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Southwold
had no lighthouse until 1888, and even then it wasn’t
built – because of local navigational hazards.
Trinity House – the lighthouse authority for
England and Wales – decided to establish a new
light at Southwold when erosion and severe storms
destroyed the front lights down the coast at Orford
Ness. |
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Southwold's
first light was a temporary beacon at the southern
end of the beach, on California Sands, opposite
the building in Ferry Road which is now a restaurant.
It was welcomed by the town with some excitement
with the band playing the National Anthem at
its inauguration.
On
the left is a contemporary drawing of the temporary
light. Click the picture to see this at a larger
scale together with a rare photograph of the
light itself P1457 |
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Work
on the permanent light started in May 1889.
The plot, beside the coastguard station was
hailed by the press as "very advantageous...
the smoke from the town will not obscure the
light and
its nearness to the cliff
must
make it very prominent all along the
coast."
The
mayor, Mr Eustace Grubb, laid the first of 1,500,000
half bricks which were delivered via Halesworth
on the Southwold railway. It caused an enormous
headache for both the railway and the local
coal merchant,Thomas Moy & Co, whose combined
fleet of just 15 goods wagons ran a frenzied
shuttle service.Then, 10 months later, it was
time to install the lantern - all eight tons
of it. It arrived from Harwich in two sections
in two of Thomas Moy's wagons. The light was
inaugurated by Trinity House on 3 September.
Six days later, as a result of the new keepers'
inexperience, the six-wick Argand oil burner
burst into flames and was destroyed. It was
replaced and the keepers 'retrained'. It was
electrified and de-manned in 1938.
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 The
boy who kept the light burning |
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The
lighthouse photographed in the late 19th
Century. Click on the pictures to see
larger reproductions. From top left: P477,
P1458, P1428, P1036
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Lighthouse
facts
It
is a listed building
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You
can find it at the St James Green end of Stradbroke
Road or 52° 19'.60 N 01° 41'.00 E
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The tower is 30.8 m
(101 ft) high
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The
top is 36.6 m above mean high
water
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The
lamp is 1,500 watts
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The
main white light is visible for 18 nautical
miles
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Red
sectors are visible over land north and south
for 15 nautical miles
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Originally 'group occulting'*,
2 every 20 seconds
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In
1938 became 'group flashing'*, 6 every
20 seconds
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In
1965 became 'group flashing*', 4 every
20 seconds
*Find
out what these terms mean; visit |
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