Lighthouses of Norfolk & Suffolk - www.simplonpc.co.uk

Simplon - The Passenger Ship Website - www.simplonpc.co.uk Simplon Home - www.simplonpc.co.uk - Simplon facebook - Recent Updates - Search Simplon - Copyright Information - Contact Simplon This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation - There are no postcards for sale on this website

	Lighthouses of England Page 1: Norfolk & Suffolk
	This page is one of a series devoted to postcards and photographs of British lighthouses. This page covers the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. In addition to the major lighthouses, the page shows other navigational lights and beacons where possible.

Happisburgh Lighthouse on the North Norfolk coast is the only independently operated lighthouse in Great Britain. It is also the oldest working lighthouse in East Anglia. The lighthouse is painted white with three red bands and has a light characteristic of 3 white flashes, repeated every 30 seconds, at a height of 135ft (41.1m) with a range of 14 miles (22.5 km). The existing building was constructed in 1790, originally as one of a pair of candle-powered lights (High Lighthouse and Low Lighthouse) and has been electrified since 1947. The tower is 85ft (25.9 m) tall, putting the lantern at 134ft (40.8m) above sea level. The Low Light was decommissioned and demolished in 1883 before it could be lost due to coastal erosion. Together they formed a pair of range lights that marked a safe passage around the southern end of the offshore Haisborough Sands 8 miles (12.9 km) to the safe waters of The Would.

In 1987 Happisburgh was one of 5 lighthouses declared redundant by Trinity House and deactivation was planned for June 1988. Villagers organised a petition to oppose the closure, and as a result the date was postponed. Under the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894, Trinity House may dispose of a working lighthouse only to an established Lighthouse Authority. On 25 April 1990 the Happisburgh Lighthouse Act received the Royal Assent establishing the Happisburgh Lighthouse Trust as a Local Light Authority, and Happisburgh became the only independently run operational lighthouse in Great Britain.

A lighthouse has stood in this location since the 17th century. This first lighthouse was constructed between 1616 and 1618. This lighthouse was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1687 and had an octagonal tower. The lighthouse was privately owned by the Turner family who were entitled to a penny per ton for every ship that sailed within the light. The lighthouse can be seen clearly on Faden’s large-scale map of the county of Norfolk of 1779, and Bryant's map of 1826. In 1836 the lighthouse was bought by Trinity House. During the 1914/1918 World War the present lighthouse became a military lookout post. Soon after, in 1921, the lighthouse ceased operations and the lighthouse and its cottage were turned into a private residence. The lantern was replaced by a circular observation room.

The lighthouse was used as a military lookout post in World War Two. At this time the tower was strengthened with Brick and concrete above the level of observation room and a gallery was added. The lighthouse was then used for observation for the Winterton Emergency Coastal Battery. The adjoining buildings were also used by the Coastal Battery’s garrison. After the war the lighthouse was the home of Viscount Elmley, M.P. for East Norfolk. In 1972 the lighthouse and cottage became part of the Hermanus holiday complex. In 2000 the lighthouse and cottage were sold again and is now two private dwellings, one in the tower, the other in the cottage.

In 1609 Trinity House responded to petitions from ship owners and merchants who had lost cargoes and vessels on the dangerous sandbanks and shoals around the East coast. The proposal was to erect two towers, a high and low light, 'for the direction of ships which crept by night in the dangerous passage betwixt Lowestoft and Winterton'. Two lighthouses were established on the low lying foreshore known as Lowestoft-ness, the illuminant being tallow candles. When the two lights were in line they led vessels through the Stamford Channel, an inshore passage used by small vessels, which no longer exists. The lighthouses were rebuilt in 1628 and again in 1676 when the rear light was erected upon the cliff as the light was no longer solely used by vessels feeling their way along the coast, but also by those approaching from far out to sea. The new High Lighthouse, which cost £300, was a substantial building of brick and stone and in order to improve the light the candles were replaced by a coal fire.

In 1706, owing to encroachment by the sea, the Low Light was discontinued. For years afterwards the shipmasters complained of the difficulty in navigating the Stamford Channel during the night time, and eventually, in 1730 it was re-established, as an oil light, burning whale oil in an open flame lamp. The new Low Light was designed to be easily moveable either on account of the encroachment of the sea or a change in the direction of the Stamford Channel.

In 1777 Trinity House experimented with reflector lights at Lowestoft. The coal fire in the high light was replaced by a new glass lantern 7ft high and 6ft in diameter. Inside this was erected a large cylinder covered with 4,000 small mirrors. These reflected the light from oil lamps arranged in a circle around them. The 'spangle light' as it was known was said to have a range of 20 miles, and was welcomed by all who saw it. However, the development of lighthouse optics at this period was making vast strides and by 1796 the spangle light had been abandoned and Argand lamps and silvered parabolic reflectors were installed at a cost of £1,000.

Following experiments with electric lighting at South Foreland Lighthouse, in 1870 the decision was taken to electrify the Lowestoft High Light. The existing tower was not considered strong enough to take the weight of the new equipment and a new tower which still stands today was built at a cost of £2,350. However before the tower was ready to receive the electrical apparatus paraffin oil became available as an illuminant, and it immediately proved itself to be so economical and efficient that it was adopted for use in the new lighthouse in preference to electricity. At the same time a new optical system was fitted having a revolving lens, and the light, which up to then had always been fixed, was made to flash at half-minute intervals. The rebuilding was completed in 1874.

By the early 1920's the Low Light had ceased to fulfil any useful function due to the disappearance of the Stamford Channel and was finally extinguished in August, 1923. The High Light was automated in 1975 and modernised in early 1997. (www.trinityhouse.co.uk)

Southwold Lighthouse is a coastal mark for passing shipping and guides vessels into Southwold Harbour. The lighthouse is situated near the centre of the seaside resort of Southwold.

Construction of Southwold Lighthouse began in 1887 under the supervision of Sir James Douglass, Engineer in Chief to Trinity House. The lighthouse replaced three local lighthouses which were under threat from severe coastal erosion at Orfordness to the South. While the masonry tower was built a temporary light was shown from a wooden structure which was first lit on 19th February 1889.

The present lighthouse came into operation on 3rd September 1890. The light was originally provided by an Argand burner, this was replaced by a Matthews incandescent oil burner in 1906. A Hood 100mm petroleum vapour burner was installed in 1923 and remained until the station was electrified and demanned in 1938. Two red sectors mark shoals to the north and the Sizewell Bank to the south, the main navigation light is white.

	Sections on this Page Norfolk Hunstanton Cromer Happisburgh Winterton Gorleston Suffolk Lowestoft Pakefield Southwold Orfordness Felixstowe Lighthouse Pages:- Norfolk & Suffolk Essex & Kent Cromer Lighthouse Lowestoft Lighthouse Southwold Lighthouse Associated Pages Cruise Ships Ocean Liners UK Excursion Vessels World Ferry Fleets Simplon Postcards. Home Page Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates - Simplon Piers & Lighthouses facebook page - Simplon Ship Postcards facebook page	References Trinity House Official Website - www.trinityhouse.co.uk
- Search the Simplon Website