Tiumpan Head Lighthouse
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Date of lens manufacture
1899
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Date of lighthouse construction
1900
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Country
United Kingdom
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Commissioning body
Northern Lighthouse Board
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Order of lens
1st order
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Fixed or revolving lens
Revolving
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Active/Inactive
Active
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Describe the character of light
F1(2)W 15S Range 25 nautical miles.
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Describe the lighthouses daymarks
Masonry tower 21 mtrs in height painted white with a watch room painted in buff and gold. The lantern is black and a small portion on the landward side is blacked out.
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Which aspects of the lighthouse (other than the lens) were manufactured by Chance brothers
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Describe the history of the lighthouse
The lighthouse is on the east coast of the Isle of Lewis on a prominent headway North of the Port of Stornoway. It was built by the Northern Lighthouse Board to a design by David Alan Stevenson and Charles Stevenson and is now a Category C listed building. The lighthouse first came into operation on December 1st 1900 with the light from the fresnel lens that had been supplied by Chance Brothers of Smethwick near Birmingham. The light was driven by a clockwork mechanism designed by James Dove and Co of Edinburgh which required winding every 35 minutes. The fresnel lens was replaced with sealed beam units in April 1987 and these were replaced by LED units in 2016. The light had 6 keepers who climbed the 69 steps up to the top. Queen Elizabeth II was a visitor to the lighthouse in 1956.
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Current management body/ ports authority
Northern Lighthouse Board
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Historical preservation societies/manager/operator
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Is the site vulnerable to coastal erosion?
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Have you experienced any affects of climate change on the lighthouse?
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Observations on the condition of the lighthouse?
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Is the site open/closed to the public
Open
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Is the tower open/closed to the public
Closed
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Latitude and Longitude
58.2608657, -6.1388082
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On-site bookable accommodation available
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Associated web addresses
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Other details
There is a small parking area where you can walk around the cliff tops to view the lighthouse. Some of the buildings are now privately owned and used as a kennels and cattery.
ARLHS SCO-242; Admiralty A3972; NGA 3824.
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Which resources did you use to research this lighthouses?
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Date of decommissioning or removal of Chance lens
April 1987
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Which lens(es) replaced the Chance lens ?
Sealed beam unit.