The Lens

The Lens
Originally uploaded by Steve Oliver.

The Lizard Lighthouse, on Lizard Point in Cornwall, United Kingdom, was built in 1619, but the inability to collect dues from passing ships forced its closure in 1623. In 1762, Trinity House built a two-tower, coal-fired station, which it leased for 61 years to a Thomas Fonnerau. The coal fires were replaced by Argand oil lights in 1812, and they in turn replaced in 1878 by generator-powered electricity.
In 1903, the two tower system was stopped, and a single flashing light used. This has a white flash every 3 seconds and a range of 25 miles. The fog horn gives 2 blasts every 60 second

Coordinates: 49°57′58″N 5°12′07″W

Godrevy Lighthouse, Cornwall

Godrevy Lighthouse, Cornwall
Originally uploaded by Richard and Gill.

Godrevy Lighthouse was built in 1859 and celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. The white octagonal tower used to be staffed by three men at a time, but the light was automated in 1934.

Godrevy lighthouse is said to have inspired Virginia Woolf to write her novel 'To the Lighthouse'.

Coordinates: 50.23828°N 5.39373°W

Godrevy Lighthouse was built in 1858–1859. The Stones reef had always been a hazard to shipping and a lighthouse had been considered many times prior to 1858 but nothing came of plans until the SS Nile was wrecked in 1854 with the loss of all on board.

The lighthouse is a white octagonal tower, 86 feet (26 m) high and made of rubble-stone and mortar. The original light was a revolving white one, with a fixed red light below the main light, which could be seen over a 45-degree arc when a ship was in danger of the reef. This was later replaced by a red sector on the main light itself.

Originally, the light was manned by three men at a time, but in 1934 the lighthouse was automated. The light flashes white/red every 10 seconds, with the red sector only being visible in the arc of danger from the reef. The range of the light is around 12 miles.

The lighthouse is said to have inspired Virginia Woolf to write To the Lighthouse - though in the book, she locates the lighthouse elsewhere.