Southwold lighthouse
Southwold lighthouse
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| Location | Southwold, Suffolk |
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| Coordinates | 52°19′38″N 01°40′53″E / 52.32722°N 1.68139°ECoordinates: 52°19′38″N 01°40′53″E / 52.32722°N 1.68139°E |
| Year first constructed | 1890 |
| Automated | 1938 |
| Construction | brick tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower and lantern |
| Height | 31 metres (102 ft) |
| Focal height | 37 metres (121 ft) |
| Original lens | 1st order 920mm focal length, catadioptric fixed lens |
| Current lens | Pelangi PRL400TH |
| Intensity | 17,100 candela |
| Range | 24 nautical miles (44 km) |
| Characteristic | White rotating – flashing once every 10 seconds |
| Admiralty number | A2272 |
| NGA number | 1588 |
| ARLHS number | ENG 135 |
| Managing agent | Southwold Millennium Foundation |
Southwold lighthouse is a lighthouse operated by Trinity House in the centre of Southwold in Suffolk, England. It stands on the North Sea coast, acting as a warning light for shipping passing along the east coast and as a guide for vessels navigating to Southwold harbour.
The lighthouse, which is a prominent local landmark, was commissioned in 1890, and was automated and electrified in 1938. It survived a fire in its original oil-fired lamp just six days after commissioning and today operates a 150-watt lamp. The main navigation lamp has a range of 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi).
Construction of the lighthouse began in 1887, led by Sir James Douglass, Engineer in Chief of Trinity House. A light was lit on a temporary structure in February 1889 and the lighthouse itself began operating on 3 September 1890. It replaced three lighthouses that had been condemned as a result of serious coastal erosion. The lantern itself was previously used at the Happisburgh low lighthouse but became available when the latter light was demolished.
The original light was powered by a six-wick Argand oil burner. Just six days after the light was commissioned there was a fire in the lighthouse with the burner being destroyed. The inexperience of the new lighthouse keepers was blamed for the fire. The burner was replaced with an oil-fired light in 1906 and a petroleum burner in 1923. The light was electrified and automated in 1938. It was converted to battery operation, with the batteries charged using mains electricity, in 2001.
The lighthouse, along with Lowestoft Lighthouse to the north, was threatened with closure by Trinity House in 2005, with shipping companies increasingly using satellite navigation systems rather than relying on lighthouses. Both lighthouses were reprieved in 2009 following a review by Trinity House that found that satellite navigation systems were not yet sufficiently reliable.
A BLV Topspot 90 Volt Metal Halide 150-watt revolving lamp with a range of 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi) provides the main light. This replaced three 90-watt Osram Halostar lights with a range of 17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi) in December 2012 in preparation for the closure of Orfordness Lighthouse in June 2013.
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Wikipedia