Berry Head Lighthouse
Chance Brothers Lighthouse
-
Date of lens manufacture
1905
-
Date of lighthouse construction
1906
-
Country
United Kingdom
-
Commissioning body
Trinity House
-
Order of lens
3rd order
-
Fixed or revolving lens
Revolving
-
Active/Inactive
--- -
Describe the character of light
Fl (2) W 15s
-
Describe the lighthouses daymarks
4.5 m (15 ft) round cylindrical lantern attached to a 1-story square equipment building. Buildings painted white. Coast Guard and signal stations are nearby.
-
Which aspects of the lighthouse (other than the lens) were manufactured by Chance brothers
--- -
Describe the history of the lighthouse
Berry Head Lighthouse is an active lighthouse, located at the end of Berry Head near Brixham in Devon. It was originally built in 1906, and was then automated and converted to run on acetylene in 1921, and further modernised in 1994 (since when it has run on mains electricity); in 2019 it was converted to LED operation. Berry Head is reputedly the shortest lighthouse in Great Britain, but also one of the highest, being only 5 metres (16 ft) tall, but 58 metres (190 ft) above mean sea level. It was also said to be the deepest because the optic was originally turned by a weight falling down a 45 metres (148 ft) deep shaft (though an electric motor was subsequently used).
Placed within a revolving third-order dioptric optic, the light had an intensity of 4,200 candela and a range of 19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi); it gave a double white flash every 15 seconds. In 2019 the optic and lamp were removed and replaced with a pair of self-contained LED lanterns (one serving as the main light, the other as a standby); the old characteristic was retained. The installation was the first application by Trinity House of its so-called 'simple lighthouse scheme', intended to be extended to all other shore-based mains-powered lighthouses, except those with more complex display requirements (e.g. provision of a sector light).
Semaphore signalling apparatus was on Berry Head before 1875 and acted as the Lloyds' Signal Station for Torbay.
-
Current management body/ ports authority
Trinity House
-
Historical preservation societies/manager/operator
Trinity House
-
Is the site vulnerable to coastal erosion?
--- -
Have you experienced any affects of climate change on the lighthouse?
--- -
Observations on the condition of the lighthouse?
--- -
Is the site open/closed to the public
Open
-
Is the tower open/closed to the public
Closed
-
Latitude and Longitude
50°23′58.5″N 3°29′0.4″W
-
On-site bookable accommodation available
nu -
Associated web addresses
-
Other details
ARLHS ENG-007; Admiralty A0244; NGA 0344.
-
Which resources did you use to research this lighthouses?
---
Former Chance Lens Since Replaced/Removed
-
Date of decommissioning or removal of Chance lens
2019
-
Which lens(es) replaced the Chance lens ?
A pair of self-contained LED lanterns