St Catherine's Lighthouse
 The lighthouse, with fog-signal tower attached | |
 | |
| Location | St. Catherine's Point Isle of Wight England |
|---|---|
| OS grid | SZ4981275339 |
| Coordinates | 50°34′32.4″N 1°17′51.9″W / 50.575667°N 1.297750°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | c.1323 (first) |
| Construction | ashlar |
| Automated | 1997 |
| Height | 27 m (89 ft) |
| Shape | hexagonal tower |
| Markings | white tower and lantern |
| Operator | Trinity House[1] |
| Heritage | Grade II listed building  |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1838 (current) |
| Focal height | 41 m (135 ft) |
| Intensity | 821,000 candela |
| Range | 25 nmi (46 km; 29 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 5s. |
St. Catherine's Lighthouse is one of the oldest lighthouse locations in Great Britain. The first lighthouse was established on St. Catherine's Down in 1323 on the orders of the Pope, after a ship ran aground nearby and its cargo was either lost or plundered. Once part of St. Catherine's Oratory, its octagonal stone tower can still be seen today on the hill to the west of Niton. It is known locally as the "Pepperpot".[2]
The new lighthouse, built by Trinity House in 1838, was constructed as a 40-metre (130 ft) stone tower; however, its light was often obscured by fog, which led to its height being reduced by 13-metre (43 ft) in 1875. It has a range of 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) and is the third-most powerful of all the lights maintained by Trinity House.[3] Another tower, built immediately alongside in 1932, houses the now redundant fog signal (discontinued in 1987).
Trinity House provides tours of the lighthouse year round.
See also
References
- ^ St. Catherine's The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved April 26, 2016
- ^ Woodman and Wilson (2002). The Lighthouses of Trinity House. Bradford on Avon: Reed. ISBN 1-904050-00-X.
- ^ "St. Catherine's lighthouse". Trinity House. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
External links
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