some of those look so beautiful on incredibly rugged and awe-inspiring islands. Very much like the far-flung lights around Scotland like the Flannans, Muckle Flugga and Sule Skerry. A veritable feast of lights at the top end of the “particularly challenging to reach” category. One particular island at the time was reached using a boat/off-road vehicle combination that was launched from the main maintenance vessel. It sailed through the water and then bounced its way up the long track to the lighthouse. Looked like good fun to me!
We began watching a film about lighthouses in South West England. It was another interesting one, but the sound went off after a while and so Stephen decided to play us some of his foghorn music, which also featured gull sounds! Once it was pointed out that some of the foghorns sounded like cows I became increasingly amused by it.
A shot of the light vessel cine film mentioned above
One of the things I enjoyed most about the weekend was the gathering of Keepers. A lot of the ALK events I have been to the Keepers have been a minority and so I don’t get to hear them speaking to me or each other so much. They really do have some of the greatest stories and what I find particularly wonderful is that many of them never met while in the lighthouse service. They sometimes served on the same stations, but it is only through the ALK that they have come to know each other and share their memories and experiences with each other as if they are old friends. It is so heartwarming to watch and I took some wonderful pictures of two of them looking at some images on a camera. It seemed like such a special moment and this is the perfect example of two men who never met through work but have bonded through their experiences.
I realised on the final evening that I’d not ventured down into the depths of the Observatory, which I had heard a lot about. The building became even more fascinating then. One of the rooms downstairs contained tables covered in pictures of all of the work the current owners had put into improving the Observatory. Such a hidden gem, it really is.
Bidston Observatory
I should also mention before I finish this post, because I’ve said I will include it, that at about 7.15am on Saturday morning I managed to lock myself out of the Observatory. I’d decided to go out for a short stroll to take a picture or two of the lighthouse and wander around the Observatory. Rather foolishly I’d forgotten to put the front door on the latch so it didn’t take long to discover my error. I was standing out in the rain with no idea if anyone else was awake inside and wondering what to do with myself when another early riser opened the door. He’s possibly never seen anyone look quite so glad to see him as I was, although I had only been standing outside for a few minutes. What a relief that was!
It was a really interesting weekend and there was talk of planning more during the year. I will also take this opportunity to say that the ALK does some really wonderful work (archives and in other areas) and I would highly recommend becoming a member if you have an interest in lighthouses at all. ALK events enable you get to spend time with others who are just as mad about lighthouses as you are, or maybe even slightly more mad! At the heart of it though are is the Keepers: a fantastic bunch of kind, welcoming and humble individuals. 🙂
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Dec17
The VIP treatment at Hurst Point
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Thankfully I was armed with my super lighthouse friend John (previously referred to on occasion as my flat pack partner in crime) who, being a volunteer there, knew the right people and where the keys were!
On the way to Keyhaven on Friday morning, we took the coastal route giving us some wonderful views across to the Needles. I often forget that the Isle of Wight isn’t so far away from mainland UK, mainly because I spend most of the time travelling there on a boat in Southampton waters! It was great to be able to see the island from this angle.
In lighthouse terms it doesn’t get much more exciting than approaching four lighthouses. Yes, four! The only one of these I’d seen really close up before was the white tower – the most noticeable of the four and the only one still in operation. The priority this time though was to get at those inside the grounds of Hurst Castle. So in we went.
The old low lights within the grounds of Hurst Castle
I must admit that there was one I was particularly excited about and that is the old lantern from the tower that used to sit on top of the Nab Tower. I think John knew this as, aside from a brief stop at the office for those who volunteer at the Association of Lighthouse Keepers’ Museum at Hurst, it was our first stop. First a bit of background: the Nab Tower is located to the east of the Isle of Wight and was introduced to protect again German submarines. Originally it didn’t feature a lighthouse, but this was added after the Nab Tower itself was no longer required. The decision was made to replace the nearby Nab light vessel with a lighthouse on top of the Nab Tower. The structure now at Hurst Castle is that very lighthouse lantern. It was removed in 2012 during a big renovation and had to be dismantled to get it inside the castle at Hurst before being reconstructed (without instructions).
The old Nab Tower lantern
It’s fantastic to see how much love and attention it has had to get to the point it is at now, which is near enough ready to be open to the public as a child-friendly exhibit. Complete with rotating light and child-size steps, I can tell it’s going to be a very popular addition. It was a real pleasure to see this one.
The rotating lens now inside the Nab lantern
Next we moved on to the Association of Lighthouse Keepers rooms. This was wonderful to see. Just like the Association itself, the rooms are a real celebration of lighthouse keepers in particular. The displays include some wonderful pictures and also what has proven to be a very popular exhibit, a map pointing out where the lighthouses are so visitors can see where their nearest one is. Alongside the Trinity House rooms, there is a lot of lighthouse information there. I even got to wind up the rotating mechanism on an old lens – I would have been a useless lighthouse keeper! The old Egypt Point lantern was on display too, which was brilliant to see. Also the old Holm of Skaw lantern from Shetland. Amazing! A treasure trove of all things lighthouse.
Next on the priority list was the old grey low light. The grey tower is open to the public on the odd occasion and I was very pleased to have my own private tour. With the lower half being just a metal framework section it was all external staircases initially. Once inside there were some really interesting features. The round windows with their large handles intrigued me and when looking through the windows to the east there were some nice views of the other two towers.
The replica lamp changer in the grey lighthouse
John showed me the replica lamp changer, a great little contraption. I saw a larger version at the top of the tower where the lamp changer is still in position and the old lens is still in situ too. John showed me exactly where to stand to be able to get a view through the lens of the Needles upside down! A rather unique view on those iconic rocks and the lighthouse.
Spot the upside down Needles!
We got even better views from the balcony, including a fairly close view of the other low light, the stone tower. Another lovely looking building. Again John was on hand to show me the two positions to stand in to see the different colours of the sector lights on the active lighthouse. With the wind picking up, the sea was getting much more choppy and you could see where different currents were meeting and causing quite a stir. Another excellent vantage point.
The old stone lighthouse, viewed from the grey light
It would have been rude not to have taken a stroll over to the white lighthouse so that was where we went next. It’s a really distinctive tower, with the oversized “ball” on top of the lantern. At least that’s what we called it, for want of a better (or more accurate) term. The tower looked perfect against the bright blue sky, as it had when I had last visited. It must always be sunny at Hurst! The diggers being used to help save the castle walls towards the east could be seen in this area, as could the big waves splashing up over the shingle.
Hurst Point lighthouse
We took a look around the east wing of the castle, which at times feels like being in a maze with so many different doorways and sets of stairs. One area on this side gave some more great views of the old stone tower from a different angle with the shingle spit that links Hurst Point to Keyhaven visible in the distance.
Hurst is a really fascinating place and I have much more of an appreciation for it now that I have spent more time there and seen how much hard work goes into the improvements and the essential ongoing maintenance. There is so much more to it than I ever imagined.
Me with tour guide John
I am, of course, massively grateful to John for taking the time to show me around, making arrangements to get out there, and for such a fun time. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and definitely won’t be leaving it another 9 years before going back this time. 🙂
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Nov23
The Duncansby foghorn returns
by uklighthousetour
Last weekend I had a phone call from a friend on the North Coast to say that he was at John O’Groats and a foghorn had just been delivered there. It seemed like a rather unusual event and yesterday he called again with more information. We had already planned to head over there today anyway, but this gave me a little more to work with during the visit.
En route we called in at Dunnet Head lighthouse. We arrived just after 10am and I was surprised to see the light still on, but I was glad it was. Although it no longer houses the original lens, I watched the lights rotating for a little longer than I normally would, knowing that at some point in the near future it will be replaced.
Dunnet Head lighthouse at 10am – with the light still on
I also wanted to make the most of being in the lighthouse complex. It’s not open to the public so often and we have been speaking to the current owner on a number of occasions in recent months so we have been able to take a look around the cottages and other buildings too. He is selling the cottages and engine room and had offered me a lovely picture of Bressay lighthouse in Shetland, which I’d recognised and liked when we had first looked around. It’s a beautiful painting. He’d also thrown in a picture of some Norwegian lighthouses too.
The oil painting of Bressay lighthouse
Onwards we went to John O’Groats, but of course we couldn’t go there without a quick visit to Duncansby Head itself. It was cold and windy, as it always is there, but the beautiful views are always worth it.
Duncansby Head lighthouse
This time it was even better as the two towers on Muckle Skerry, the largest of the Pentland Skerries, were visible and anchored just off of the island was the Northern Lighthouse Board’s maintenance vessel Pharos. Stroma lighthouse was also visible from here.
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John O’Groats beckoned and, as expected, there was the foghorn under the arch next to the ice cream shop (which was closed). I’d expected it to be red like the others I’d seen, but it wasn’t. This was explained a little later on in the day. It looks like it needs a fair amount of work, and this is exactly what it is getting. We met the friend who told me about it in the local cafe and afterwards I stopped off at Seaview Hotel at John O’Groats to speak to the man behind the whole project.
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So here is the story behind the foghorn since it was removed. Back in the early 2000s (if the man at the hotel remembers correctly), the Northern Lighthouse Board had the old keepers’ accommodation at the lighthouse demolished as well as the foghorn. Everything was destined for landfill, but members of the community clearly spoke nicely to the demolition guys and it was agreed that the foghorn itself would be left and has since been living on the land of one of the local residents. While it was there it was damaged by a digger and a slightly rough job was made of welding the pieces back on. What this meant was that when the work began on it recently to remove the paint and clean it up, these pieces fell off and can now be seen laying inside the horn. They will be welded back on properly in due course.
There will be a memorial event for those lost on the George Robb on 6th December this year at Duncansby Head lighthouse, exactly 60 years to the day since the boat went down. I plan to go along to this event (which is at 2pm if anyone who is interested reads this) and will hopefully also meet up with Ian, my lighthouse keeper friend, who served at Duncansby back in the 80s. He and his family were very much a part of the community when they lived there and the man I spoke to this afternoon remembers him well. It will be nice to see Ian back with that community.
Once restored, the foghorn will be accompanied by an interpretive panel, which will explain where the foghorn came from, how it worked and its history. Interestingly, the father of the man I spoke to this afternoon has recordings of the foghorns at Duncansby, Stroma and Pentland Skerries and the idea of running some power to the area has been suggested so that buttons can be installed on the base of the foghorn to allow people to hear what the horns sounded like. It sounds like a wonderful idea to me and I hope it happens. They hope to have the area tidied up and the memorial and foghorn installed by Easter next year.
There is plenty more in the pipeline for John O’Groats too including: the improvement of the coastal path to Duncansby Head in general; the renovation of an old nearby mill to accommodate a hub for the local community to meet and socialise; a children’s play park; and, eventually, a golf course.
It’s all rather exciting and I look forward to seeing it all coming together. It’s fantastic to see a community really embracing and encouraging both their heritage and the number of tourists who visit the area. It’s very refreshing when so many people are keen to complain these days about increased tourism. 🙂
