Longships Lighthouse

In the second half of the 18th century, Trinity House was petitioned repeatedly by ship owners for a lighthouse to be built on one of the rocks off Land's End. In 1790 John Smeaton surveyed the area, and recommended either Wolf Rock or the Longships reef as potentially suitable locations. Trinity House sought a leaseholder, who would be responsible for building the tower and maintaining the light in return for the right to levy dues on passing ships. The lease was eventually granted, for a period of fifty years, to a Lieutenant Henry Smith (who had previously been involved in trying to establish a beacon on the rocks). He engaged Samuel Wyatt, who had recently been appointed the Surveyor of Trinity House, as architect for the project.{{cite thesis |last1=Robinson |first1=John Martin |title=Samuel Wyatt, architect |url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:49edaf5e-5006-4e53-b2af-e973ada2e962 |website=Oxford University Research Archive |year=1974 |access-date=15 February 2022}} Work on site began in 1793; however, Smith underestimated the time required and costs involved, and struggled to raise sufficient funds (since the levying of dues depended on the lighthouse being operational). He took out expensive loans to see the work through, but was unable to repay them as promised; (he ended up being sent to the Fleet Prison as a debtor in 1801).

File:William Charles May - Long Ships Lighthouse off the Land^s End, Cornwall - B2018.3.5 - Yale Center for British Art.jpg

Smith's lighthouse was first lit on 29 September 1795. Built to Wyatt's design, it was a round tower, three storeys high and built of granite, on top of which was a glazed lantern storey with a copper-covered dome. Within the tower itself, the lower level contained a water tank and coal store, the middle floor housed the oil tanks and a kitchen, while the top floor served as a bedroom. The lantern contained a fixed array of eighteen Argand lamps with reflectors, arranged in two tiers and shining out to sea,{{cite book |last1=Woodman |first1=Richard |last2=Wilson |first2=Jane |title=The Lighthouses of Trinity House |date=2002 |publisher=Thomas Reed |location=Bradford-on-Avon, Wilts. |pages=96–97}} probably the first time Argand lamps and reflectors had been installed in an offshore lighthouse.{{cite book |last1=Nancollas |first1=Tom |title=Seashaken Houses: A Lighthouse History from Eddystone to Fastnet |date=2018 |publisher=Particular Books |page=111}} The tower was only just over {{convert|38|ft}} high, but was built on top of a rock pinnacle meaning that the lantern was {{convert|24|m|disp=flip}} above sea level; nevertheless very high seas obscured its light.[http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/interactive/gallery/longships.html Trinity House website; Longships lighthouse] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917174100/http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/interactive/gallery/longships.html |date=17 September 2008 }}; retrieved April 2010 In the early 19th century it was manned by two teams of two keepers, each team being on station for a month at a time.

{{stack|File:Cottages at Mayon - geograph.org.uk - 1468949.jpg}}

In 1836, Trinity House bought out the lease of the Longships (and other remaining privately owned lighthouses). The Corporation built a set of keepers' dwellings onshore, near Sennen Cove, in 1855, facing the lighthouse out to sea; keepers' families lived there, as did the keepers themselves when not on station. By this time there were still four keepers, but three now manned the lighthouse while one (by monthly rotation) was ashore.{{cite web | title = Lighthouse management : the report of the Royal Commissioners on Lights, Buoys, and Beacons, 1861, examined and refuted Vol. 2 | year = 1861 | page = 89 | url = https://archive.org/stream/lighthousemanage02blak#page/89/mode/1up }}

File:Longships Lighthouse 5.jpg

In 1869 Trinity House began constructing a replacement tower to the designs of William Douglass.{{cite book |title= Rock lighthouses of Britain The end of an era? |last= Nicholson |first= Christopher |year=1995 |publisher= Whittles Publishing |isbn=1-870325-41-9 |pages=72–73}} The building of the present granite tower used much of the equipment that had previously been used in the construction of the Wolf Rock Lighthouse; construction was supervised by Michael Beazeley, who had been assistant engineer to Douglass at Wolf Rock. The new lighthouse was just over {{convert|117|ft}} tall. It was equipped with a first-order fixed catadioptric optic built by Dr John Hopkinson of Chance Brothers.{{cite book |last1=Elliot |first1=George H. |title=European Light-House Systems |date=1875 |publisher=Lockwood & co. |location=London |page=184 |url=http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv38f8413f |access-date=10 March 2019 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029210746/http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv38f8413f |url-status=dead }} The lens array, itself over {{convert|9|ft}} tall, was placed on a {{convert|4|ft|9|in|adj=on}} pedestal within the lantern; the light source was an eight-wick 'Douglass' oil lamp, powered by colza.

The tower was first lit in December 1873, having cost £43,870 to build, and displayed a fixed white light with two red sectors (to warn ships away from the Brisons, to the north-east, and Rundlestone, to the south-east).{{cite book |last1=Elliot |first1=George H. |title=European Light-House Systems |date=1875 |publisher=Lockwood & co. |location=London |pages=146–148 |url=http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv38f8413f |access-date=10 March 2019 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029210746/http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv38f8413f |url-status=dead }} Initially the new lighthouse was fitted with a fog bell, which sounded two strokes every fifteen seconds;{{cite book |title=The English Channel Pilot |date=1878 |publisher=Charles Wilson |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/englishchannelp00ltdgoog/page/n103 92] |url=https://archive.org/details/englishchannelp00ltdgoog |access-date=11 February 2020}} After the new tower was completed Wyatt's tower was dismantled and the higher pinnacles of rock on Carn Bras were removed.

In 1883 Longstone was altered to show an occulting light (eclipsed for three seconds every minute). An explosive fog signal was introduced at the same time,[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/25226/page/2315 London Gazette, Issue: 25226, Page: 2315, 1 May 1883] using Brock fog rockets to sound a signal twice every ten minutes. The bell was retained for use as an alternative signal, put to use if the explosive signal was not working, until 1897 when it was removed.[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26901/page/5734 London Gazette, Issue: 26901, Page: 5734, 19 October 1897] Even after these improvements, however, the S.S. Bluejacket was wrecked on rocks near the lighthouse on a clear night in 1898, nearly demolishing the lighthouse in the process. Often due to bad weather there was a delay in relieving the men and supplying stores. In January 1901 there was some concern that the men had run short of provisions due to the severe weather. It was found that there was plenty of stores and the only hardship was their lack of tobacco. They had taken to smoking coffee, hops and tea leaves instead.{{cite news|title=Driven To Smoking Tea-Leaves|work=The Cornubian and Redruth Times|issue=1962|date=25 January 1901|page=3}} The explosive signal was altered to sound twice every five minutes in 1899.[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27040/page/93 London Gazette, Issue: 27040, Page: 93, 6 January 1899]

File:Cornwall - Longships Lighthouse - post card 1904.jpg

In 1904 the multi-wick lamp was replaced with a Matthews incandescent oil burner. A new Matthews-designed explosive fog signal apparatus was also installed on the lantern gallery at around the same time. In 1925 the lamp was again replaced, this time with a Hood petroleum vapour burner.

In 1967 the light was electrified and the tower modified: the 1873 optic was removed and in its place a pair of Lister diesel generator sets were installed on the old lamp room floor (occupying the lower part of the lantern). Above them an additional floor was inserted to support a new (reduced height) first-order dioptric optic, with an electric lamp replacing the old paraffin burner.{{Cite web |last=Besley |first=Andrew |title=Principal keeper of Longships Lighthouse, off Lands End, Cornwall, in the operations room, checking the lighting equipment. |url=https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/MEV-11357450 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815191247/https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/details-photo/principal-keeper-of-longships-lighthouse-off-lands-end-cornwall-in-the-operations-room-checking-the-lighting-equipment/MEV-11357450 |archive-date=Aug 15, 2023 |website=agefotostock}} It displayed an isophase light (one long five-second flash every ten seconds) and was visible up to {{convert|19|nmi|km}} distant. At the same time, the explosive fog signal was removed and a 'supertyfon' fog horn was installed:{{cite book |last1=Nicholson |first1=Christopher |title=Rock lighthouses of Britain |date=1983 |publisher=Whittles Publishing |location=Caithness, Scotland |page=74 |edition=1995}} compressed air was provided by a pair of Worthington-Simpson compressor units to three sounders, each placed alongside its own air tank on the lantern gallery.{{cite book |last1=Boyle |first1=Martin |title=Lighthouses of England and Wales: Longships |date=1997 |publisher=B & T Publications |location=Southampton, Hants.}}

File:Longships Lighthouse Fossick.jpg

In 1974 a helipad was constructed on top of the lantern, greatly easing access.

In 1988 the lighthouse was automated: the keepers were withdrawn, a new set of generators was installed and the fog horn was replaced by a new electric emitter.{{cite book |last1=Renton |first1=Alan |title=Lost Sounds: The Story of Coast Fog Signals |date=2001 |publisher=Whittles |location=Caithness, Scotland}} It was initially monitored by a telemetry link from the Lizard Lighthouse; since 1996 it has been monitored from Harwich.

Starting in February 2025, a technical fault caused the fog horn to sound every 13 seconds{{cite web |title=Feb 2025 fault |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdelld75wgro |website=BBC News |access-date=3 Mar 2025}}

The light was converted to solar power in 2005;{{cite web |title=Lighthouse Power |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southwest/series9/week_five.shtml |website=BBC Inside Out - South West |access-date=25 February 2020}} it now flashes twice every ten seconds. Seaward flashes are white but they become red – due to tinted sectors – for any vessel straying too close to either Cape Cornwall to the north or Gwennap Head to the south-southeast.

The white light has a range of {{convert|15|nmi|lk=on}}, and the red sector light a slightly shorter range of {{convert|11|nmi}}. During poor visibility the fog horn sounds once every ten seconds.{{cite ngall|114|2016|1}}

File:Longships lighthouse.jpg|Longships lighthouse from the landward side.

File:Rough Sea On Longships Lighthouse Lands End Cornwall 1938 RP Postcard 149c.jpg|The lighthouse on a windy day in 1938.

File:Longships Lighthouse2 Fossick.jpg|As of 2021 solar panels surround the lower half of the lantern.

File:Viewpoint towards Longships lighthouse, Lands End - geograph.org.uk - 2398471.jpg|View of the lighthouse from Land's End.

File:Longships - geograph.org.uk - 1956847.jpg|Aerial view of the rocks.

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