Beachy Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in the English Channel below the cliffs at Beachy Head in East Sussex, England. It is 141 feet (43 m) high and became operational in October 1902. It was the last traditional-style 'rock tower' (i.e., an offshore lighthouse) built by Trinity House.
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| Beachy Head Lighthouse England |
Construction
Beachy Head Lighthouse was built to replace the Belle Tout Lighthouse on top of the Beachy Head cliffs, which was completed in 1834. It was not as successful as hoped, its light being frequently obscured by winter fog. sea. So it was decided to build a replacement at the foot of the cliffs. The Belle Tout lighthouse was decommissioned in 1902 and still exists as a holiday home.
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| Beachy Head Lighthouse England |
From 1900 to 1902, under the direction of Sir Thomas Matthews, Trinity House's chief engineer, Beachy Head Lighthouse, was built, located some 165 meters seaward from the base of the cliffs. For the construction, a temporary cable car was installed from the cliff to transport workers and stones to an iron ocean platform adjacent to the lighthouse. 3,660 tons of Cornish granite were used in the construction of the tower.
The lighthouse was equipped with a first-order rotating catadioptric optic made up of three double panels, giving two white flashes every 20 seconds; the light source was a paraffin vapor burner designed by Matthews. The newly built lighthouse was also provided with an explosive fog signal, sounded every five minutes in foggy weather; it involved keepers placing a small explosive charge along with a detonator in each jib located in the gallery of the lighthouse; when fitted into place, the connection was made to a dynamoelectric firing machine inside the lantern, from which the charge was fired remotely.
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| Beachy Head Lighthouse England |
Operation
For more than 80 years, the red-and-white-striped tower was run by three lighthouse keepers. His main job was to maintain the revolving light, which was then visible 26 nautical miles (48 km; 30 mi) out to sea. For most of the 20th century, cooking was done with a solid fuel stove, and the accommodation was lit by paraffin lamps. Electricity first reached the lighthouse in 1975, after which an electric lamp was installed in the optics. The explosive fog signal remained in use until 1976 (when it was replaced by an 'ELG 500' electric emitter); at that time Beachy Head was one of the last lighthouses still using exploding signals. The lighthouse became fully automated in 1983 and the keepers were removed.
A chalk that fell on the cliff in 1999 severed the electrical cable; During its repair, the fog lamp and signal were replaced and upgraded. In June 2010, Trinity House announced at the quinquennial "Aids to Navigation Review" that the range of the light would be reduced to 8 mi (15 km; 9.2 mi) and that the fog signal would be discontinued. In February 2011, work began and the range of the light was reduced by installing a new LED navigation light system. The old lens, although no longer in use, was left in situ. The fog signal was also discontinued at this time.
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| Beachy Head Lighthouse England |
Trinity House announced in 2011 that it could no longer afford to repaint the distinctive red and white stripes and would have to drop it to return to its natural granite grey. He stated that because ships now have high-tech navigation systems, day marker strips are no longer essential. However, a sponsored campaign to keep the stripes was launched in October 2011. The required £27,000 was raised. The repainting of the tower was completed in October with a team that included two rappels. Five coats of paint were applied to the copper lantern at the top and three to each rim of the tower.
In 2019, with the imminent demolition of the Royal Sovereign Lighthouse, Trinity House has said it will increase the strength of the Beachy Headlight to make up for the loss of the Royal Sovereign.