Portishead Point Lighthouse

{{Short description|Lighthouse in Somerset, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}

{{Infobox lighthouse

| name = Portishead Point Lighthouse
Battery Point

| image = Portishead Lighthouse.jpg

| image_width =

| caption = Portishead Point Lighthouse also known as Battery Point Lighthouse

| location = Portishead
Somerset
England

| coordinates = {{coord|51.494626|-2.773586|display=inline,title}}

| yearbuilt = 1931

| yearlit =

| automated =

| yeardeactivated =

| foundation = concrete base

| construction = metal skeletal tower

| shape = square pyramidal tower enclosed with balcony and light

| marking = black tower, white basement

| height = {{convert|9|m}}

| focalheight = {{convert|9|m}}

| lens = 4th-order dioptric

| currentlens =

| intensity =

| range = {{convert|16|nmi}}

| characteristic = Q (3) W 10s.

| fogsignal =

| racon =

| country =

| countrynumber =

| countrylink =

| managingagent = Bristol Port Company{{Cite rowlett|engw|accessdate=2016-04-28}}

}}

Portishead Point Lighthouse, more commonly known as Battery Point Lighthouse, was built in Portishead, Somerset, England, in 1931.

History

The {{convert|9|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} lighthouse was built as an unwatched automatic light by the Chance Brothers of Smethwick at Battery Point in 1931.{{cite journal |title=Progress in Illuminating Engineering |journal=The Illuminating Engineer (The Journal of Good Lighting) |date=December 1931 |volume=24 |page=307}} It consists of a black metal pyramid on a concrete base.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldwidelighthouses.com/Lighthouses/English-Lighthouses/Privately-Owned/Portishead-Point |title=Portishead Point Lighthouse |publisher=Worldwide lighthouses |access-date=23 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042836/http://www.worldwidelighthouses.com/Lighthouses/English-Lighthouses/Privately-Owned/Portishead-Point |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}

Initially, it had been intended to provide Portishead Point with a diaphone fog signal. However, in response to local unrest at the prospect, the decision was taken to commission a fog bell instead.{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=F. W. |title=Twenty Years in Lighthouses |date=1979 |publisher=United States Lighthouse Society |pages=100–101 |url=https://uslhs.org/sites/default/files/attached-files/Twenty%20Years%20in%20Lighthouses.pdf |access-date=13 March 2019}} Gillett & Johnston of Croydon cast the two-tonne bell was cast by in 1938{{cite news |title=Battery Point Lighthouse |url=http://www.portishead.gov.uk/Document/Default.aspx?DocumentUid=50dfc2cc-bbee-4ef5-9af0-0b7806e1636c |access-date=23 September 2012 |format=PDF |newspaper=Portishead and North Weston Town Council Newsletter |date=September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608031017/http://www.portishead.gov.uk/Document/Default.aspx?DocumentUid=50dfc2cc-bbee-4ef5-9af0-0b7806e1636c |archive-date=8 June 2015 |url-status=live}} and installed it the following year. Due to structural concerns, the bell was removed in 1998; later, following public campaigning for restoration, the bell was acquired by Portishead Town Council and returned to the town in 2012.{{cite web |title=Old lighthouse bell hasn't tolled yet for town |url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Old-lighthouse-bell-hasn-t-tolled-town/story-11285394-detail/story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505075130/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Old-lighthouse-bell-hasn-t-tolled-town/story-11285394-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 May 2013 |publisher=This is Bristol |access-date=23 September 2012 }} It is installed on Wyndham Way, close to the High Street.{{cite news |last=Fowler |first=Tracey |title=Lighthouse bell to return home |url=http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/lighthouse_bell_to_return_home_1_1350848 |access-date=23 September 2012 |newspaper=Weston, Worle and Somerset Mercury |date=17 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234437/http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/lighthouse_bell_to_return_home_1_1350848 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}

The lighthouse is maintained by the Bristol Port Company.{{cite web |url=http://www.lighthouse-duo.net/lh1/Battery%20Point/Battery%20Point.html |title=Portishead Point A5484 – Bristol Channel, UK |publisher=The Lighthouse Duo |access-date=1 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909080936/http://www.lighthouse-duo.net/lh1/Battery%20Point/Battery%20Point.html |archive-date=9 September 2010 |url-status=dead }} The light was refurbished in 2012.{{cite web |title=Notice to marners (No 32 of 2012) Portishead light refurbishment |url=http://www.bristolport.co.uk/node/172 |access-date=23 September 2012 |publisher=The Bristol Port Company}}{{dead link|date=May 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

Gallery

File:Portishead MMB 05 Battery Point.jpg|Close-up of the lighthouse.

File:Geograph 2002159 Irene and Battery Point lighthouse.jpg|Irene sailing past Portishead Point.

File:Portishead Bell, Wyndham Way - formerly the bell at Battery Point Lighthouse (geograph 5218691).jpg|The bell, displayed on Wyndham Way.

File:Battery Point lighthouse, Portishead, England arp.jpg|The lighthouse

See also

{{Portal|Somerset|Engineering}}

References

{{Reflist}}