Bishop Rock Lighthouse

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Chance Brothers Lighthouse Chance Brothers Lighthouse
  • Date of lens manufacture

    1887

  • Date of lighthouse construction

    1858

  • Country

    United Kingdom

  • Commissioning body

    Trinity House

  • Order of lens

    Hyper-radial

  • Fixed or revolving lens

    Revolving

  • Active/Inactive
    ---
  • Describe the character of light

    Fl (2) 15s

  • Describe the lighthouses daymarks

    White 49m tower, with helipad above the lantern

  • Which aspects of the lighthouse (other than the lens) were manufactured by Chance brothers

    Eight-wick paraffin burner, fog horn

  • Describe the history of the lighthouse

    In 1847 Walker decided to erect a screw-pile lighthouse. The work was suspended at the end of 1849; the building was complete but lighting apparatus had not yet been installed. The following season a heavy gale swept away the whole structure on the evening of 5 February 1850.

    Undismayed by the failure of the first lighthouse, Walker once again turned to the idea of a granite tower based upon Smeaton's Eddystone tower. After surveying the site, he finally chose a small but solid mass giving room for a base ten metres in diameter. The surface waves constantly swept over the site, and indeed the lowest blocks had to be laid a third of a metre beneath low water mark. A heavy coffer dam was erected around the site and the water within pumped out, so that the masons might be able to work on a dry rock face. The lighthouse was constructed in brief spells when weather permitted, and after seven years’ labour the tower was finally completed. In all, the 35 metre tall tower contained 2,500 tons of dressed granite and cost £34,560. The light was first exhibited on 1 September 1858. During one particularly powerful storm, waves rolled up on the side of the lighthouse and tore away the 550lb fog bell from its fastenings on the gallery.

    In 1881 Sir James Douglass made a detailed inspection of the tower and reported extensive damage and weakness in the structure. It was decided to strengthen the tower and at the same time to increase the elevation of the light by 12m. The plans, though quite complex in nature, essentially entailed the building of a new lighthouse around the old one, completely encasing it. As part of this work a 'biform' optical system designed and built by Chance Brothers was added to the lighthouse.

  • Current management body/ ports authority

    Trinity House

  • Historical preservation societies/manager/operator
    ---
  • Is the site vulnerable to coastal erosion?
    no
  • 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

    Closed

  • Is the tower open/closed to the public

    Closed

  • Latitude and Longitude
    ---
  • On-site bookable accommodation available
    no
  • Associated web addresses
  • Other details

    Originally a bi-form lens, i.e. two complete fresnel lenses one on top of the other.

    Photo "Hyper Radial (Chance) Bishop Rock UK. Arkiv E Hillberg." https://fyr.org/wiki/index.php/Fil:Hyper_Radial_(Chance)_Bishop_Rock_UK.jpg

    ARLHS ENG-010; Admiralty A0002 (the very first lighthouse in the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals); NGA 0004.

  • Which resources did you use to research this lighthouses?
    ---
Former Chance Lens Since Replaced/Removed Former Chance Lens Since Replaced/Removed
  • Date of decommissioning or removal of Chance lens

    1992

  • Which lens(es) replaced the Chance lens ?

    In 1992 the tower became fully automated, the lower half of the bi-form optic remained in use, but the top held was put on display in National Maritime Museum Cornwall.


In the 1800s, Chance Brothers & Co glassworks in Smethwick began making the hi-tech lenses that lighthouses use to warn ships of dangerous locations. By 1951, over 2,500 lighthouses around the world were fitted with a Chance lens.

Where?


[16, 6, 1, 6]
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