Portishead Point Lighthouse

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

This article is about the lighthouse in Portishead, England. For the lighthouse in California, USA, see Battery Point Light.

Portishead Point Lighthouse
Battery Point
Portishead Point Lighthouse also known as Battery Point Lighthouse
Somerset
LocationPortishead
Somerset
England
Coordinates51.494626°N 2.773586°W / 51.494626; -2.773586
Year first constructed1931
Foundationconcrete base
Constructionmetal skeletal tower
Tower shapesquare pyramidal tower enclosed with balcony and light
Markings / patternblack tower, white basement
Tower height9 metres (30 ft)
Focal height9 metres (30 ft)
Original lens4th-order dioptric[1]
Range16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi)
CharacteristicQ (3) W 10s.
Admiralty numberA5484
NGA number6144
ARLHS numberENG-106
Managing agentBristol Port Company[2]

History

The 9-metre-high (30 ft) lighthouse was built at Battery Point by the Chance Brothers of Smethwick. It consists of a black metal pyramid on a concrete base.[3]

Originally it had been intended to provide Portishead Point with a diaphone fog signal, but in response to local unrest at the prospect the decision was taken to commission a fog bell instead.[1] The two tonne bell was cast by Gillett & Johnston of Croydon in 1938,[4] and installed the following year.[1] 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.[5] It is installed in Wyndham Way close to the High Street.[6]

The lighthouse is currently maintained by the Bristol Port Company.[7] The light was refurbished in 2012.[8]

  • Close-up of the lighthouse.
  • Irene sailing past Portishead Point.
  • The bell, displayed on Wyndham Way.

See also

References
  1. Cooper, F. W. (1979). Twenty Years in Lighthouses (PDF). United States Lighthouse Society. pp. 100–101. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  2. Portishead Point Archived 11 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 28 April 2016
  3. "Portishead Point Lighthouse". Worldwide lighthouses. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  4. "Battery Point Lighthouse" (PDF). Portishead and North Weston Town Council Newsletter. September 2010. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  5. "Old lighthouse bell hasn't tolled yet for town". This is Bristol. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  6. Fowler, Tracey (17 April 2012). "Lighthouse bell to return home". Weston, Worle and Somerset Mercury. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  7. "Portishead Point A5484 – Bristol Channel, UK". The Lighthouse Duo. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  8. "Notice to marners (No 32 of 2012) Portishead light refurbishment". The BRistol Port Company. Retrieved 23 September 2012.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.